2.1. Directories To Backup
This is looking at what directories are already set to be backed up and with what parameters. These can be edited and removed whilst new ones can be added.
2.2. 'Include All' Patterns
These are file patterns (*.txt, back*.exe, readme*, *.mp? etc.) which should be backed up from all directories. For example, adding *.txt to the 'Include All' Patterns list would backup all txt files from all drives and directories. This is equivalent to adding *.txt to all drives root directories with include all subdirectories set. These can be edited and removed whilst new ones can be added.
2.3. Directories To Exclude
These are directories which should be totally excluded from being backed up - these take precedence over directories to include and 'Include All' patterns.
2.4.1. Program Updates
To check for updates, you must use the button on the control form. See section 3.
'Autmatically check for updates' allows you to decide whether the program should automatically check for updates every time it gets started.
'Rollback Last Update' is sometimes useful if Ive done something wrong and the new version of the program doesnt work correctly. It can also be done from the command line - see section 8.
2.4.2. Information File Updates
You can import/export settings to/from an ini file. This is useful for creating your own backups of the information file (you can just copy the Backup.ini file in the program directory) and for importing an information file if you need to use a different one.
2.4.3. Reset Everything
As the name suggests, this will reset something. It will reset file and backup details - it will be as if you have never made any backups (although you will still be able to restore files from past backup files). There are 2 safeguards against doing this acidentally - 1 message box which you just need to click yes to. Secondly, just to make sure youre paying attention, there is an input box which you must actually type yes into so the operation can continue.
2.5. Set Available Media
From here you can mark media as unavailable or deleted.
If you mark media as unavailable, you will not be asked for it when restoring (if using a backup file made after you mark it as unavailable) and any files whose latest backups were on that media will be backed up again. When viewing details, if part/all of a file or backup has been marked as unavailable, a * will be at the start of its entry in one of the lists. Media marked as unavailable can be 'unmarked' and made available again.
If you will never be able to use the media again, you can delete it. This will remove the records of what files are on the disk and is irrevocable. This is basically a permanent version of unavailable.
2.6.1. Backup Directory
This is the directory where new backups will be placed. This can be set and viewed here. If using Windows XP to write the media, it is best if this is on the same drive as your Windows directory. There is a possibility of being able to write the files directly into the directory windows uses as temporary storage for writing files onto media. Be warned though, I have NOT extensively tested this so I do not know how well it will work (if at all). If you could find out the directory windows uses for temporarily storing the files before they are written (something like 'C:\Documents and Settings\[your username]\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\CD Burning') it should be easy to start the backup (specifying 'Write Media the XP Way') and then just click 'Write These Files To CD' from windows explorer rather than copying/moving and pasting them then writing them to media.
2.6.2. Backup Interval
This is how often you want to be reminded to make a backup. If a shortcut to this program is put in the Startup menu with the /min switch (see section 6), the program will run in the background and periodically pop up a window to remind you you it is time to make another backup.
2.6.3. Automatically Run When Computer Starts
You can decide if the program should start automatically when the computer starts. It will display the splash screen then hide itself in the system tray (all the small icons, normally in the bottom right corner of the screen).
3. Updates
You can attempt to automatically update the program when connected to the internet. This is done from the main control screen. This will first download a small file (a few bytes) from my website (see section 10) which contains the date of the latest available update. If this date is more recent than the one contained in your version of the program, the new version of the program and accompanying files will all be downloaded. Currently, the files are all zipped together and go for about 300kb.
4. Backup
Preliminary Step - Make Sure Everything Is Ready To Backup
To make a backup you must have some directories selected through the Setup window and/or some 'Include All' Patterns set.
Choose Your Medium
You must choose what medium this backup is to be put onto. The first 4 choices (650MB CD, 700MB CD, 4.9GB DVD and 9.8GB DVD) should all be self explanatory. Custom is for you to decide on your own media size (in MB or GB) and name. This is the only option that allows you to use the 'Custom Media' frame. The custom media must be between 10MB and 1024GB (1TB). The final option is 'No Limit'. This is used when the backups are being left on a hard drive (preferably one dedicated to backups). This disables the 'Write Method' frame as this is not used for hard drive backups. The 'Write Method' frame is used to specify which of 3 ways the media should be written to hard drive before copying.One, the media should be written one by one, pausing between each media so the backup can be written to media. Two, the media should be written all at once so they can all be written later. If you do not have much disk space, you should choose the one by one option. Three, if you are trying the XP way of writing to the temporary CD buring directory, you should use 'Write Media The XP Way' as this does not include 'Backup###\MEDIA###' in the directory to create the backup to.
