These are some common questions asked by our users, if your question is not here please click here for the user guide.

Do I have to sign up for a service plan to try the backup service?
All four service plans begin with a 30-day free trial. While you do need to provide your credit card information when registering, your credit card will not be charged until your FREE trial is over.  You may cancel at any time.

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How do I sign up?
Click on the plan you wish to try. Register for the service you want. A small piece of software will automatically download to your PC’s hard drive. Your service FREE 30-day trial will automatically begin. After 30 days your credit card will be charged.

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How do I pay?
Simply input your billing information during the registration process when prompted to do so. You will be asked for your credit card number for billing purposes.

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What kinds of files can I backup?
This depends upon the plan you choose. QuickBooks Small Business File Backup Service lets you protect only your QuickBooks files, up to 200MB. Premium Data Backup Service allows you to protect up to 4GB of your data files and Premium Plus System  Backup protects all data files and software applications, up to 10GB. *

Note: Terms, conditions, pricing, features and service options subject to change without notice. 30-day free trial is a limited time offer.

*For data stored on PC disk drives (not network drives) for home and business PC's. Not for servers or PC's used extensively for multimedia files such as mp3's and digital photos.

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How often can I do a backup?
You may backup your data as often as you like, just have your computer turned on and connected to the Internet. The easy to use Backup Wizard lets you set days and times for your backup to automatically happen.

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How much data can I backup?
This depends upon the plan you choose. QuickBooks Small Business File Backup Service lets you protect only your QuickBooks files, up to 200MB. Premium Data Backup Service allows you to protect up to 4GB of your data files and Premium Plus System  Backup protects all data files and software applications, up to 10GB.*

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What steps are involved when I sign up?
Once QuickBooks Online Backup is installed and running on your computer and your initial backup is complete, data backups and retrievals are quick and easy. The software is automatic, handling most of the work and optimizing the size and speed of file transfers. But before Online Backup can operate with ease, you must first follow a simple, one-time setup process:

Step 1: Download the Setup File
If you haven't already done so, download the setup file by clicking here. You can download the setup file to any location on your computer, but you must remember this location for step 3.

Remain connected to the Internet after downloading the setup file. You will need the Internet connection for steps 3 and 4.

Step 2: Run the Setup Program
The setup program performs two important tasks. First, it installs the required software onto your computer. Next, it creates your account and registers it at our secure Data Center.

The setup program is easy to use. It asks you questions, screen by screen, until it has all the information required to create your account. If you don't understand a question on a screen, simply click the Help button for more information about that screen.

Since the setup program must send your registration information to the Data Center, you must be connected to the Internet. If you disconnect your computer from the Internet after finishing step 2, you must reconnect before running the setup program.

To run the setup program, simply go to the location on your disk where you downloaded the setup file during step 2, and double-click the file.

Note: During the setup process, the setup program allows you to print your account registration information. You will need this information if you ever have to reinstall Online Backup. You should therefore keep this information in a safe place for possible future use.

Step 3: Perform an Initial Backup
After the setup program installs the software on your computer and registers your account at the Data Center, it opens the software and shows you the files it is including in the initial backup. Verify that all the files you want to backup are selected. If not, you can select additional files and folders, up to the plan limit. You can also de-select any files you don't want backed up.

This initial backup is typically the largest and longest backup you will ever perform because it is the first time your files are uploaded to the Data Center. For this reason, some users prefer to run the initial backup overnight. After the initial backup is complete, subsequent backups will be much smaller and faster since the software will have to back up only new files and changes to old files.

To continue with the initial backup, make sure you are still connected to the Internet and then click the Backup Now button. If, for any reason, you should be disconnected from the Internet during the initial backup, don't worry. Simply reconnect to the Internet and perform the backup again. The software remembers which files it has backed up and which files it must still back up.

Step 4: After the Initial Backup Is Complete
After the initial backup is complete, subsequent backups will be smaller and faster and can run automatically, depending on how you configured your backup settings during the setup process.

For information on how to use your software, whether it's to perform a backup, retrieve files, set preferences, or perform other tasks, simply access the Help file. You can access Help at any screen by clicking the Help icon in the software or by pressing the [F1] key on your keyboard. The Help system opens and displays Help for the current screen. You can also browse through the Help system's table of contents and index for other information about Connected TLM.

