File Processor is Copyright (c) 1997, P. Lutus. All Rights Reserved.
You have seen word processors and food processors -- now meet a File Processor! File Processor will copy your files from one place to another very efficiently and, more important, it will verify that the copies are perfect.
File Processor is a carefully designed file copying/maintenance program. It can verify that the contents of two directory trees are identical. It will efficiently update a remote machine or drive, copying only those files that need to be copied.
Because of the power of File Processor, some cautions are in order:
1. If you are not familiar with file systems, do not try to use File Processor.
2. If you believe you can copy an entire hard drive, including the Windows directory, from one machine to another, do not try to use File Processor, because this act will destroy the Windows install on one of the two systems.
3. If you have not backed up your work to a safe location before using File Processor, or you are not clear about the layout of your machine and/or local network, do not try to use File Processor.
As you can see from these cautions, File Processor is intended for experienced computer users, people who need reliable backup and who understand the requirements for setting up a backup system.
Typically, File Processor is used to back up files and/or directories from one hard drive to another, to another machine on a local network, or from a hard drive onto a Zip drive.
-- Installation --
Simply download the File Processor ZIP file, unZIP it, and place it in a suitable program directory. And why, you might ask, don't I have a fancy install program for File Processor? The answer is simple - if a particular person cannot set up a program directory and drop the File Processor executable into it, that person is not a candidate for safe use of this program.
If, when you first run File Processor, you see a complaint about a missing DLL, please visit the File Processor Home Page at http://www.arachnoid.com/fileprocessor.
-- Backup Issues -
In the bad old days of MS-DOS, there were basically two programs for backup work, "COPY" and "COMP." COPY would copy the contents of (at most) a directory from one place to another. COMP could verify, in a sloppy sort of way, that the two directories' files were the same.
COMP was an example of how many things can go wrong with a simple computer program. It didn't list errors independently of events, it didn't summarize its own behavior, and worst of all, when it was done, it printed this message:
"Files compare OK."
When I first saw this message, I wondered, "Okay? Like, not mega-different? Why not just say 'The files are identical'?"
COPY was almost as bad. It didn't know about subdirectories (or, more properly, directory trees) and it didn't behave very well in the event of errors. The problems of COPY were partly addressed by XCOPY, which came later, did know about directory trees, but still was rather dreadful.
Now that there are networks with different operating systems running on different machines, even XCOPY falls down. For example, if you have a local network with some Windows 95 machines and some Windows NT machines, XCOPY can't figure out what to do.
This is because file times are handled differently on Windows 95 and NT. Windows 95 rounds off all times to the nearest even second (i.e. 2,4,6 ...) and NT records file times to the second. As a result, XCOPY always copies all the files from an NT machine to a Windows 95 machine, even though it is instructed to copy only newer files. This basically makes XCOPY useless for backup tasks on a modern Windows network.
There were several other drawbacks to these programs, but there was something they couldn't do at all - synchronize. By "synchronize," I mean establish that two directory trees are identical, if necessary by deleting some files from the destination tree.
File Processor handles all these tasks handily and does much more. It summarizes its activity in an interactive display and two log windows, it keeps track of the number of files, directories and bytes on both source and directory, and it maintains a real-time differential display of these quantities.
-- Basic Operations --
The most important thing to understand about backup is to know the difference between program directories and data directories.
Program directories contain files that are not owned by you, do not represent hours of labor on your part, and can (nay, must) be refreshed from source media such as CDs. To back up a program directory does no good, because (under Windows) you still have to re-install the program on the source machine. Therefore, backing up program directories is a waste of time.
Data directories contain your own personal work files. If you lose them, they are gone forever and you will have to re-create them. Therefore backing up data directories is the single relevant focus of backup activities in modern times.
Having read and understood this paradigm, you are now ready for a step-by-step procedure to set up a backup system:
1. Segregate your personal data files in a separate directory tree (give it a distinctive name such as "data"). Never place program files in this tree, and never place your data files in any other tree. This is the single most important step in file management, and it should be done first. Place this data directory in the root directory of your system, example c:\data.
