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    Using Backup4all - FAQ 8

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    This article applies only to Backup4all. If you don't have it yet, you must download it first.

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    Oct 19, 2022
    Backup4all - all versions
    We strive to keep our articles as accurate as possible. If you notice any inconsistencies or outdated info please let us know.
    This section contains answers for frequent questions regarding the usage of Backup4all.

    On this page:

    How to schedule a backup tag?

    To schedule a backup tag, please follow these steps:
    1. Open Backup4all
    2. Press the Scheduler (F11) button
    3. Press Add button to create a new task
    4. In the Run section, select Tag and choose a name from the list.
    5. In the Execute section, you can select to show Main application during the backup.
    6. In the Scheduler section, select Run whether the user is logged on or not. Press the Set password button and type your Windows login password.
    7. Press OK
    8. In the When page, select the execution frequency and the start time.
    9. Press OK.

    How to backup "system32" folder under Windows 64-bit OS

    If you use a 64-bit edition of Windows, you cannot add a folder from "C:\Windows\system32" to Backup4all sources. That is not a problem from our application but is a general problem for all 32-bit applications trying to access the system32 folder on a computer running a 64-bit OS.
    Here is the solution from Microsoft http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942589.
    You need to create a junction point to be able to access that folder.
    Please follow these steps:
    1. Go to Start -> Run
    2. Type Cmd and press OK
    3. Type cd\ and press Enter
    4. Type mklink /d sys32link C:\Windows\System32 and press Enter
    5. Open Backup4all, go to Sources
    6. Press Add folder.
    7. Select C:\sys32link and under it, you will be able to browse the System32 folder.
    8. Select the folder(s) you want to back up and press Save.

    How to back up Windows Mail using Backup4all?

    Using the Windows Mail plugin from Backup4all will back up:
    • Emails
    • Stationery
    • Junk filters
    • Message Rules
    • Signatures
    • General Settings
    Here are the steps to follow when creating a new backup job using the Windows Mail plugin:
    1. Open Backup4all and select File -> New (Ctrl+N).
    2. Select a backup destination and press Next.
    3. From the applications list, select Windows Mail. Press Next twice.
    4. Select the backup type. PressNext twice.
    5. On the Personalize your backup job page, enter a name for the backup in the Name field.
    6. Press Save. The new backup job will appear in the backup list.
    7. Press Backup (F6) to start backing up Windows Mail.
    The backup job can be scheduled to run at a specific date and time. You can read an article about how to schedule a backup job at this address: “How to use the scheduler”

    Why there are multiple strange files near the backup catalog in destination?

    Since version 8 of Backup4all, we keep by default 5 versions of the backup catalog, in destination.
    The files you see in destination, are the backups of the backup catalog. The file names are longer as it starts with the job ID, followed by the job name and the save date.
    If you want to change that number of you want to disable those backups of the catalog, please open Backup Properties->Advanced page.
    There you have the “Keep 5 catalog versions in destination” option.
    You can disable it or change the number of backup versions, then press Save.

    How to backup from CD, DVD, Blu-ray?

    You can backup your data from CD, DVD or Blu-ray discs using Backup4all. The backup destination can be any of the ones available in Backup4all: local hard drive, external hard drive, removable hard drive, USB drive, network, FTP, SFTP, Amazon, Azure, Google Drive, OneDrive, Google Cloud Drive, Dropbox, Box, HiDrive.
    To configure the backup, you need to follow these steps:
    1. Open Backup4all and select File -> New (Ctrl+N). Press Next.
    2. In the Where do you want to save the backup? section, select the backup destination. Press Next.
    3. On the What do you want to backup page, add the sources from CD, DVD or blu-ray disc. Press Next.
    4. On the Filter the backup sources page, you can set include/exclude filters for backup sources. Then press Next.
    5. On the How do you want to backup page, you can choose the backup type and the encryption. Press Next twice.
    6. On the Personalize your backup job page, enter a name for the backup in the Backup name field.
    7. Press Save and run.