If you ever have to reinstall your software (for example, if your disk crashes and you must reinstall lost software) you can come back to these web pages to download the setup file again. While you would have to rerun the setup program, you would not be required to go through the registration process again. The setup program will find your account at the Data Center, restore the registration information on your computer, and allow you to retrieve any of the data files you have backed up at the Data Center.

Note: You would only have to reinstall the Connected TLM software if it no longer existed on your computer due to a disk crash or any other damage. If you simply lose data files that previously have been backed up, and your Connected TLM software is still intact, you can simply run Connected TLM and then retrieve the lost files.

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How do I know my data is secure?
Your information is encrypted before it leaves your PC using triple DES encryption (112-bit) - the same standard used by many banks and the United States Government. Data is compressed and encrypted before leaving the PC and stored at the data center in its encrypted state. All information is stored using data center best practices- mirrored servers in two geographically separate locations to guarantee the highest levels of data security and availability.

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How can I retrieve a file after I back it up?
 To retrieve your files, click on the Retrieve View Tab in the QuickBooks Online Backup application. The Agent will display backed-up files that you may select using the checkboxes. (If you cannot find a file you are looking for, you may have deleted the file before you last backed up. In that case, select the Retrieve Options button at the bottom of the Agent window, and use the control panel to display all backed up files regardless of date.)

Click the Retrieve Now button. Select one of the following options:

  • Rename the file on your hard drive
  • Rename the file you are retrieving
  • Retrieve the file to a different directory.

If you select an option that renames the file, make sure you record the new file name so you don’t forget it. For more information about these options, see the Agent’s on-line help topic “Retrieve Preferences.”

Click OK and close QuickBooks Online Backup. Start QuickBooks from the Start\Programs\QuickBooks menu or from the QuickBooks desktop icon . On the File menu within the QuickBooks program , select Open and select the file you have retrieved.

If your file was backed up using an older version of QuickBooks, you may be prompted to update your file to a newer version. Click OK.

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How can I tell which version I have?
You can identify your version by opening the backup software (Start | Programs | Connected | Connected) and then clicking on Help | About.

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Where can I find my account information?
Account Number: This appears on the Home screen and under Help | About. · Encryption Key: From the menu bar, select Options | Security | View. · Password: You can only see your password by printing your account information. From the menu bar, select Options | Security | View | Print. If you have a password, you will need it in order to print.

If you do not have the backup software on your PC, you will have to ask someone to look up your account information for you. Contact Connected Support.

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What happens to my account number if I get a new computer?
The account number that you are assigned when you start your account is associated with the computer where the software is installed and where the backups will take place. If you have multiple computers, you will have multiple accounts. If you have several accounts, they may all be charged to the same credit card.

By having a unique account number for your computer, data that you back up from that computer will be recoverable even if the account is moved to a new computer. If you want to share backups between computers, distinct account numbers enable you to do that, too. Contact Connected Support if you have any questions.

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What is my encryption key?
The encryption key is a word or a phrase that you create when you first set up an account. It contains a minimum of 8 characters. Once an encryption key is set it cannot be changed.

Your encryption key is used to encrypt your data for safe transmission between your computer and our data centers. You will be asked for your encryption key whenever you retrieve files or perform an account recovery.

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Do I need to set up a password?
Once you have established an account, you can create a password for it. A password must contain a minimum of 6 characters. It can be changed whenever you wish.

It is not necessary to have a password. However, you might want to password-protect your account if your computer is shared with other people. While a password won't prevent backups, it will prevent anyone else from using your account to retrieve anything you have backed up.

Note, most people do not use an account password, and some companies do not even enable this feature for their users.

To create a password or to change one: From the menu bar, select Options | Security | Change Account Password. After your password has been transmitted to the data center, you should print your account information as described in the next paragraph.

In order to see an existing password, it is necessary to print the account information. However, you need to know the account password in order to print, so print the information while the password is fresh in your mind and store the printout in a safe place. From the menu bar, select Options | Security | View Encryption Key | Print.

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How do I contact technical support and customer service?

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How do I cancel my service?
You may cancel your account at any time, just click here

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How do I reinstall my software to use the service?
Click here to download the reinstall software

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