2. Search your system for data you may have misplaced and move these files into appropriately-named subdirectories of your data directory.
3. Tell your Windows programs where your data are located.
Most Windows programs drop data files wherever they please - somewhere in the Windows directory tree (where they will be lost in the event of a system crash or a Windows upgrade), in the program directory of the running program (same risk), but almost no Windows programs ask you where your own, personal data directory is located.
But each of these programs can be forced to place THEIR data files in YOUR data directory. Microsoft Office programs can be "house-trained" to do this. In recent versions of Word, for example, select Tools ... Options ... File Locations ... Documents. Type in the name of your data directory for Word documents. If you think in terms of programs, you could have a "c:\data\word" directory. If you think in terms of projects and tasks, you might choose "c:\data\myproject" or something of that kind.
In recent versions of Microsoft Excel, choose Tools ... Options ... General ... Default File Location.
Some Windows programs are more difficult to house-train, but it is well worth the effort. For a complete exposition of this scheme, visit http://www.arachnoid.com/lutusp/directories.html.
4. Choose a backup medium and a procedure.
You may have a local network, in which case you may have access to another machine that can store a backup copy of your data files. Or you may want to carry away an entire backup copy of your data tree on a Zip disk. In both these cases you simply tell File Processor where the files are located and what to do.
5. Perform the backup operation.
To back up files in the simplest way, just run file Processor, type in the names of the source (copy from) and destination (copy to) paths, choose a behavior option (in most cases that will be to click "Update Dest Files") and press "Go."
-- Automation --
To run File Processor automatically, you can create a shortcut to the File processor executable and type the appropriate commands into the shortcut. Here's how:
Create a shortcut by pointing your mouse at the File Processor executable, clicking and dragging to the desktop, and releasing the mouse. In most cases, this will create a shortcut to the program.
Edit the shortcut: Right-click on the shortcut with your mouse, choose "Properties ... Shortcut", and add the required commands after the name of the program in the "Target" field. For example, if you wanted to copy files from c:\data to d:\data, you would type: "-udf c:\data d:\data" after the program name.
Now you can simply click your shortcut and the program will update your source to your backup directory or drive. Of course, you can have any number of shortcuts for different purposes. If you omit the command and include only the directory path names, File Processor will run, display the paths and await your command.
Here is a complete list of command-line parameters for automating the behavior of File Processor (you choose one):
"-cds" = Compare File Dates & Sizes only.
"-cef" = Compare Entire Files, an exhaustive comparison (takes a long time).
"-udf" = Update Destination Files, writes source files/directories to destination.
"-udt" = Update Dates & Times Only, for files that are dated incorrectly.
"-sco" = Synchronize Compare Only (doesn't change anything).
"-sts" = Synchronize to Source, deletes destination files/directories not on source.
Here are optional arguments (there can be more than one on a command line):
"-c" Copy Read-only files off (default on).
"-d" Display program (after hide command).
"-h" Hide program (put on toolbar).
"-p" Prompt on delete off (default on).
"-q" Quit program, deferred until end of all commands.
"-s" Scan Subdirectories off (default on).
"-t" Strict Time comparison, otherwise only newer files are copied.
"-u" Update if sizes differ, otherwise use only time comparison.
This list can be reviewed at any time by selecting Help ... Command List from within File Processor.
-- Synchronization -
By "Synchronization" I mean making two directory trees identical - same files, same sizes, same dates. This means no files on the destination that have been deleted from the source, or renamed on the source.
Suppose you rename a file as you work, or rename a directory. This is a common practice as projects become more complex. Also, suppose you delete some files that are no longer needed. The problem is that all the directories and files, new and old names, are stored on the destination directory tree. You need a way to "prune" directories and files from the destination tree that no longer exist on the source tree.
Because you are deleting files, this is a somewhat more risky operation than simply copying files. Therefore File Processor takes extra precautions when synchronizing, such as asking you for permission to delete files, and allowing you to "rehearse" the synchronization without actually deleting files.
To test the synchronize parameters, run File Processor, type in the source and destination directory paths as usual, select "Synchronize Compare" and press "Go." File Processor will make a list of all the files and directories that WOULD BE deleted in an actual synchronize. When the rehearsal is complete, press the "Error Log" menu item to see a list of files.
