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SpaceBak User's Manual
Revision A
February 11, 1994
Copyright (C) 1994 MICROTOOLS
General Description
SpaceBak is an innovative software approach to getting more space back on
your hard disk. Typically, hard disks get filled with hundreds of files that
never get used. Under DOS, determining whether or not these files have
ever been used is difficult if not impossible. Using some unique
technology, SpaceBak allows the user to either delete them from the hard
disk or back them up and then delete them. In addition, SpaceBak allows
the user to obtain a printout of all of the files which have not been accessed
since a particular date.
SpaceBak even works on disks which already have disk compression!
General Operation
To utilize SpaceBak, the TSR SPCBAK must first be installed on your
system. This TSR must be installed before any Disk caches or Network
software are installed. This TSR utilizes 16k and may be loaded high.
This is performed automatically upon installation if you choose to modify
your AUTOEXEC.BAT. We would recommend that this TSR remain
loaded on your system at all times. As a minimum, the TSR should be kept
active for several days, to build some history.
Once you are ready to backup and delete, backup only, delete only, or just
view the files that have been accessed, the program SPACEBAK should be
run. SPACEBAK functions just like a full featured Backup system. In
fact, with the No Access Since ... set to today's date, SpaceBak is a full
featured Backup program. See the appendix for how to use SpaceBak as a
backup program.
Setting the Last Access Date
Once you have set up all of your Backup options (See Appendix A), you
must choose the date which determines whether these files should be backed
up and deleted. Any files matching your file specification, that have not
been accessed since the date you specify, will be backed up and/or deleted
from your hard disk. This date may be set from the options window in the
following way:
Quick Set-up through the Status Window
Use the Tab and Arrow keys to select the "No Access Since" item. The
<ENTER> key will increment the date by one day. The
<SPACE_BAR> will decrement the date by one day.
Configuration Set-up
Select the Setup Backup/Restore menu item from the Main Menu.
Select Setup Backup/Restore Options from the Setup Menu
Select the Set Last Access Date item for the Configure Menu
Enter the Desired Date
See Appendix A for information on Selecting menu items from the
keyboard or the mouse. In addition, use the context sensitive help, <F1>,
while in SPACEBAK to understand the option.
Setting SpaceBak Operational Mode
SpaceBak can perform one of three operations:
Backup Only
Backup and Delete
Delete Only
This mode of operation is selectable from the Status Windows or through
the configuration menus.
Quick Set-up through the Status Window
Use the Tab and Arrow keys to select the Operational Mode item (It
will indicate Backup and Delete, Backup Only, or Delete Only). The
<ENTER> key or Left Mouse Button will increment the mode.
Configuration Set-up
Select the Setup Backup/Restore menu item from the Main Menu.
Select Setup Backup/Restore Options from the Setup Menu
Select the Set SpaceBak Operational Mode item for the Configure Menu
Select the desired mode
Possible operational scenarios
General Archiving
After you have fully exercised your system for a period of time, you can
obtain a printout of the files that have not been accessed since the date
you have specified. From this list, you can determine and specify which
files may be deleted or archived and deleted. Using the file
specification list at the bottom of the main menu screen, define these
files using DOS wildcards as necessary. Decide whether you want to
delete these files or archive and delete them or just archive them (You
may choose to just archive them first because you want to make two
copies before they are deleted). Define the media where you want these
files stored. Then the Archive process should be started.
One option (since SpaceBak allows compression), would be to archive
and delete these files onto your existing hard disk. This would probably
not be of significant benefit if the disk is already compressed (for
example: DoubleSpace, or Stacker, or SuperStor).
In the case of general archiving, we would recommend having two
backups of data for which you have no additional backups. This is
achieved by selecting the Backup Only operational mode and performing
the Backup. Then a subsequent backup is performed using the Backup
and Delete mode.
Examples:
Desire: Removal of programs (*.exe and *.com) that have not been
accessed for a long time.
Strategy: Install SPCBAK for approximately a month
(some period of time that represents your
normal operation). Then run SPACEBAK
specifying all files that match *.EXE and
*.COM in the file specification (INCLUDE,
*.EXE, and SUBDIR). Select the date you
installed SPCBAK as the "No Access Since ..."
date. Preview the Backup to see if any files are
going to be deleted that you want to keep.
Exclude these files from your file specification.
Select the Backup and Delete operational mode.
Perform the Backup.
Desire: Delete all .BAK files that have not been accessed for two
months.