    Backup to removable drives

    You can backup your data to removable drives using Backup4all. In computer storage, removable media refers to storage media which is designed to be removed from the computer without powering the computer off.
    Some types of removable media are designed to be read by removable readers and drives.
    Examples include: USB flash drives, Memory cards (CompactFlash card, Secure Digital card, Memory Stick), Floppy disks.
    To back up to removable drives, you need to follow these steps:
    1. Open Backup4all and select File -> New (Ctrl+N).
    2. In the Where do you want to save the backup? section, select a removable drive. Press Next.
    3. On the What do you want to backup page, add the backup sources. Press Next.
    4. On the Filter the backup sources page, you can set include/exclude filters for backup sources. Then press Next.
    5. On the How do you want to backup page, you can choose the backup type and the encryption.
    6. On the When do you want to backup page, you can set the backup job to automatically run on the specified time and days. Press Next.
    7. On the Personalize your backup job page, enter a name for the backup in the Backup name field.
    8. Press Save and run.

    Backup from removable drives

    You can backup your data from removable drives using Backup4all.
    Some types of removable media are designed to be read by removable readers and drives.
    Examples include: USB flash drives, Memory cards (CompactFlash card, Secure Digital card, Memory Stick), Floppy disks.
    To back up from removable drives, you need to follow these steps:
    1. Open Backup4all and select File -> New (Ctrl+N).
    2. In the Where do you want to save the backup? section, select a backup destination.
    3. On the What do you want to backup page, add the backup sources from the removable drive. Press Next.
    4. On the Filter the backup sources page, you can set include/exclude filters for backup sources. Then press Next.
    5. On the How do you want to backup page, you can choose the backup type and the encryption.
    6. On the When do you want to backup page, you can set the backup job to automatically run on the specified time and days. Press Next.
    7. On the Personalize your backup job page, enter a name for the backup in the Backup name field.
    8. Press Save and run.

    Backup from external drives

    You can backup your data from external drives using Backup4all. This can be done easily and you just need to make sure the external drive is connected when running the backup.
    External drive types
    An external hard disk drive is a type of hard disk drive which is connected to a computer by an USB cable or other means. Modern entries into the market consist of standard SATA, IDE, or SCSI hard drives in portable disk enclosures with SCSI, USB, IEEE 1394 Firewire, eSATA client interfaces to connect to the host computer.
    Backup from external drives
    Steps to follow:
    1. Open Backup4all and select File -> New (Ctrl+N).
    2. In the Where do you want to save the backup? section, select a backup destination.
    3. On the What do you want to backup page, add the backup sources from the external drive. Press Next.
    4. On the Filter the backup sources page, you can set include/exclude filters for backup sources. Then press Next.
    5. On the How do you want to backup page, you can choose the backup type and the encryption.
    6. On the When do you want to backup page, you can set the backup job to automatically run on the specified time and days. Press Next.
    7. On the Personalize your backup job page, enter a name for the backup in the Backup name field.
    8. Press Save and run.

    How to disable warning messages during the backup

    Follow these steps:
    1. Open Backup4all.
    2. Go to File -> Options -> Notifications
    3. Select Silent profile.
    4. Press OK.

    How to recreate a backup job from .bkc catalog

    Follow these steps:
    1. Open Backup4all.
    2. Go to File -> Open (Ctrl+O)
    3. Select the bkc catalog file and press Open.
    4. You will be asked if you want to change the current backup destination with the default one. Choose Yes or No.
    5. The backup job is now in the backup list.

    How to run a backup with not enough space in temporary folder

    Follow these steps:
    1. Open Backup4all and go to Backup Properties (Ctrl+P).
    2. On the Compression page, in the Split section, select Custom size
    3. Select a split size that will fit on your free disk space.
    4. Check Create independent splits option.
    5. Press Save.
    6. Press Backup (F6) button.

    What does "IPersistFile.Save error code 0x8007052E" mean?

