What’s new in Backup4all 4?

The public release of Backup4all 4 is now available. This version is final and includes many enhancements compared to previous versions of Backup4all.

Version 4.0.120

If you already have a previous version of Backup4all installed (version 3, 2 or 1), Backup4all 4 will be installed separately and you can import the backup jobs into Backup4all 4 (doing this will convert the catalogs to the new format and you won't be able to use them in the previous version). Below you can find a list of main features that were added in Backup4all 4.

Improved backup catalog. The backup catalog has been completely re-written (as well as most of the Backup4all code) so that now it’s possible to back up a large number of files and folders without intense resource usage. We’re talking about backing up hundred of thousands of files/folders, even millions, task that was very difficult to perform with previous versions of Backup4all. And by introducing a new feature to set the level of memory to be used during backups, you can perform large backups while still being able to work just fine on your computer.

Mirror backup can zip files. The Mirror backup type actually does an exact copy of the files and folders you have in the sources. In this version we’ve added an option to zip each file individually, so that you can save storage space (the old option still exists too, meaning making a copy of the original files without compressing them). Furthermore, each file can be encrypted so that your backup is secure.

Pause/Resume and Stop operations. The backup operation now supports pausing and resuming, so running a backup job can be interrupted and continued at a later time. There is also a Stop operation now, that when pressed will not Cancel the backup, but instead will save everything until that point when it was pressed.

Improved usability. The new version adds two more views, Backup and Brief, shows a "Getting Starter" window with shortcuts to the main functions and a History window with details about each backup/restore/test/cleanup operation that was performed. A redesigned Backup Properties and Options section completes the purpose of improved usability.

Automatic updates. Backup4all can now check for updates either manually or automatically at a scheduled date. This allows you to better stay in touch with the latest development of Backup4all.

Password-protect program interface. You can prevent unauthorized changes in Backup4all’s settings by password protecting the interface. This way, every time Backup4all is started, you’ll be asked for a password in order to see its interface and make changes to it.

Exact copy. This new version now supports backing up empty folders too, and adding to that the fact that mirror backup copies NTFS permissions and alternate streams you can make exact copies of your files and folders.

Mail backup. Backup4all 4 has plugins installed by default for Vista Mail and Outlook Express. By choosing these predefined backups from the New Backup Wizard, Backup4all will automatically add the sources needed to be backed up in order to have all emails and configuration files protected. Additionally, you can choose to install other plugins from our extensive free backup plugins library using the newly introduced Plugin Manager.

Backward compatible. You can easily import backup job configurations from previous versions of Backup4all. Please note that once the backup catalogs for these jobs will be imported into Backup4all 4, these won't be compatible with the older versions.

Predefined filters. Filters can now be added through the Options window, and once you set some predefined filters you can use them in any backup job. If you change the predefined filter at a later time, it will be automatically modified on each backup job that uses it too.

MSI Setup. On the Download page we have added setups for Backup4all in MSI format. This makes the life easier for administrators of large, Windows-based networks, since they don't have to visit each computer to install Backup4all, but they can mass-deploy Backup4all via the MSI setup using Group Policy.

Backup list improvements. Backup4all 4 has new views for the backup list, so you can view your groups/jobs as a tree, as icons or as a simple list. Using the tree view you can move backup jobs in between groups by simply dragging-and-dropping them in the new location. Furthermore, it's now much easier to filter in real-time the displayed jobs/groups, as we've added a combo-box that lets you choose what to display, and also a search option that lets you search as-you-type through the backup list items.

Limit file/folder versions. Backup4all keeps different file versions for the files/folders backed up. We've introduced a new option that allows you to limit the number of versions kept for a file/folder (for full, incremental and differential backups only).

You can download Backup4all 4 here: Backup4all 4
If you have any questions or suggestions about this new release, contact us at support@backup4all.com