Using Backup4all

Backup jobs are created by the New Backup Wizard. The wizard can be started from the File menu or by clicking the New Backup Wizard button ( ) from the toolbar or the Ctrl+N keyboard shortcut. Follow the steps of the wizard and click Save or Save and run when ready.

2. How can I copy a backup job (create a new one similar to another)?

Select the backup job you want to copy from the list of available backups. Select the Create Like (Ctrl+L) option from the File menu. The new backup job will be added to the same group as the original one.

3. How can I see only new and modified files in the Explore view? How can I see only the files already backed up?

First you need to switch to the Explore View. Click the Views button ( ) and choose Explore or press F2.

To show only new and modified files make sure that:

•	Show New Files is pressed (Ctrl+1)

•	Show Unchanged Files is not pressed (Ctrl+2)

•	Show Modified Files is pressed (Ctrl+3)

•	Show Excluded Files is not pressed (Ctrl+4)

•	Show Deleted Files is not pressed (Ctrl+5)

To show only the files already backed up make sure that:

•	Show New Files is not pressed (Ctrl+1)

•	Show Unchanged Files is pressed (Ctrl+2)

•	Show Modified Files is pressed (Ctrl+3)

•	Show Excluded Files is pressed (Ctrl+4)

•	Show Deleted Files is pressed (Ctrl+5)

4. How can I hide empty folders in the Explore View when expanding all folders?

Open the Options window, go to the General page and check the Hide empty folders on expand all option. After this option is set, the Expand All operation ( ) will not show empty folders.

Note: Expanding all folders can be time consuming, especially if you add the whole drive as the source of the backup. You can always stop pressing the ESC key., empty folders will not be shown any more.

5. How can I see the number of files to backup at next backup run? What about the number of changed files since latest backup?

First you need to switch to the Statistics view by clicking the Views button ( ) and choose Statistics or press F3. Press the Calculate Statistics for Next Backup button or Ctrl+F5. Wait until the file count finishes. The results are shown in the text below. The left column shows the counters for files to be backed up and the right column shows the counters for files changed since the latest backup.

6. Somehow I lost my backup job configuration. I only have the .bkc file. Can I restore the backup job?

Yes, you can. Just double-click on the ".bkc" file. Backup4all will open and a new backup job will be created based on the information from the backup catalog ".bkc" file. If you already have a job with the same name, the bkc file will be open only after you delete or rename the existing job from the backup list.

7. How can I make a shortcut to a backup job, so that I can run it from the desktop?

First select the backup job you want to run. Right-click on it and select the Create Shortcut menu item. Save the shortcut to the desktop.

8. How can I run a backup when I am not logged in to Windows?

First you will have to create a shortcut to the backup job you want to execute. Open Windows Scheduler and add a new scheduled task. Schedule the shortcut to be run at the time you want and use your Windows username and password. For more information on using the Windows Scheduler, see Windows help.

9. Zip files created by Backup4all are compatible with third party zip utilities?

Yes. If the zip file size is less than 2 gigabytes, Backup4all generates standard zip formats. This format is compatible with any zip utility available on the market. For zip files greater than 2 gigabytes, Backup4all uses zip64 technology (which allows unlimited zip file size). Zip compatibility means that your data is not at the mercy the backup application; you can access it with other third party applications also.

10. How does Backup4all handle archive bit for backed up files?

By default Backup4all does not modify the archive flag. Backup4all uses its own catalog file (".bkc") to keep track of the new and changed files. The advantage of a catalog is faster backup execution. Another advantage is that you can run Backup4all together with other backup applications because they will not interfere with each other. However if you want to set the Archive bit, you can do that from the Type page of the Backup Properties window.

11. Can I backup to tape using Backup4all?

No. The current version does not support tape drives.

12. Can I backup open files with Backup4all?

Yes you can backup open or locked files with Backup4all as long as your system meets some requirements:

•	you have Backup4all version 3 (or higher) installed

•	you are using Windows XP, Windows 2003 Server or Windows Vista

•	you have administrator access rights

•	the files reside on local NTFS partitions (will not work on shared network drives)

•	the Volume Shadow Copy service is running

13. Can I backup registry files?

Yes you can backup registry files with Backup4all as long as your system meets some requirements:

•	you have Backup4all version 3 (or higher) installed

•	you are using Windows XP, Windows 2003 Server or Windows Vista

•	you have administrator access rights

•	the files reside on local NTFS partitions (will not work on shared network drives)

•	the Volume Shadow Copy service is running

Note that you cannot restore registry files for now (restore function will be included in a future version).