If you are satisfied with the rehearsal, change the behavior to "Synchronize to source" and press "Go" again. This time, File Processor will ask for your permission to delete each file. If you are confident, you can select "Yes to All" and File Processor will stop asking.
-- Comparison --
You can compare source and destination directory trees in two ways - date and size, by choosing "Compare Dates & Sizes", or complete, by choosing "Compare Entire Files." The second of these options can verify that two directory trees are identical, byte-for-byte, regardless of the size of the trees. It just takes a long time to perform the comparison, because both copies of each file are read completely and every byte is compared.
The first method only establishes that the files have the same date and size. The second option makes sure that the actual content of the files is identical.
One other thing about the second option - it takes a huge amount of virtual memory for large files, because there are two copies of the file in memory at once. This is a great challenge for smaller systems.
-- Program Displays -
The File Processor display contains a lot of useful information. In the center of the display there are three columns marked "Source," "Destination," and "Difference." Each of these columns has running totals for files, directories and bytes as the operation progresses.
During file copying, File Processor adjusts the "Destination" column to reflect ongoing copy operations. While a copy is underway, the difference column will show the actual difference between the source and destination at that moment of time. As the operation proceeds, if all the copies are successful, the difference column will reset back to zero periodically, and as the operation ends, the difference column should be all zeros for an entirely successful backup.
If you have chosen "Compare Dates & Sizes," the difference column will show the actual difference between the source and destination directories, and this total will increase as the comparison proceeds, because no files are being copied.
The "Copy Errs" field is important to monitor, because this value is nonzero only if a copy or delete operation has failed. Press the "Error Log" menu item to see the source and a description of the error.
--Program Options -
There is a list of options at the lower right of the program display. Each of these options can be activated in the program, or they can be activated using the automation methods described above.
Search Subdirectories, when activated, will search an entire directory tree. If deactivated it will only search the specified directory.
Copy/Delete Read-Only. This option allows File Processor to overwrite read-only files.
Strict Time Checking. This option copies files that absolutely differ in time. If disabled, File Processor will only copy newer files onto older ones.
NOTE: Because of the (unconscionable) difference in how Windows 95 and Windows NT handles file times, File Processor regards two files as having the same time if they are within +- 2 seconds of each other. This compromise was necessary to prevent a complete tree copy each time a Windows 95 machine was encountered on a mostly-NT network. Some older versions of Linux (a great embodiment of UNIX) suffered from this also, when combined in a network with NT machines.
Update if Sizes Differ. This option will copy files that differ in size from their targets. When deactivated, the relative sizes of files is ignored.
Prompt Before Deleting, if activated, asks before deleting a file or directory.
Log Events, if activated, logs all copy and compare operations. If deactivated, only errors are logged.
-- Things that can go wrong --
If, while trying to run File Processor for the first time, your system reports that it can't find a DLL file, you may need to acquire the missing DLL file(s). These files are available at the File Processor Home Page -- http://www.arachnoid.com/fileprocessor.
If you receive error message such as "Copy buffer allocate error," this means your system does not have enough resources to use File Processor. You may change the amount of virtual memory your system allows, purchase more RAM memory, or purchase a larger hard drive. But so long as these error messages appear, your backup is not being carried out correctly and should not be considered reliable.
If the destination machine is a running Windows workstation, sometimes File Processor will not be able to copy files to it. This is usually caused by a program that is accessing a file to be backed up, or even something as simple as an open Explorer window that is displaying a directory to be backed up. To remedy this problem, close all running programs and file explorers on the destination machine.
-- Credit, Disclaimer --
File Processor may be freely distributed and copied, so long as no fee is charged. File Processor may not be made part of a product for which a fee is charged.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, File Processor is not in the public domain and is (c) Copyright 1996-1997, Paul Lutus, who retains all present and future rights in and to File Processor.
The determination of fitness of File Processor for any particular purpose shall be solely with the recipient, and Paul Lutus shall not be responsible for any damages, direct, indirect, or consequential, that may arise from use of File Processor.