Choose Directories
You can now select which directories you want to include in this backup. It will normally be all of them.
Choose 'Include All' Patterns
You can select which 'Include All' Patterns you want to include in this backup.
Start The Backup
This stage is used to set 2 final backup parameters.
First, set if the backup should be a fresh backup point. This means that even if the file has not changed since it was last backed up, it will be backed up again. This is useful because it consolidates the lastest backups of lots of files and give even better reliablilty that the backup will survive until restore is necessary.
Second, set if files should be zipped so they take up less space on the media. This will require more hard drive space (upto the size of the largest file you're backing up) and will take longer to do the backup. If you are zipping to hard drive (unlimited backup), files will stop being zipped when they are less than 1KB to start with. If you will be writing to removable media (CD/DVD) files will stop being zipped when there is less than 1 full media remaining to be backed up - if the whole media has to be used, theres no advantage to taking up less space on it. I suggest you leave zipping on.
Watch The Backup
Watch all the files being backed up and do whatever is necessary. Pause will temporarily pause the backup until you resume it. Stop will stop the backup as if it had finished normally. This is the closest I can easily get to being able to pause a backup then come back to it some time later and resume the same backup.
Note: As you watch the backup you may notice the 'Space Used On Media' is more than the 'Total Files Copied'. This is because some space must be left on the media for information files and system files. I can only guess how much space is required therefore (so things dont break down in the middle of a backup) I hope I have over-estimated.
The End
Anything you need to do to finish off the backup will be specified in this step.
5. Read Only Mode
If the program is started from write protected media, the program will enter 'Read Only Mode'. In read only mode, you cannot start the setup or backup operations as these require files to be written to disc. Read only mode is primarily used when restoring files from media.
Choose 'Restore From' Directory.
This is where the Backup.Ini to use for this restore is located. This is normally the root directory of the latest media you have backed up onto (it should be the last in the set). AutoSearch should find this if it is on removable media.
However, if you have backed up onto hard drive you will have to use 'Change Restore From Directory' to specify where the backups are stored. This should either be a directory where all subdirectories are of the form 'Backup###' or 'MEDIA###' (where # is a digit). Then, the latest backup will be found from within those subdirectories.
Choose Restore Type
You can choose one of 4 types :
Restore All Files Using Latest Backup And Program And Information Files
This will restore all files that have been backed up and this program and associated files. Skip to Step 4.
Restore All Files Using Latest Backup
This will restore all files that have been backed up. Skip to Step 4.
Restore Program And Information Files Only
This will restore this program and associated files. Skip to Step 4.
Advanced Restore
This allows you to specify exactly which files to restore and whether to restore the program files.
Choose Which Files To Restore
Note : This step is only used if 'Advanced Restore' is chosen.
This lets you choose which files to restore and which backups to restore them from. If you are recovering from a total failure, you'll probably want to click 'Select All Shown Files With Latest Backup'. However, if you only want to restore certain files you can choose these with the file list. The files shown can be filtered by directory (the tree on the right) and/or by file extension. The file extension filtering is not very advanced - wildcards (? and *) cannot be used, just type in the extension to filter in e.g. 'doc'.
For each file you select, you can also select which backup to restore them from - if for instance you require a previous version of a backed up file. By default, the latest backup is selected for every file. This normally does not need to be changed.
The 'Maintain Directory Structure' checkbox determines whether the directory structure is maintained when the files are restored.
The 'Restore Program And Information File' checkbox determines whether the program and information file are restored to the hard drive with the rest of the files.
Choose 'Restore To' Directory
This is where all selected files will be restored to. The directory chosen must be empty before you can proceed with the restore (to prevent the possibility of overwriting files). 'Check If The Directory Is Empty' is used to refresh the status of the selected directory if you manual clear the directory.
8. Switches
Switches can be used by entering one of the following as a shortcut, in a batch file or at the command prompt. There are 3 switches that can be used :
Backup /min
Starts the program with the splash screen then just the icon in the taskbar. This is usually used when the program is added to the Startup menu of windows - so the program can remind you when to make backups.
Backup /restore
Starts the program in restore only mode. This is usually only used when being run from a backup CD to restore files to a hard drive.
UpkUpdate /rollback
You can use this to attempt to rollback the latest update. This can be helpful if there is an error with the program at all. This will only suceed if the '.Old' files have not been deleted.
9. Alert
This is the form that pops up to remind you to do a regular backup. When it does popup, click 'Ok' to close the window or 'Backup Now' to start a backup.