Strategy: Run SPACEBAK specifying all files that match
*.BAK in the file specification (INCLUDE,
*.BAK, SUBDIR). Select the date two months
ago as the "No Access Since ..." date. Preview
the Backup to see if any files are going to be
deleted that you want to keep. Exclude these
files from your file specification. Select the
Delete Only operational mode. Perform the
Backup.
Program Specific Archiving
Given the impression that more is better, software suppliers are
delivering everything but the kitchen sink with their software packages.
This results in many unused files cluttering up your hard disk. Many
printer drivers, graphics drivers and other miscellaneous utilities often
litter your hard disk and waste a precious resource. With SpaceBak,
this situation can be remedied and you can trim some of the fat off your
system.
In this scenario, with the SPCBAK TSR installed, you may fully
exercise an application program (like a word processor or spreadsheet)
and then run SpaceBak. By limiting the file specification to just include
the files in that applications directory, you can archive and delete just
the files not being used by that application.
For example, imagine that you desired to trim the fat from your
WordPerfect directory (assume C:\WP) You would first make sure that
SPCBAK is installed (from your AUTOEXEC.BAT). Then you would
use WordPerfect in as many of its possible modes as you regularly use.
Remember to use the Spell Checker, the Thesaurus, the printer and the
help functions.
At this point user should run SpaceBak and specify the following
options:
File Specification:
INCLUDE C:\WP\*.* SUBDIR
No Access Since: Yesterday's Date
Operational Mode: Backup and Delete
Once these parameters are setup (as well as the pertinent Backup
parameters), Start the Backup (See the Appendix for operation of
SpaceBak as a Backup Program).
This scenario can be repeated for each of you major applications. We
would recommend that you keep your archive disks separate for each
application. In this way, should the need arise to recover one of these
archived files, the disk can be easily recovered.
Archiving Data files
Personal data files which you created and are never referenced by other
programs can be archived and deleted based on their last date accessed.
If the files have not been accessed since SpaceBak was installed,
SpaceBak will use their last modified date to determine if they should be
archived.
For example, imagine you keep all of your correspondence in a
directory:
C:\MY_DATA\LETTERS
To archive and delete all of the files that you haven't used for one
month, you should run SpaceBak with the following options:
File Specification:
INCLUDE C:\MY_DATA\LETTERS\*.* SUBDIR
No Access Since: Today's date - 30 days
Backup and Delete
As stated previously, once these parameters are setup (as well as the
pertinent Backup parameters), Start the Backup (See the Appendix for
operation of SpaceBak as a Backup Program).
As in the case of general archiving, we would recommend having two
backups of data for which you have no additional backups if the data is
very critical. This is achieved by selecting the Backup Only operational
mode and performing the Backup. Then a subsequent backup is
performed using the Backup and Delete mode.
What if I Delete Too Much
It is possible that you may delete a file that was not used during the time
that SPCBAK was installed but which is essential to you now. At this
point, using SpaceBak's recover option and your archived disks, you easily
restore these files to your hard disk. The files required should be specified
in the file specification area. See Appendix A for details.
Installing SpaceBak
An install program is provided to allow you to automatically modify your
AUTOEXEC.BAT for SPCBAK. It will also set up SPCBAK to be
operational on the drives specified. It is not essential to run the INSTALL.
Utility Functions
The following utility programs are defined:
DEL_SB - This program deletes all of the SPACEBAK.LOG files on
the system
SPCBAK Considerations
SPCBAK Switches
/U or /R Removes SPCBAK from memory as a TSR if it was the last
TSR loaded
/ON Turns SpaceBak recording on (default when first loaded)
/OFF Turns SpaceBak recording off
/D:? Defines drives for which SpaceBak is active. SpaceBak
defaults to the C: drive. For example, to specify the C, D,
and F drives, install SPCBAK as follows:
SPCBAK/D:CDF
SPCBAK Operation
SpaceBak does not log file accesses performed by the following
programs:
GREP, MAKEBAK, GETBAK
Certain programs will access every file on you disk. You may not want
these accesses logged for SpaceBak purposes. For example, another
Backup program may access every file on your system. To prevent
these accesses from being recorded, turn SPCBAK off with the /OFF
switch. Once complete, SPCBAK may be turned back on with the /ON
switch.
1 SpaceBak Introduction
Welcome to SpaceBak. SpaceBak is a powerful, safe yet simple
means of backing up your vital data. For most of us, backing up
our data is a nuisance that we all too often avoid. SpaceBak makes
backing up fun. You can set up your backups once with our
intuitive users interface and then run them from a regular batch file.