14. Can I backup Outlook Express emails and settings?

If you are using Backup4all 4 (or higher) on Windows XP/2003/Vista you can backup Outlook Express emails and settings if it is installed on a NTFS partition. When you define a new backup job using the New Backup Wizard, in the What files do you want to backup? window you can select Outlook Express from the predefined backups drop-down list. This way Backup4all will automatically backup all your emails and settings from Outlook Express (including your account settings, rules, signatures, blocked senders list, stationary, address book). If you want to backup only your emails, in the sources list leave marked only the <Email Folders> box.

15. How do I restore the default layout for all Backup4all windows?

Open the View menu and select Restore Default Layout. This will restore all windows to their original size and position, and will also reset the column order, size and visibility for all grids.

16. Which Operating Systems are Compatible with Backup4all?

Backup4all is compatible with Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows 2003 Small Business Server, Windows NT 4.0 systems and Windows Vista. It is not compatible with Macintosh and Linux systems (you can however try using emulator software for MAC, such as Virtual PC 2004, or for Linux, such as Wine).

17. What security offers Backup4all for my backups?

Backup4all supports AES encryption (128-bit, 192-bit and 256-bit key strength), one of the most secure encryption methods available.

If you want your backups protected, select one of the Encryption methods available and define a password of at least 6 characters:

•	Zip (2) compatible encryption is less secure, but the zip files resulted are compatible with most of the ZIP utilities.

•	AES encryption provides high security, but the zip files resulted are compatible only with the latest version of the ZIP compatible utilities.

Be sure not to lose the password, because if you are using AES encryption is almost impossible to recover it, thus the data in that backup. When you’re backing up to FTP you also have the option to use an additional SSL encryption when communicating with the FTP server; using this option your connection details will be sent to the FTP server in an encrypted form rather then in simple text.

18. What happens when I change the backup type?

Backup type can be changed from the Type page of the Backup Properties window. You can change between full, incremental and differential backup types without having to start with a fresh new backup. However changing from full, incremental or differential to mirror (and vice-versa) will clear the backup content and will start a new backup.

19. How can I set the compression level of the zip files?

Open Backup Properties, go to the Compression page and choose from four compression levels: none, low, medium or high.

20. How can I split a backup across several disks?

Open Backup Properties, go to the Compression page and choose a predefined split size or define a custom one. Spanning is automatically done when the removable disk is full.

21. How can I give customized names to the zip files?

Open Backup Properties and go to the selected backup type page. You can customize the zip file name prefix there.

22. I have used Backup4all for some time now and I have a large number of zip files in the destination. How can I clear them and start over again?

Open the Backup Properties window for the backup job. Go to Advanced page and in the Run action before backup section choose <Clear backup> from the combo. This will delete the backup files in the destination before the execution of the backup job. If you check the Run only once option, the <Clear backup> action will be executed only once (at next backup execution) and after that it will be disabled. The <Clear backup> action has parameters to further customize its functionality.

23. I am using incremental backup. How can I clear all backed up files and start with a fresh full backup every 7 days?

Open Backup Properties dialog for the backup job. Go to the Advanced page and in the Run action before backup section, choose <Clear backup> from the combo box and edit it to <Clear backup d=7>. This will clear the backed up files only if 7 days passed since the first backup run. If you check the Run only once option, the <Clear backup d=7> action will be executed only once (when 7 days have passed) and after that it will be disabled.

24. How can I limit the number of backup versions?

Open the Backup Properties window for the backup job. Go to the Type page. In the Save storage space section, set the Yes, limit number of file versions or Yes, limit number of backups options and specify the desired limit.

25. How can I store many versions of my files and keep the backup size as small as possible?

Our recommendation is to use incremental backup type with maximum zip compression. The incremental backup type ensures that only new and modified files are backed up.

26. How can I run a backup using the command line?

Command line works with a backup job configuration file (".ini") or a backup catalog file (".bkc"). You can create a valid ".ini" file from Backup4all's interface and use the full path to this file as a parameter of the command line application. Typically the ".ini" files are located in the "Application Data\Softland\Backup4all 4\IniFiles\" folder of your user profile. After the first backup execution, a ".bkc" file is created in the destination. You can use this ".bkc" file also (again with the full path) as parameter of the command line application.

27. How can I create backup versions with mirror backup?

Backup4all can copy the files to different folders each time the mirror backup is performed. This is done by customizing the destination folder name. To do this open Backup Properties and go to the Mirror page. Customize the subfolder names as you wish. Note that Backup4all does not keep track of all destination folder names and can restore only from the latest destination folder. However you can manually restore an older backup version made with mirror backup.

28. Is there a way to test (verify) files automatically after each backup?

Yes, there is. Open the Backup Properties window, and set the Test after backup option on the Advanced page.

29.How can I test older backup versions?

First select the backup job you want to test. From the Actions menu and choose Test. This will show a list of all backup versions. Select the backup version you want to test and click the Test button.

30. I've set a password for the backup and I forgot it. Can you help me get it back?

We don’t have any solution to recover your lost password.

