How do I change how often SpiderOak scans my files for changes or new files?

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You can change how often SpiderOak scans your system for changes to your backed up files. The default setting is 'automatic' which means that a directory watcher process is constantly running in the background, waiting for changes to your system. Most users find that the default setting provides the most reliable results, and we normally recommend that it be left on automatic.

If you wish to change your scan settings, however, open the Home tab and select Overview. In the Backup section, click the 'Schedule' link. This will open the Preferences window.

You can set your scan to run as frequently as once every 5 minutes to as infrequently as once a week. The more often your system is scanned, the more up to date your backup will be.

Although you can set a specific time for the backup to begin, you cannot set a time to force it to end. The backup will continue to run until either it completes or you close SpiderOak.

Even if you set the scan to run at a particular time each day, SpiderOak must be open in order for the program to scan your system and back up files.

Regardless of your scan settings, SpiderOak will scan your entire backup set every time you open the program. This is to ensure that no changes have been made to your files while the program was closed.

You can also access your scan settings by clicking the Preferences link in the lower right corner of the SpiderOak application window. Select the 'Schedule' tab to change the scan frequency.


The information above is based on the current version of our application. If you are running an older version, download and install our current version, then follow the instructions above.