Preferences

     Preferences extend Drag'nBack's functionality. You can set preferences to alter the execution of Drag'nBack. You change preferences by choosing Preferences… from the Drag'nBack(or its icon) menu. The preferences are stored with each template; you don't have to set them again. You can change preferences during backup. Any change in the preferences will take effect immediately. 
     When you create a new template the preferences are left unchanged as the previous template. 
     Balloon Help is provided with the preferences dialog. Clicking the Help icon will turn it on or off.
     If you press down the option key before the backup dialog appears, the Preferences dialog will show up.

1. Resolve Alias Files 
     When you drag a folder to back up, the folder may contain alias files in it. If this option is selected, Drag'nBack will find the original object of an alias file. Otherwise the alias file will be treated as an ordinary file. If an object pointed to by an alias file is an alias file itself, then this object will be treated as an ordinary file. 
     For example, if you want to back up the System Folder, the Apple Menu Items folder in it might contain many aliases. Most of the time you will not want the aliases resolved. 
     On the other hand, you can create a backup folder and put the aliases of the folders you want to back up within it. This lets you drag one icon to back up.
    When you drag a disk icon to back up, no alias file contained in it will be resolved.
    The Finder always passes the original object to Drag'nBack when the object you drag is an alias file. Thus this option has no effect on any alias icon you drag. 
      When you add files to the template using Macintosh Drag and Drop, this option determines whether an alias icon will be resolved or not.

2. Scan Folders
     Drag'nBack will scan the source disk for new files when you open a template. For each parent folder of the files in the template, it will scan the corresponding folder on the disk. When it finds a file that is not already in the template, it will add the file to the template. If the Shift key is pressed it scans the backup disk instead. 
     If you have previously dragged and dropped a folder to Drag'nBack, and it contained not files but rather one or more parent folders which contained files, then the highest folder will not be scanned for new files when the template is opened again.   
To add files to a template in this situation, use the Catalog… command from the Drag'nBack menu. 
     The Scan Folders option has no effect when you drag icons to back them up. Instead, folders are scanned when you double-click on Drag'nBack to back up the preferred template, or when a template in a  backup set  has this option enabled.

3. Skip on Error 
     Drag'nBack will automatically go to the next file for backup when an error condition occurs for a file. This reduces user intervention. For example, you can set this option if you have deleted many source files. Turn on the activity log so you can review the errors after backup is done.

4. Confirm 
     Drag'nBack will ask for your confirmation before a file is copied or deleted.

5. Check Creation Date
     When a file is to be backed up for the first time, backup will not occur if another file with the same name exists in the same folder on the backup disk. The desktop file is one example. The file will be excluded from backup.
     When backing up a source file after it has previously been backed up, Drag'nBack will warn you if the creation dates of the two files are different.
     When this option is off, the file on the backup disk will be replaced with the source file. You will not be warned.

6. Notify Verbally
    When you are away from the desk, Drag'nBack will notify you when backup is done or when there is a problem with backup.

7. Resort
    After backup is done the template will be resorted.

8. Backup Template
      Drag'nBack will save a copy of the template on the last backup disk when it quits. The saving may not actually be done if there is not enough space on the backup disk. If the Source Folder option is selected, the template will be saved in the source folder of the backup disk; otherwise it will be saved in the root directory of the backup disk.

9. Safer Mirror Image
     This feature makes backup much safer than other mirror image backup software. It allows older backups to be kept on the backup volume. In the Technical Information  topic, we recommend you rotate between two backup sets. Safer Mirror Image (SMI) automates this method. This method is called generational backup. Rotation between two backup sets is not exactly generational backup. This is because files in two backup sets may be modified at the same date.
     In SMI, before a backed up file is updated, it is moved with its hierarchical folders  into a folder called "Archives" located in the root directory of the backup disk. If this folder is absent it will be created. The changed source file is then backed up as before. This process is repeated every time a source file is changed. Before a backup is moved to the Archives folder, any backup of the same file in the Archives folder is deleted. Thus you always have two versions of backups available.
     Why do we call SMI safer? As we discussed in the Introduction topic, a file can become corrupted when it is being saved or after it is saved. If you back up a corrupted file, the backup is corrupted also. If you can not open the corrupted original, you will not be able to open its backup either. Your file is totally lost. When you have two versions of the original backed up, you will at least be able to open the older version. This is because you have opened it before and thus it is not corrupted.
     SMI is safer and better than generational backup. This is because if you do not detect a corrupted file after you complete a generational cycle, all the backups will be updated with the same corrupted original!
     You do not have to do SMI on every backup. You can turn SMI on when you feel you have completed a certain level of work on a document.
    When you are restoring backup files to a source disk and there is an older source file already on the disk, the older file will be moved to an Archives folder when SMI is on.
     