If you used Zip(2) compatible encryption you could try using a 3rd party zip password recovery application - depending on the length of your password there is a chance to recover your password.

If you used AES encryption it’s almost impossible to recover your password.

31. I scheduled a backup job and it didn’t execute. What is the problem?

This happens usually when you are logged in to Windows using a username/password but you didn’t set a password in the Backup4all Scheduler. To enter the password for the scheduled job go to Tools->Schedulers, select the scheduled job that didn’t run and click on Edit. In the window that opens click on Set password and enter the password for the current logged in user. We do not save your password but it is needed in order to set up the scheduled task in the Windows Task Scheduler.

If your user account does not have a password you must select the Allow blank passwords when scheduling option from Tools->Options->Preferences.

Also, make sure that you enter the correct password - if the password is wrong the scheduled task will not run.

32. Can I apply a filter to a folder?

Yes you can apply filters to folders. To do that, follow these steps:

•	in the Filters window of the backup/restore wizard click on Add include or Add exclude button to open the Filter Properties window

•	check the Folder name option

•

in the Filter field, enter the directory name that you want to filter in the following format: *\directory_name\*. Backup4all will apply the filter to all the directories that are called directory_name. If you want to apply the filter to directories containing a specific word, you must enter it in the following format *\*keyword*\*. Now Backup4all will apply the filter to all the directories that have the word keyword in their names. Once you've written the desired combination, press Ok to apply the filter.

33. How do I back up my scheduled jobs' settings?

If you scheduled several backup jobs using the Windows Task Scheduler (by default Backup4all uses it) you can back up those scheduled tasks so that if something happens you would be able to easily restore them.

Information about the scheduled tasks is saved in the Windows directory, "Tasks" subdirectory. To back up the scheduled backup jobs' settings you would have to copy all files starting with "B4A_" from "C:\Windows\Tasks".

34. Backup4all skipped some files when backing up and returned the error "The process cannot access the file because another process has locked a portion of the file". How can I fix this?

Backup4all uses the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) to back up open/locked files. Under certain circumstances the VSS service fails to run properly and Backup4all will not be able to backup some locked files (log file will show “The process cannot access the file because another process has locked a portion of the file.” or “The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process”).

In case of such errors please read carefully and follow the solutions given in the following PDF file to try and fix the VSS service problem: Troubleshooting the Volume Shadow Copy Service

35. How can I restore one or more files?

To restore the latest version of one file you need to select the file from Explore view, right-click on it and select Restore Latest Version or Restore Latest Version To... If you want to restore more than one file, you can select all of them in Explore view and restore the latest version using the right-click menu (as mentioned above).

36. How can I restore an older version of a file?

To restore an older version of a file you need to select the file from Explore view. Then look for available versions in the list displayed below the file and folder tree. Select the version you want to restore, right-click on it and choose Restore or Restore to...

37. How can I restore many files from older backup versions?

Sometimes we need to restore files from an older backup version. To do this open the Restore Wizard by clicking on the Restore () button, select the custom Restore type and click Next. Now the list of available backup versions is shown. You can select one or many versions (use the SHIFT and CTRL keys to define the selection). In the next pages you can apply file filters or individually select each file from the selected versions that you actually want to restore.

38. How can I restore everything?

Open the Restore Wizard by clicking on the Restore () button. Select the standard Restore type and click Finish.

39. How can I restore my files to a different folder? How can I filter the files to be restored?

Open the Restore Wizard by clicking on the Restore () button. To restore to a different folder, select Choose another location option and enter the full path where you wish to restore the files, or browse to a folder of your choice. To filter the files that will be restored define your filters on the second page (or the third page in case of a custom restore).

40. What happens to excluded files? Will they be restored?

No, excluded files will not be restored. After all that is why you excluded them, you no longer need the files. However if you select a backup version where the file was not excluded yet, you can restore it from there.

41. How can I manually restore a split file from independently created zip archives?

Backup4all creates standard zip files that can be extracted with 3rd party zip programs.However, when using the Create Independent Splits option and backing up a file big enough to be split 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 backup that was created by Backup4all. Assuming that the initial file was called music.wav, if the file was split in 2 parts you'll have 2 files called music1.wav and music2.wav The split files 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.

42. Can I backup to FTP using Backup4all?

Yes, in the New Backup Wizard->Destination window select FTP and enter your FTP connection configurations on the FTP page. If you have already defined a backup job and want to change the destination to FTP, right click the backup job and select Properties; in the Destination window you can select FTP. This feature is available if you are using Backup4all Professional 3 or higher.

43. Does backup to FTP support resuming?

Yes Backup4all supports FTP resuming, within a certain number of retry times defined in the Tools->Options->FTP window.

