What is it physically?

ICEarchive™ is a household inventory storage and medical emergency preparedness tool delivered to you on a high quality, credit card-sized, 8 Gb USB memory drive that inserts right into your Windows computer USB slot.  It easily fits into a wallet or purse and is carried with you.  Take a look at the screen shots on the ICEarchive™ page of this website and see how clean and functional it looks!

 

What information should go on ICEarchive™ card?

All of it!  Some things are obvious like bank accounts and insurance information, lawyers or accountant details, scans of important documents, photographs of posessions for insurance purposes and so much more.  What isn’t so obvious are things like which bills are paid automatically and from which account?  Where is the water shut off valve in the house?  Where are the keys to the storage unit ? Our 17 categories and unlimited subcategories and individual items allow you to archive virtually anything.   Honestly, one of the best ways to figure out what to protect in ICEarchive™ is to sit down with your spouse and do it together.  

 

What is the I.C.E. feature?

ICEarchive™ is more than just an arhive for your information, it can literally save your life.   First responders are trained to check cell phones and personal effects for I.C.E. information - In Case of Emergency.  This is typically only a contact name and telephone number to call should you be incapacitated.  We've expanded on this concept and provided you with the ability to communicate extra information to these emergency personnel.  Once you've entered your I.C.E. information  into your ICEarchive™ card, it becomes available for a first responder to access without needing to type in your security passphrase. The language you speak, your blood type, your important medical conditions or medications and other vital information can be readily available for use when it is needed; no waiting for someone else to communicate it to those helping you. Even though this information is visible to the emergency personnel, your private information remains invisible and protected unless unlocked with your passphrase.

Do I have to install the software?

ICEarchive™ software does not install itself onto your computer.  You simply insert the card into a USB slot and follow the instructions.  Everything needed is right on the card.  No special or additional software is required. Please ensure that you have installed the periodic Microsoft Windows updates including the .NET framework that are available free of charge from Microsoft.  These updates keep your Windows version up to date and ready to run today's applications.  We've even added a short video on the card to help get you started.

 

Is it safe?

​Absolutely! ICEarchive™ software does not use the internet in any way and all information you provide stays only on the memory card — nothing you type will be copied or kept anywhere but on the ICEarchive™  card. You control where the card is kept for safe keeping when you’re done! Nothing resides on the computer you use. You never have to worry about removing or transferring any information if you get a new computer.​  Even if you choose to make backup copies of your data, they are fully encrypted and cannot be read by programs other than ICEarchive™.  You have full control over where these backups are kept; hard drive, another USB memory drive, burned to CD or even in the cloud. 

 

My antivirus/malware protection program is warning me

Depending on your antivirus/malware program settings, you may be cautioned about the ICEarchive.exe file when you go to execute it. This is your software protecting you from something it doesn't recognize.  It is safe to "ignore" or "white list" our program.  It is not changing anything on your computer or leaving anything behind.  Our software contains NO ADVERTISING, NO SPYWARE, NO TRACKING PROGRAMS or any other malicious code.  In some cases your computer may even go so far as to quarantine the file.  If so, please refer to your antivirus/malware program instructions on how to restore it. 

 

Tell me about the security passphrase

ICEarchive™ requires you to enter a password or better yet, passphrase, when you use it for the first time.  You can always change it in the future if you wish.  We have also provided a place for you to insert a visible hint to remind you of the passphrase.  It is important that you make this something that you and your loved ones will remember as there is no way to access your information without it.  This passphrase is used to encrypt/decipher your data and protect it.

 

Can I store photos and documents on the ICEarchive™ card?

Yes you can!  If you have digital copies or files of your important documents as well as photographs (up to 5 Mb apiece), you can save them into the ICEarchive™ program. This is perfect for keeping a visual inventory of your household posessions in the event of needing to make an insurance claim.

 

Can I print copies of the information I enter into my ICEarchive™ card?

Yes you can!  Whether "soft printing" by saving as a read-only .PDF file, or traditional paper printing, ICEarchive™ allows you to print out single items or the entire contents.  Best yet, no matter how much information you have entered into the spaces on the screen, the printer will display the entire contents for you.

 

What happens if my card doesn't work?

In order to get the USB card as thin as possible, the manufacturer has made the USB plug 1/2 the thickness of conventional ones.  This means that is is possible to insert it upside down in the slot on your computer.  No problem, just flip it over!    It’s virtually impossible to guarantee a piece of software will run on every computer in the world, but we’ve done the best we can to make ICEarchive™ as easy to use as possible.  In the unlikely event that your card is defective or you are not satisfied, please return it to us for replacement or refund.  Please do not return any card to us with personal information on it!

 

Do ICEarchive™ cards make good gifts?
Yes! Why not purchase a ICEarchive™ card for your married children, friends, employees, and customers? ICEarchive™ emergency preparedness software is a unique and thoughtful gift that will provide peace of mind — a priceless gift!

 

When I hit “SAVE”, where is my information going?