10. Incremental
     The incremental backup provides unlimited undo of modified source files. Each time you back up a modified file, the old backup file is moved to an incremental folder. Thus you will have multiple copies of a source file. They differ from each other incrementally. Be aware that you will need lots of backup space. 
     The incremental folder is created inside the Archives folder as in SMI. The name of the folder is the time, date and day of the week when the backup was initiated. 
     This option can be used in conjunction with the Archives option. This will save you disk space and make your backup more organized. See below for a description on how this is done.

11. Archives
     This option is in effect when either the Safer Mirror Image option or the Incremental option is selected. When this option is selected all the backup files are moved to the Archives folder whether or not the source files have changed. This option will be turned off after backup is done.
     Use this option when you have finished a project and want to put all project related files in one folder. 

12. Compress Archives
     This option will compress a backup file when it is moved to the Archives folder. You need to set this option when the backup file is moved to the Archives folder for the first time. You also need to set this option if you want the backup file compressed when it is moved to an incremental folder. 
      If a backup file is first placed in the Archives folder without being compressed, a subsequent backup file will be placed in the same folder without compression, even if this option is checked. On the other hand, if a backup file is first compressed when it is  placed in the Archives folder, a subsequent backup file will also be compressed when it is placed in the same folder, even if this option is not checked. 

13. No Verify
     When a source file is copied to a backup disk, Drag'nBack normally reads the backup file to verify that it exactly matches the original. You may want to verify the writing of backed up files in this way. On the other hand, verification takes more time.

14. Block Bad Space
     If a bad spot on a backup disk is detected while backing up, selection of this option will prevent the bad spot from being used again. 

15. Save Comment 
     Drag'nBack will copy file comments to the backup disk when the file is being backed up. If a file comment is copied to a floppy disk, you will not be able to view the comment in the floppy disk using the Get Info command. However, it can be restored to the source disk when needed.
     Note: when many files have comments, using this option greatly increases backup  time.

16. Use Spare Disk
     Click this option to use any mounted volume as a backup disk. If a spare disk is found you will not be asked to identify the backup disk when backing up new files. The disk will not be renamed and existing files will not be deleted. In case more than one volume is mounted, any volume that has been used as a backup disk before will be chosen.

17. Check Backup Disk
     Drag'nBack will normally compare the modified date of the backup file to that of the source file to determine whether the source file needs to be backed up. You will need to insert every used backup disk.
     On the other hand, if this option is not chosen, Drag'nBack will not check the backup disk when the modified date in the template is the same as the source file. 

18. Synchronize
     File synchronization is keeping two files identical. It allows either file to be modified.
     Drag'nBack maintains a mirror image copy of your source file on the backup disk. Your source file is considered the real copy. Thus if you make changes to the backup, Drag'nBack will alert you about whether to replace a more recent file on the backup disk with an older one on the source disk.
     When this option is selected and the above situation occurs, Drag'nBack will copy the backup to the source disk, replacing the source file. This may be what you really want. Thus the source file and its backup are synchronized. You can work on either copy freely.
     When Safer Mirror Image option is selected and the source file is older, the source file will be moved to an Archives folder on the source disk before the newer source file is copied from the backup disk.
     You can synchronize files between two computers. Drag'nBack will automatically adjust for the clock differences between them.
 
19. Delete Backup
     When a source file is found to be deleted from the disk, then the backup copy will be deleted from the backup disk also. Choose this option if you wish to permanently remove a file. This option is turned off before a restoring operation. 
     Note that when a source file is found to be deleted from the disk, then the file will be marked if this option is not on. Thus if this option is turned on at next backup this file will not be processed. Thus there is no danger you will unwillingly delete a backup file which has been excluded from backup.