    The following solution is for Backup4all 4.
    In Windows Vista, this error is displayed when adding a scheduled task and is caused by the fact that you have entered the wrong username or password (or if there isn't a password set for your windows login).
    To fix the problem, for the scheduled job you have to either enter the correct username/password, or in case you don't have a windows login password to enable Allow blank passwords when scheduling option in Backup4all. Step by step instructions:
    1. If you don't have a windows login password, open Backup4all and go to: Tools -> Options -> Preferences.
      You must set (check) the Allow blank passwords when scheduling option.
    2. For the backup job whose scheduled task reported the error, open the Backup Properties (Ctrl+P) -> Scheduler and click the Edit button.
    3. If you have a windows login password, click on Set password, enter your username/password combination, otherwise (if you don't have a windows login password) simply click on Save without clicking the Set Password button.
    4. Click Save.

    FTP backup using passive mode

    Some FTP servers require the connection to be established in a passive mode (i.e. your computer establishes the connection so the flow of data is set up and initiated by you).
    Most Web browsers (which act as FTP clients) use passive FTP by default because companies prefer it as a safety measure. So switching to passive mode may be necessary with some FTP servers that are behind firewalls that do not allow connections from outside.
    To set Backup4all to connect using Passive mode:
    • On the Destination -> FTP window click on Edit Configuration (or if you're usig a predefined destination, go to File -> Options -> Online destinations -> FTP
    • Check the Use passive mode for transfers (like WWW browsers) option in the Advanced section
    • Press OK. After that use the Test button to see if the FTP connection works.
      If the Passive mode option is not selected, Backup4all will connect to the FTP in active mode. In active mode, Backup4all will send a connect request from a random port (N) to the FTP server’s command port (by default is 21).
      Then it will start "listening" to port N+1 and send the a connect command to the FTP server. The server will then connect back to the client’s specified data port from its local data port, which is port 20.

    How can I manually restore a splitted file from independently created zip archives?

    Backup4all creates standard zip files that can be opened with 3rd party zip programs.
    However, when using the Create Independent Splits option and backing up a file big enough to be splitted into more than one zip file, you will need to perform an additional operation if you want to restore that file manually (without using Backup4all).
    Steps in restoring a split file from independent zip archives:
    • Unzip the archives that were created by Backup4all. Assuming that the initial file was called music.wav, if the file was split in 2 parts the problem is that both will have the same name, music.wav. Thus, when un-zipping the archive that contains the second part of the original music.wav, you'll get a message that a file with the same name already exist - you need to press Rename and name it music2.wav. Also, to make things easier, you need to rename the first part of the splitted file to music1.wav. The files you have renamed, music1.wav and music2.wav, need to be combined so that you have the entire original file, music.wav.
    • Open the Windows command prompt (Start -> Run, type cmd and press Enter). Using the command copy (write copy/? and press Enter to see the help for this function) write copy music1.wav /b + music2.wav /b music.wav (first two files are the sources, last file is the destination) and press Enter. Note that you have to be in the folder where the source files are in order for it to work.

    What does backup mean?

    Backup means copying files to a second medium (an external hard drive, CD/DVD/Blu-ray, USB flash drive, network location, FTP/SFTP server, tape, ...) as a precaution in case the first medium fails. A very important rule is to back up your files regularly. Even the most reliable hardware can break down eventually. To protect your documents you should create 2 or more backups and keep them in different locations.
    One of the safest backup methods requires backing up in at least two different locations. So for instance if you back-up to an external hard drive (the most handy solution, given the large size of such drives and low price), for a second location you should use a remote destination such as on an FTP or SFTP server.
    Backup4all can help with the back-up task, as not only it will allow you to back-up data to multiple destinations, but it can be scheduled to run automatically thus you won't need to remember to back-up. You can download a 30-day trial here: Download.

    What does "The compressed (zipped) folder is invalid or corrupted" mean?