But, before we get into how to perform a backup, we need to talk
strategy. Without a well thought out strategy, you may find yourself
either wasting time by backing up too much or (heaven forbid), not
be backing up enough data. It doesn't do any good to begin backing
up the wrong data or backing up more data than it is worth to
backup. That's why we must begin with a good backup strategy.
Once that is established we'll work on how to implement that
strategy with SpaceBak.
1.1 Fundamentals of a Backup Strategy
First and foremost to all backup strategies is taken from the
famous shoe ad:
Just Do It!
Many of us get lazy and neglect some important tasks every day.
Many of us have neglected to perform the backups necessary to
protect our valuable data on a timely basis. Let's decide today
that we will follow the first and primary fundamental of backup
strategy and that is to DO IT!
Once we got that down (or at least decided), the next important
piece of our strategic plan is to determine:
What Data is important to backup?
and
How often should that be backed up.
Perhaps the simplest answer to both of these is: all the data every
day. But that often is not a reasonable answer to either question.
Generally speaking, all data is important to be backed up, but not
every day. Much data on your hard drive is already backed up.
Sometimes, every day is not frequent enough for some data.
Sometimes it is overkill.
1.2 What Data is important to backup
Again, it is dangerous to deal in generalities, but most data falls
under three categories:
1. Data files that I have bought and thus have the
original files on their installation disks. These are the
disks that came when you purchased the software. If
this data is lost, it could be reconstructed by reloading
the software. Not too painful.
2. Data files that my programs have created that can be
re-created from other files. Lotus ".PIC" are such
files as are dBase ".NDX" files. Lotus ".PIC" files
are graph files that are created from your spreadsheet
files. These files usually can be easily recreated if
you have the source files (Lotus ".WK1" files and
dBase ".DBF" files). This data never needs to be
backed up.
3. Data files that I have created through the keyboard or
mouse. These files are like the outputs of word
processing programs (like .DOC files from Word),
spreadsheets (like .WK1 files from Lotus 1-2-3),
databases (like .DBF files from dBase), or accounting
programs (like MoneyCounts .DAT files). These files
represent your hard earned work and are very
important to you. They also might include
configuration files (like Window's configuration files
or your DOS CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT).
1.3 How often to Backup Data
Ideally, data should be backed up as soon as practical after it has
been created. If you are entering significant data that is creative
of nature you may want to back it up right after you create it.
(Some of us forget our brainstorms as quickly as we get them).
Generally, you want to regularly backup only the files that you
create and/or change. These are files like letters, reports,
databases, documents and spreadsheets. Generally you don't
want to backup files that you don't change. Every user has
different needs. Not everyone's data is of equal value. How
often you backup depends on both your needs, your habits, and
your comfort level with the thought of losing some data. A good
rule of thumb that works for most people is to back up at the end
of every day. This means that in a very worst case scenario (you
have lost every thing), on the average, you will only lose about 4
hours of work.
1.4 Setting a Backup Strategy
So, how do you go about setting a backup strategy? Here are a
few simple guidelines. (Note: Running ALLFILES will create a
text file, ALLFILES.TXT, of all files on your current hard drive.
Print this file out and use three highlighters to identify each file)
Step 1 Identify those category one files that are part of
programs for which you already have a backup.
You are probably wise to back up all of these
up in one backup set (a set of floppy disks
containing a backup) once. We will label this
backup set PROGRAMS. Although this is not
essential (remember, you already have these
backed up on your original floppies) it will
make it much easier to recreate your system. If
you are willing to take the time of
reconstructing these from all the programs that
you own or if you don't own that many complex
programs, this step may be skipped. We will
explain how to do this later. File these away in
a very safe place. Write protect the disks. You
need not make another copy of this backup until
you add another set of program data files (say
you add a new Backup program like SpaceBak).
At that point, you are probably wise to make a
fresh backup of all your programs (because you
may have forgotten to backup your last update
to your spreadsheet program).
Step 2 Identify those category two files that are automatically
generated. Many users do not have any of these files.
If you are not sure about a file, consider it a category
3 file.
Step 3 Identify those category three files that are your hard
earned data files. If there are files from long dead
projects or correspondence that you are fairly sure you
will never touch again, back them up in a backup set
and call it ARCHIVE01. Then delete them from your
disk.
Now, are there any files that don't fall under these three categories.
If you can't find out what they are, it is best to put them under
category three.
All files that are category 3 files need not be updated every day.
Some files are from projects long since completed. Some files were
created once and have no business being on your hard drive. After
we have backed them up, it may be wise to delete them from your
hard drive. Many of us only work on a few files a day. If our
backup is taking 20 minutes each day to backup 30 meg of data, we
are probably backing up a lot more than we need to. Ideally we
should only backup those files that we need to backup.
