1. Installation
System Requirements
- Windows 10 or Windows 11 (64-bit)
- 8 GB RAM recommended
- Enough free disk space for your backup images
- Administrator privileges (required for disk imaging)
Installing GuardDrive Pro
- Download GuardDrive Pro from guardlinkx.com
- Extract the ZIP file to a folder
- Run DriveGuardPro.exe
- Grant administrator access when prompted
2. License Activation
License Types
- Trial — 30-day free trial with local backup only
- Standalone — Perpetual license for local backups
- Subscription — Monthly/annual license with cloud backup included
Activating Your License
- Open GuardDrive Pro
- Go to Settings → License
- Enter your license key and click Activate
- The app supports up to 3 machine activations per license
3. Creating a Backup
Full Disk Image
Creates an exact copy of an entire physical disk, including the operating system, partitions, and all data.
- Click New Backup
- Select Full Disk Image
- Choose the source disk (e.g., Disk 0)
- Choose a destination folder for the backup file
- Click Start Backup
Volume Backup
Backs up a single drive letter (partition) instead of the entire disk.
- Click New Backup
- Select Volume Backup
- Choose the drive letter (e.g., C:, D:)
- Choose a destination and click Start Backup
Tip: GuardDrive uses Volume Shadow Copy (VSS) to create consistent snapshots of live drives. You can continue working during the backup.
Backup File Format
Backups are saved as .dgb (DriveGuard Backup) files. Each file contains:
- Compressed data blocks for efficient storage
- Per-block integrity checksums to detect corruption
- Full header with disk geometry and partition information
4. Cloud Backup
Subscription license holders can store backups in the cloud.
Setting Up Cloud Backup
- Activate a Subscription license
- Go to Settings → Cloud
- Cloud credentials are managed automatically — no AWS account needed
- When creating a backup, select Cloud as the destination
Cloud Storage Tiers
- Standard — Instant access for recent backups (first 30 days)
- Archive — Automatic transition to low-cost storage after 30 days
- Deep Archive — Long-term retention after 1 year (lowest cost)
Security: All cloud backups are encrypted before upload. Your data is stored in isolated, per-subscriber storage with server-side encryption. We cannot access your backup contents.
5. Restoring a Backup
Restoring to a Disk or Volume
- Click Restore
- Select the .dgb backup file
- Choose the target disk or drive letter
- Click Start Restore
Warning: Restoring to a disk will overwrite ALL data on that disk. Make sure you select the correct target. Double-check the disk number before proceeding.
Restoring from Cloud
- Click Restore → Cloud Backups
- Browse your cloud backup history
- Select the backup to restore
- It will be downloaded first, then restored to the target
Integrity Verification
Before restoring, you can verify a backup's integrity:
- Click Verify on any backup in your catalog
- GuardDrive checks the file header and every data block's checksum
- If corruption is detected, you'll see exactly how many blocks are affected
During restore, the engine validates each block. If a corrupted block is found:
- By default, the restore stops and reports the error
- You can use Force Restore to continue despite corruption (affected blocks are filled with zeros)
6. Scheduled Backups
- Go to Schedule tab
- Click New Schedule
- Choose source, destination (local or cloud), frequency, and time
- Backups run automatically in the background
Retention Policies
- Simple — Keep the last N backups (default: 5)
- HIPAA — 6-year minimum retention with audit trail
- SOX — 7-year retention for financial compliance
- GDPR — Configurable maximum with right-to-delete support
7. Troubleshooting
Backup fails with "Access Denied"
- Run GuardDrive Pro as Administrator
- Close any applications that may be locking the disk
- Ensure the destination folder is writable
Backup file is corrupted
- Run Verify to check how many blocks are affected
- If only a few blocks are corrupted, Force Restore may recover most data
- Check that the storage device (USB drive, NAS) is healthy
- For cloud backups, re-download the file — network issues may have caused partial transfer
Cloud upload fails
- Check your internet connection
- Ensure your subscription license is active
- Large backups are uploaded in chunks — temporary network issues are handled automatically
- Check available cloud storage in Settings → Cloud
VSS snapshot fails
- Ensure the Volume Shadow Copy service is running (services.msc)
- Free at least 10% disk space on the source drive
- Disable any third-party backup software that may conflict
8. Contact Support
If you need further help:
- Email: services@guardlinkx.com
- Include your app version, Windows version, backup size, and error message
- We typically respond within 24 hours