Overview
Administrators with the proper permissions can restore files for other users. If the archive is protected with enhanced encryption, administrators must provide the correct archive key password to restore on behalf of another user.
Using the CrashPlan console, there are two options for restoring files on behalf of another user.
- Zip file
- Device
Considerations
- When performing a zip file restore, files are restored to a temporary folder. All files selected are restored within this temporary folder.
- To limit file exfiltration potential and secure user data from access by the CrashPlan server system, consider disabling zip file web restores. You can verify your environment's configuration in organization settings.
Zip file restore
Users and administrators can perform a zip file restore to download a zip file containing the selected files in a browser. Zip file restores are designed to quickly restore a small number of files to any computer with a web browser, even without access to the original computer.
Zip file restores are limited by default to a file size of 250 MB or less, but administrators can change this restriction by increasing the web restore limit.
- Sign in to the CrashPlan console.
- Select Administration> Environment > Devices from the menu.
- Select a device from the list on the Active tab.
- From the device details, click Restore.
- Select Zip File from the Restore Target options.
- In the Web Restore window, select the files and folders to restore. Click the arrow next to a file to view and select a specific version of that file to restore.
If you choose to restore a large number of files, preparing the files for restore might take several minutes. Time stamps next to file versions are displayed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). - Click Restore.
- Download the zip file containing your restored files.
Device restore
Administrators with the proper permissions can restore files to any registered, online device, regardless of device ownership. When an administrator begins a device restore (also called a "push restore"), the target device uses the CrashPlan app to perform the restore of all files to the target location.
There is no limit on the number or size of files that can be restored with a device restore, but the target device must be currently online.
- Sign in to the CrashPlan console.
- Select Administration> Environment > Devices from the menu.
- Select a device from the list on the Active tab.
- From the device details, click Restore.
- If needed, select the destination from which to restore files.
- If the device has more than one backup set using that destination, select the backup set from which to restore files.
The From Backup Set list is available only in certain cloud destinations when multiple backup sets on the device use the same destination. - Select Device from the Restore Target options.
- Start typing the target device name within the Target device field. The available devices appear in a drop-down list.
- Select a target device from the list.
The target device must be currently online. - In Target location, select one of the following:
-
Target Path
Select Target to choose a specific file path on the device for the restore. Restored files inherit the ownership of this target path folder. -
Original Location
- If the file already exists: Specify whether you want existing files (files that are on your device right now) renamed or overwritten when a file matching the file name downloads to the same location.
- Permissions: Specify if you would like the permissions of the file to match those of the current user doing the restore or those of the original user.
-
Target Path
- In the Web Restore window, select the files and folders to restore. Click the arrow next to a file to view and select a specific version of that file to restore.
If you choose to restore a large number of files, preparing the files for restore might take several minutes. Time stamps next to file versions are displayed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). - Click Restore.
Troubleshooting
- To restore files from archives in cold storage, first bring files out of cold storage by activating a deactivated user or activating a deactivated device, then restore the files from the CrashPlan console.
- When using a device web restore, restore files with Current permissions instead of Original permissions to avoid file access issues. For example:
- If a user did not originally have permissions to a directory where files were backed up, restore the files using Current permissions to give the user access to the restored files in that directory.
- If files were originally backed up on a different device, restore the files using Current permissions to give the user access to the restored files on their current device.
- If you perform a zip file restore of files that originated on a Windows device, and those files have alternate data streams attributes, new files are created alongside the restored files. The name of the alternate data stream is appended to the file name following a "_" character, typically "_Zone.Identifier". These additional files appear because the zip restore cannot handle the alternate data streams, and so the alternate data stream information is placed in a separate file. No additional action is required on your part.
- If you use device web restore on a device with multiple users, all users can read the restored files. To ensure only the owning user can read the files, instead of using device web restore, ask the user to use the CrashPlan app to restore the files.
- CrashPlan app users cannot modify or delete files restored by a device web restore if all these conditions are true:
- Files were restored to a device on a different platform (for example, restoring files from Windows to Mac).
- The CrashPlan app is installed for multiple users.
- The receiver of the restored files does not have administrator permissions on the device.