BT Cloud is no longer available

[pddco]

@Cicero 

I feel I should be doing something pending the closure of BT Cloud but quite frankly I’m not sure what. I’ve used the BT Cloud app for years. My BT Cloud folder has the ‘ Make everything available’ option ticked ( and always has been. This means I have a local copy of all devices data ( Android and iOS phones) And whatever I’ve chosen to add in the root folder ( or sync folder as some people call it). The stuff that’s backed up in the Cloud is basically what’s already on my local PC’s Documents and Video etc.. folders. And also the Documents and Video etc folders from my other PCs. So unless I’m missing something why would I need to download my backed up files?? I suppose if I’ve backed up Document and Video files from my local PC and then removed from them from the local PC ( or my PC suffered a failure) then I would need to recover them. But what I fail to see is what is this issue with downloading massive files. Shouldn’t they already exist on local PCs or local backups? Or am I missing something? 

[drifter]

Strange, isn't  it? BT a global brand that many must recognised, for EE (everthing,everywhere?) which I suspect is known for its mobilenetwork. 

Also odd, and I never used it, is the closure of BT Cloud when Microsoft are getting stick for how their OneDrive is 'taking over'  subscribers devices. From what I am reading here and elswhere, BT Cloud was what OneDrive was supposed to be, just storage. Couldn't BT have promoted that and like MS made the first 1TB free to BT accounts and a fee to others, like Dropbox.

[Cicero]

@pddco 

Yes in the main you are right. Most people will have additional backup systems. Many people will as I did use BT Cloud as a junk room. It is still interesting to see what is there especially as it goes back many years. I have finished getting my data back so it can go. 

[pddco]

@CiceroOh dear.. now you’re making me all nostalgic and wondering if there’s forgotten stuff on there.. Hmm.. 400GB will take a while if your trials and tribulations are anything to go by! No pretty sure I’m okay.. but…. 😁

[Cicero]

@pddco 

That was my dilemma….all those photos deleted off various mobiles and IPads but still on the Cloud.

400gb will take some time undoubtedly.

[pddco]

Actually with all the mobile devices including iPads and Android tablet,  assuming you’d installed the app on them and ticked the backup options, they should all be in the BT Cloud  folder on the desktop. Deleting them on the phone doesn’t delete them on the desktop BT Cloud folder. Well that’s what I found anyway. Of course you needed to have ticked the ‘Download all BT Cloud content’ ( or whatever it says) option in the desktop app. But otherwise it should all be there.

[bobdanbh]

I am punctilious about backups. Doing these to local devices is easy. But this doesn't protect against the catastrophe of a major burglary or house fire etc. destroying the local copies.

It is not so easy to do offsite backups, and this is where BT Cloud was good and had significant benefits which will now have to be replaced at some cost and one-off inconvenience.

The advantage, however, is that reconsidering my backup strategy made me evaluate BT's costs, and so I will be leaving BT. A shame as I've been a customer for 40+ years, but there you (I) go.

[Cicero]

@bobdanbh 

I am of similar mind to you.

I am currently testing another Cloud product which so far seems to OK. All my photos etc are on Google Photos which handles albums much better than BT Cloud ever did.

Will probably stick with BT but definitely getting rid of TNTSports when contract is up for renewal in November.

[staker]

I've got just under 100gb of stuff backed up on BT Cloud and nowhere else. 

I'm now trying to back it up elsewhere but before I can do that I've got to download it and for the past 2 days all I've got are spinning circles.   Has anyone else had this problem?   When you upload stuff to the Cloud the idea is that you're meant to be able to access it!

[Paul608085]

@staker 

"for the past 2 days all I've got are spinning circles. Has anyone else had this problem?"

I wonder if a lot of people are all trying to retrieve their data at the same time, and the BT Cloud server(s) cannot cope with the load?

Forty years ago I did an apprenticeship at BT. On one of the training courses we were taught about "Grade of Service" and "Erlangs", (or something like that). Basically it meant that when designing a telephone exchange, you didn't provide enough equipment so that every call was guaranteed to connect, even in the peak periods, that was uneconomic. Rather, a certain percentage of telephone traffic at the peak periods was allowed to encounter Equipment Busy Tone, and fail.

I assume that a similar principle was applied when designing the servers for BT Cloud, and maybe they cannot cope at the moment?

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