20. Shred Backup
     A backup file will be shredded on a backup disk before it is deleted from that disk as requested from the Delete Backup option.

21. Always Replace
     Drag'nBack will compare the modified date of the backup file to that of the source file to determine whether the source file needs to be backed up. 
     When the backup file has a different modified date, Drag'nBack will replace it with the source file. 

22. Compare
     Drag'nBack will compare the source file with the backup file when their modified dates are the same. If the two files differ, you need to find out through other means whether the source file or the backup file is corrupt. 
      The Check Backup Disk, Synchronize, Always Replace, Compare and Archives options are interrelated. For example, if you select the Compare option the Check Backup Disk option will be turned on automatically.

23. Source Folder 
     Drag'nBack will create a folder with the same name as the source disk on the backup disk, then copy the source file and its hierarchical folders to this folder. If you use a backup disk to store other files and don't want it to be cluttered with folders of the source disk then select this option. If you back up more than one source volume to one backup disk this option will also reduce cluttering.

24. Encrypt
     Encrypting a backup file will transform its content according to a key. An encrypted file can be opened only by Drag'nBack and its content becomes unreadable without decryption. 
     You need to type an encryption key. After that, the option can be turned off and the  backup will be kept encrypted in subsequent backups even when the option is turned off later. 
     To restore an encrypted file, either double-click the file icon of the backup on the desktop or select the file in the template and choose the Restore… command. You need to type exactly the same key you used to encrypt it.

25. Ask For Key
     If this option is checked, you will be asked for the key every time an encryption key is needed.

26. Compress
     If this option is checked, the backup file will be compressed from the source file.
For this option to work you need a compression utility such as Stuffit™ from Aladdin Systems, Inc. The compression will be faster if the utility is kept in the front. If the file is oversized, the file will be compressed on the source disk. The compressed file is then segmented to multiple disks. The compressed file is then deleted. When the file is updated, only the compressed file will be compressed again.

27. Open then Back up 
     When you double-click on a template to open it, backup will start after it is opened.

28. Back up then Quit 
     When you double-click on a template to do a backup, Drag'nBack will quit after backup is done. Thus the combined effect of both the Open then Back up option and the Back up then Quit option is equivalent to double-clicking on the Drag'nBack icon.

29. Shut Down after Backup
     Click this option to shut down the computer after backup.

30. Defragment
    A file on a disk gets fragmented when it grows bigger and bigger. The file is saved on several discontinuous places on the disk. In order to read the file into computer memory, the read head has to move all over the disk surface. This slows down the loading of the file. Furthermore, unnecessary head movements can decrease the life of a hard disk. 
     Defragmentation is the act of putting a fragmented file continuously on a disk. A defragmented disk is optimized or sped up in the sense that files can be read and written with maximum speed.
     This option is a sub-menu. If you choose an item other than None, a fragmented source file will be copied to a continuous space on the disk after it is backed up or after it is successfully compared to its backup. This procedure insures maximum integrity of your source file. That is, you can do defragmentation safely because the file is backed up.
      You can choose how frequently defragmentation will be done with the pop up menu.
      Defragmentation will not be done when the source file is on a remote volume.

31. Background Speed 
     This option is a sub-menu. It allows you to choose how fast backup will proceed when Drag'nBack is switched into the background during backup. The higher the number chosen, the faster backup will proceed. However, your mouse movement may become jerky. 

32. Activity Log
     Drag'nBack can record backup activity and display it in the upper portion of the template window. The log is saved as a TeachText/SimpleText file in the same folder as the template. It can be deleted without affecting the execution of Drag'nBack. Select this option to turn on recording. Any error condition will be recorded. In addition you can select the following action.

     Hide  The log will be hidden from the template window. You can manually drag the box at the right of the title bar to reveal the log.
     First Backup  File will be recorded when it is backed up for the first time.
     When Updated  File will be recorded when it is backed up after the first time.
     When Archived  File will be recorded when old backup is archived to the Archives folder.
     Folder Name  Folder name will be included with each file.
     Disk Name  Disk name will be included with each file.