The ICEarchive™ program will save your information right back to the USB card. Only this one special file is capable of being edited and is one of the big benefits of the ICEarchive™ card.  

 

Can I return the ICEarchive™ card if I don’t like it or if it doesn’t work for some reason?

Yes you can. We want you to be pleased with your purchase. If you decide to return it, please MAKE SURE THAT YOU ERASE ALL PERSONAL INFORMATION FROM THE CARD. WE CANNOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING YOU ENTER ON THE CARD. The return information can be found on the Terms and Conditions page, accessible from the help menu. 

 

Can I copy the files off the ICEarchive™ card to my computer or another USB drive? What about making a backup?

We believe in the principle of “singularity of data”.   Basically this means there should only be one place where the information resides so that there can never be a case of conflicting information.   For this reason, only the data on the USB card is “live”.  You can however, export this data as a backup file and store it anywhere you can store any other file.  If/when you choose to import this file back onto your ICEarchive™ card, it will inform you that it will overwrite any other information you may have on the card.  The backup file that is created by ICEarchive™ is securely encrypted (continues to require your password) and can only be read by reinstalling it back onto your USB card.  It is intended purely as a backup. The ICEarchive™ program itself does not contain your personal data and merely provides the means to interact with your data.  It is tied to the USB card via sophisticated copy protection software and therefore cannot be successfully copied elsewhere.  It will only function on the ICEarchive™ USB card.  If you should lose your ICEarchive™ card but have backed up your data, you can purchase a replacement ICEarchive™ USB card and import the backup file onto the new card, run the program, enter your password and your data will be there.

 

Why doesn’t ICEarchive™ use the internet?  Isn’t that the way the whole world is going?

Some things just don’t belong on the internet and we believe your consolidated personal information is high on that list.  We read about security breaches every day; and this from companies that have promised they are safe!  We are also very aware that not everyone has access to internet or is comfortable in using it.  By the way, where will you keep the necessary login and password information that you would need to access your information on the internet?  See the irony in that?   Ultimately someone has to continually pay for the service of hosting all that information in the cloud too.  ICEarchive™ has no ongoing fees to worry about.  When a company says that their server is safe, just what does that mean?  How do you know it isn't just sitting in someone's den, vulnerable to being stolen or subject to hard drive failure?

 

Can I use my ICEarchive™ card on my Mac ?

Sorry,  ICEarchive™ is for Windows only.

There are several products on the market that allow Mac users to run Windows software.  We are not Mac experts and do not have firsthand experience with these programs.  We do not guarantee that any or all of these programs will function correctly as we have not tested them.  Several of them offer demo versions or trial periods.  Here is a list of programs:
 

• CrossOver Mac  http://www.codeweavers.com/products/crossover

• Parallels Desktop  http://www.parallels.com

• VMWare Fusion  http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/overview.html

• VirtualBox  https://www.virtualbox.org

• Boot Camp  http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp

•  

Is ICEarchive™ available in any other languages?

Not yet, but we are working to offer them very soon. If you are bilingual and would like to be considered for a translator assignment with us, please contact us.

 

Why USB cards and not CDs or DVDs?

That's a great question!  USB or Universal Serial Bus, is an industry standard that is forecasted to be around for a very long time. With no moving parts, USB cards have very long shelf lives and are robust.  Storage media (floppy drives in all sizes, tapes, CDs...) come and go, but USB is continuously evolving.  Even if the industry ultimately replaces the USB standard, backward compatibility is very likely as so many devices use this standard. Remember, you always have the option to print out your forms too. 

 

Does Neal Ventures LLC offer professional advice of any kind?

No. Please consult with your own trusted advisors.  While we have provided some suggestions for what information you may wish to record, ultimately it is up to you to decide what you fill in.

 

Who is Neal Ventures LLC?

Neal Ventures is a limited liability company in the state of Texas that conceived, developed, produced and markets the ICEarchive™ card. All artwork, programming, sales, marketing and customer service is proudly done in the United States. We are also the proud developers of the MyLifeBridge™ card which has similar features and is more suited for information documentation and storage rather than the emergency preparedness functions of ICEarchive™.  Some people find the warm, comfortable pages and navigation of MyLifeBridge™ to be more to their tastes and level of computer proficiency. You can find out more at www.MyLifeBridgeCard.com

 

I think ICEarchive™ is a wonderful idea. Can I invest in your company?

Thank you, we think it is pretty special too. Unfortunately we are a small private company and not publically traded. We are always looking for ways to increase our exposure however, so we welcome hearing from you about mutually beneficial opportunities.

 

Can I copy the ICEarchive™ card for a friend?

No. Our card is copyrighted and is intended for use by one family only. The software and the physical card are both required for a fully functional product. 

 

Do you offer discounts for multiple copy purchases?

Yes!  Whether you are a service professional such as a lawyer, accountant, financial planner, insurance agent or simply have an extended family that you’d like to share the benefits of ICEarchive™ with, we can work with you. We offer co-branding solutions and alternative packaging options too. Please contact us and let us give you a quote.