    You receive this message because you are trying to extract files from a zip archive that was created using zip64 technology.
    When creating the backup, if Backup4all estimates that the resulting zip file will not exceed 4 GB and will contain less than 65,535 files, it will create the zip using standard technology. The zip archive can be unpacked with any zip utility available on the market.
    However, if the resulting zip file will exceed 4 GB (or have more than 65,535 files in it), Backup4all will use zip64 technology to create the archive, because this technology doesn't have limitations (regarding size or number of files). Zip files created this way can be opened with zip utilities that support the zip64 technology (e.g Winzip 9.1 or later).
    Both types of zip files (with or without zip64) can be opened by Backup4all, and most zip utilities now use the zip64 technology.

    How to open backups from Network

    If you want to open a single backup job, you can press File -> Open and browse the network computer for your backup job or you can follow the bellow steps:
    1. Open Backup4all
    2. Go to File menu and select Open from
    3. In the left side of the window, select Network
    4. Enter the network path (UNC) or browse the network.
    5. If necessarily, enter the username and the password for network.
    6. Press Show to display the folders and selected file types (.bkc or .ini).
    7. Press Scan to display a list of only .bkc/.ini files from all folders and subfolders in that location.
    8. Select the backup job(s) you want to open and press Open.

    Troubleshooting the Volume Shadow Copy error messages

    Backup4all uses the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) to back up open/locked files. When running a backup the VSS is started. Under certain circumstances the VSS service fails to start and a message will appear in the backup log: "VSS Error :
    VSS_E_OBJECT_NOT_FOUND" or "Could not create Volume Shadow Copy. Locked files will not be copied. Catastrophic failure"
    It doesn't mean that the files were not correctly backed up. Only if there are open files, those files will not be backed up. In such cases, a warning message will be displayed.
    There are several possible situations for these messages to appear:
    • the source files are not located on NTFS partitions
    • the source files are not located on a local drive
    • you don't have an administrator account
    • you use an Operating System older than Windows XP
    If there are open files and the VSS cannot be started, you will receive an warning about those files not being backed up. Also, please read this article about how to configure the Volume Shadow Copy Service *Example of error messages you might receive when there are problems with the VSS Service:*
    • The "VSS Error : VSS_E_OBJECT_NOT_FOUND" message appears when you try to back up files from a mapped drive.
    • The "Could not create Volume Shadow Copy. Locked files will not be copied. Catastrophic failure" message appears when you are trying to back up under Windows Vista 64-bit OS.

    Not enough free disk space in temp folder

    If you don't have enough free disk space on the drive where the temporary folder is located (by default on C: drive), you have two options:
    1. Change the location of temporary folder
    Follow these steps to change the location of temp folder:
    • Open Backup4all, go to File -> Options -> Application folders
    • Check Override temporary folder option.
    • Browse for the new location of the Temporary folder.
    • Press OK.
    2. Split the backup in smaller parts so that a split can fit in the available free disk space.
    Follow these steps to split the backup:
    • Open Backup Properties->Compression.
    • Under Split section, select Custom size and set the split at 2 GB (or smaller if you have less free disk space)
    • Select Create independent splits option
    • Press Save.

    Backup .OST files

    Backup the OST files is needless.
    This is the Microsoft position regarding .ost files: *"Maintaining changes to OST files within shadow copies is expensive in terms of space and I/O activity. The time-consuming work at backup time is backing up the OST files as part of the image. Everyday I/O will write to the OST file when Outlook is running. So the backup process will impact the performance on the computer. If the OST changes were kept in shadow copies, then Outlook writes to the OST files is copy on write I/O hit (2 writes, 1 read)every time. Even though we have worked to reduce the impact of copy-on-writes on shadow copies, a heavily churned file such as OST file still cause problems on the computer. In addition, the OST files can be regenerated. We delete OST file from the shadow copy before the image is created. For example, after restoring an OST, the computer detect a new version of the OST file on the computer, it will force you to delete, and the regenerate the local OST file. Therefore, it is still preferable to regenerate an OST file instead of restoring it."* If you still want to backup the .ost files using Backup4all, you need to close Outlook and also disable the "Backup open files" option from Backup Properties -> Advanced page. After that you can run the backup.