For instance, let's say that in the When destination server is not ready section you have the Retry value 10 and wait 30. If the connection with the FTP server is lost during the upload, Backup4all will retry to upload the files 10 times every 30 seconds. If it succeeds in re-establishing the connection, the backup will continue from where it was stopped. If the connection cannot be restored after that number of retries (10 in our case) the backup will be aborted and starting a new backup will upload the files again. Note that there are some FTP hosting servers that do not support resuming.

44. I use incremental backup to removable disk (CD or DVD). How can I make sure only the new and modified files are backed up?

If for that backup job in Backup Properties->Advanced you had the option Use local catalogs (.bkc) checked when you did the backup, then you just have to run the backup job normally because Backup4all will recognize the modified files and backup only those.

If you didn't have that option checked you must insert the CD or DVD with the latest backup catalog (".bkc") file and then perform the backup. The system will read the ".bkc" file and build the list of new and modified files. Then press Backup and you will be asked to enter a new CD or DVD (if the Ask for a new disk before backup option is set in Tools menu, Options window, Backup page). Only new files will be copied to the new CD or DVD.

45. Backup4all does not recognize my CD/DVD burner. How can I backup to CD/DVD?

When you select the CD/DVD burner device, if it is not compatible with the primary built-in burner the following message will appear: [Device name] Does not appear to be a writer or it is busy.

•	Go to Tools->Options->Backup and in the CD or DVD section select Use secondary burning engine and make sure that Burn CD/DVD using internal ASPI is checked

•	If selecting the secondary burner doesn't solve the problem, uncheck Burn CD/DVD using internal ASPI and restart Backup4all

If this does not help, you can still burn your CDs using the UDF file system (with DirectCD or InCD). You can select this burning option in the Write method section, under Backup Properties->CD or DVD page.

46. I’m backing up to DVD using Mirror backup and it writes the DVD very slow. Any solutions to improve the speed?

Go to Tools->Options->Backup and in the CD or DVD page, select Use secondary burning engine. This should improve the CD or DVD writing speed.

If your CD or DVD burner is not recognized after you click on OK, you’ll need to re-open Tools->Options->Backup->CD or DVD and uncheck the Burn CD or DVD using internal ASPI option.

47. What's the difference between Backup4all's Lite, Standard and Professional editions?

The major differences between Lite, Standard and Professional editions are the supported backup types. Professional edition implements all four backup types (see Backup Types section for a full description of backup types), Standard edition does not implement incremental backup type and Lite edition implements only the mirror backup type. Also, features like FTP destination, AES encryption and email notifications are available only in the Professional edition. See the What Edition to Choose section for a more detailed comparison.

48. What is Backup4all OTB edition?

The OTB edition is a limited functionality version of Backup4all Professional edition. This edition is distributed as a bundled product with hardware parts (USB drives, enclosures, hard drives etc.) through our OEM partners, therefore end-users can buy that only from our partners and only as a part of that package offered.We do not sell it on our site nor we distribute it to end-users directly. This edition is intended to be distributed only by our partners. Users can buy from our site one of the other three editions: Lite, Standard or Professional.

49. Which One Touch Backup HDD enclosures is Backup4all compatible with?

Some HDD enclosures have a button that allows starting the execution of an associated program. If you have such a device, Backup4all might be configured to run a certain backup job when that button is pressed.

Backup4all is fully compatible with all the One Touch Backup HDD enclosures produced by A-TEC Subsystem from Taiwan. These devices are natively recognized and work with Backup4all without external configuration.

Another reported device which works with Backup4all is Maxtor OneTouch. This device is not natively supported thus requires additional configuration. Maxtor OneTouch comes with a special software (Maxtor OneTouch Manager) that can be configured to run a backup job in Backup4all when the button is pressed.

If you have a different OTB HDD enclosure, you might be able to configure Backup4all to run a backup job when the button is pressed. If the OTB HDD enclosure contains software from the manufacturer of the device that allows configuring the actions to execute when the button is pressed, you might be able to configure Backup4all to run on pressing the button.

There are 2 possibilities to run a backup job (or group) from Backup4all when the OTB button is pressed:

1. In Backup4all, open Tools->Options and go to the Backup on demand page.

Check the option Enable "One Touch Backup" support and select a backup job or backup group to be executed when the button is pressed.

Configure the software that was included with your OTB HDD enclosure to run the following command when the button is pressed:

"C:\Program Files\Softland\Backup4all 3\Backup4all.exe" /otb

(command above will open the main application of Backup4all)

"C:\Program Files\Softland\Backup4all 3\b4aCmd.exe" /otb

(command above will open the command line application of Backup4all)

2. Configure the software that was included with your OTB HDD enclosure to run the following command when the button is pressed:

"C:\Program Files\Softland\Backup4all 3\Backup4all.exe" /r "backup name"

where "backup name" is the name of the backup job you want to be run.

See the Command Line Parameters for more information about how to run a backup job using the command line parameters.