Backup to cloud other users from my account

[MrMister111]

I have a cloud backup service (KnowHow cloud, uses LiveDrive). I've completed the cloud backup of my iMac now, using my user account. Its backup up my movies, music, desktop etc.

Now the tariff I'm on allows 5 "devices" what they've said is a "device" is an install. So our family all have their own user accounts.

Is there any way to make me (the admin) get read/write access to the other users home folders so I can backup their user account stuff as well, rather than installing the software on each user account and using up my 5 devices?

thanks

 

[MrMister111]

Suppose I can simplify the question by asking, can you get read/write access of another user on a Mac if I'm an admin?

At the moment in Finder, logged on as me (admin), if I go to another users folder in finder its locked. This means I can't backup as I can't add the folder.

thanks

 

[Azzin]

Can't you log on as each user, install the KnowHow client using your credentials and run the backup?

 

[MrMister111]

Can't you log on as each user, install the KnowHow client using your credentials and run the backup?

I can yes easily. But the way KnowHow works is that every install counts as one of your allowed "devices" already checked with their tech support.

Doing this would mean using 4 devices for the one iMac just to backup an individual folder on the other user accounts.

I was hoping to save done device installs and just install it one on my iMac.

 

[simonsi]

Like any other App though, is it not available under their account? If they can run the App then you log into the Knowhow account with your login?

If that is what Knowhow deliberately design though, a "device" is actually a user account then you are probably stuck, unless you can setup a task in say automator that can first copy their folders to your account then they gat backed up from there...

Or to be honest use a different method such as shared Dropbox folders etc...

 

[MrMister111]

Like any other App though, is it not available under their account? If they can run the App then you log into the Knowhow account with your login?

If that is what Knowhow deliberately design though, a "device" is actually a user account then you are probably stuck, unless you can setup a task in say automator that can first copy their folders to your account then they gat backed up from there...

Or to be honest use a different method such as shared Dropbox folders etc...

Logged on as another user, it said "KnowHow is already running another instance"

So looks like can't that way either? Unless exit on the admin (me) user the KnowHow app, and then try to log in? Not sure if it will detect that as a new user, and with me using the same log in, may wipe over the backup already from me?

 

[simonsi]

Logged on as another user, it said "KnowHow is already running another instance"

So looks like can't that way either? Unless exit on the admin (me) user the KnowHow app, and then try to log in? Not sure if it will detect that as a new user, and with me using the same log in, may wipe over the backup already from me?

I think you need to go back to them and point out that their definition of a "device" is fatally flawed and would be considered inaccurate advertising.

Other than that it looks like this is intended behaviour.

 

[MrMister111]

I think you need to go back to them and point out that their definition of a "device" is fatally flawed and would be considered inaccurate advertising.



Other than that it looks like this is intended behaviour.

I did email a while ago for a few questions and this was included reply direct from them.

"The 5 "device" limit is a bit odd. It only counts installations running on a PC or Mac. So you could have any number of phones/tablets and 5 Macs/PCs. It does count the installations, so if you had 2 users on a PC that needed to backup user data. Then that would need 2 installations and count as 2 devices on your limit."

That's reason I wanted to avoid doing installs for the separate users and wanted to access the user folder from my account.

 

[simonsi]

That's reason I wanted to avoid doing installs for the separate users and wanted to access the user folder from my account.

Yes I get that. How about you have folders on your account that get backed up and share each folder with each account holder? They then keep their docs in the shared folder on your account and everything gets backed up by a single instance/device of Knowhow?