Compression is available for all backups, with various options to control it. Typically, the backup is about 50-60% of the size of the original files, on a typical mix of program, data and graphic files, which means you need less discs than you would using the demo version.
Many parts of the program have been speeded up by up to 17000% by writing them in pure ARM code. In particular, the selected items options in Restore and the selected and ignored windows in Backup have been greatly speeded up and now use less memory.
As well as the speed-ups mentioned above, the selected files system for restoring files has been greatly improved. The display now has options to sort by the name, type and size of files, and a drag box can be used to select files, as in Risc OS 3. Count, copy, file info and backup info options have also been added to the menu.
No limits are placed on the destination for a backup - it will go to any filing system, FileCore or otherwise. There is a separate mode for backing up to second hard discs and other large media, where a directory icon can be dragged to set the destination.
This all appears transparently to the user - all they have to do is drag the icon, or select a drive from the menu and Backup does the rest.
In addition, there is an option to prevent renaming of backup discs (something you don't want to do with a hard disc), and an option to save script files on each disc so that they can be identified easily. If a backup disc is not blank, a window will appear showing its contents, so that you know what you will loose if you choose to erase it.
More control has been given to the desktop while a backup is in progress, so it is easier to carry on with other work. Count operations, which used to suspend the desktop completely, now multitask, a feature which is useful for large backups. Large files also give a more usable desktop instead of hogging the machine for large periods of time.
The status display has also been considerably improved, and now has a progress bar, which can be set to display graphically how far the backup has proceeded, either in terms of the progress of the whole backup, or of the individual file currently being backed up. This status display can be turned off to speed the backup up.
To speed the backup up further, there is a fast mode which suspends the desktop to allow HardBack to concentrate on the backup. This is useful if you want HardBack to do a backup while you doing something else.
A mode where only the details of files and directories are stored, but not their contents. This is useful for storing a directory structure, as the structure of large hard disc can be stored a very small space. For example, a full 210Mb disc containing a large number of files takes up 280K in skeleton form.
HardBack can be set to ensure the files being restore are identical to those that were backed up. Basically, it calculates a number based on a file being backed up, and then stores it in the backup file. Restore then calculates another for the same file when it is restored. If these two numbers are the same, it means the files are identical, and the restored file is an exact copy of the original.
These include the storing of directory datestamps in a backup, the ability to 'drag and drop' files to set various backup options, the removal of some of the greyed out options in the demo version of Restore, and the use of some of the features in Risc OS 3.5.
HardBack behaves like most other software, by putting an icon directly onto the iconbar, without any large banners appearing.