How you have organized your hard disk also affects your backup
strategy. In order to facilitate backups, it is very useful and safe to
put all of your files of the same category in multiple directories
under one directory tree. This way, to backup all category three
data files you could just specify to include all the files in that
directory and all its subdirectory. You never have to remember to
update your backup configuration files when you add new projects
and new directories. For example, all category three data files could
be put under the C:\DATA directory. It is very important that
macros generated with spreadsheet programs and word processing
programs be put under these directories. Your MoneyCounts data
files should also be put in a subdirectory under this directory.
It also is useful to place all category one data files under a directory
tree like C:\PROGRAM. Thus you would have a set of directories
that might look like:
C:\PROGRAM
C:\PROGRAM\MC
C:\PROGRAM\123
etc
Although SpaceBak will allow you to specify data directories all
over your hard disk, it becomes another thing to remember
whenever you add new directories. For example, let's imagine that
you keep your word processing files in C:\LETTERS and your
spreadsheets in C:\WORKSHTS. When you add WordPerfect to
your system, you add a directory C:\WP51\LETTERS. This is
category three data that must be added to your backup specification.
If instead you had a directory structure that looked like this:
C:\DATA
C:\DATA\LETTERS
C:\DATA\WORKSHTS
you could tell the backup program to backup up everything in
C:\DATA and all the files in DATA's subdirectories and never have
to worry about it.
1.5 Some Typical Backup Strategies
Let's list a few backup strategies and then analyze them for the
applicability. We will show you how to perform these strategies
later.
Data Backup Strategy #1 - (Weekly Full data/Daily Incremental
data)
Step 1 On Friday afternoon of every week, perform a FULL
backup of your category three data files. Let's call
this backup set FULL DATA WEEK 1. Mark all
floppies in numerical order with this label and with
their number.
Step 2 On Monday afternoon, perform a backup of all
category three files that have changed since Friday.
This is called an INCREMENTAL backup. Mark all
the floppies with the label INCREMENTAL DATA
WEEK 1 DAY 1. Use either a new disk or append
the backup set to your last disk. (Appending does not
delete the existing files).
Step 3 On Tuesday afternoon, repeat step 2 naming the
backup set INCREMENTAL DATA WEEK 1 DAY
2.
Step 4 On Wednesday afternoon, repeat step 2 naming the
backup set INCREMENTAL DATA WEEK 1 DAY
3.
Step 5 On Thursday afternoon, repeat step 2 naming the
backup set INCREMENTAL DATA WEEK 1 DAY
4.
Step 6 On Friday afternoon, repeat step one, naming the
backup set FULL DATA WEEK 2. Start with a new
disk.
Repeat this for four weeks. At this point, start re-using your
disks.
Analysis of Strategy #1
Advantages - This strategy is pretty thorough. In general,
the incremental backups performed on Monday - Thursday
will be fairly quick. Friday's backup may take too long
however depending on how much data you keep on your
hard drive. Depending on how many disks you are using,
you may desire to wait 8-16 weeks before recycling your
disks. It is also useful to save a backup set every 3-4
months and file it away in a safe place. Never recycle
these disks. You never know when you may find that you
accidentally deleted a file two months ago which has fallen
off the backup list.
Disadvantages - INCREMENTAL backups are quick but
make restoration a little more difficult. If you need to
restore one file, you may need to go through several
backup sets before you find it. In general this is not to
bad a limitation because we don't lose data that often.
There is a disadvantage to this strategy if you have not
carefully identified all of your critical category three data.
For example, if you just recently started creating .WP files
and had not identified these as category three files, you
will never back them up unless you have structured your
directories properly (as we talked about earlier). This
strategy also tends to use a fair number of disks.
Data Backup Strategy #2 (Full Disk/Differentials until unwieldy)
Step 1 Perform a FULL backup of your entire hard disk (all
categories)
Step 2 Every day (or after a significant period of data entry),
perform a DIFFERENTIAL backup of your entire
hard disk. This will back up only those files that have
changed since the last full backup. Recycle disks
every other time.
Step 3 Perform Step 2 until this procedure becomes unwieldy
(takes too long or uses too many disks).
Step 4 Repeat from step 1, using a new set of disks.
Analysis of Strategy #2
Advantages - This strategy works well if you do not create a
lot of files. It is easy to restore a file, since all files that
have changed since the full backup can easily be restored.
It doesn't use a lot of floppy disks. It is extremely
thorough and is not very prone to error.
Disadvantages - If you create a lot of category three data, this
strategy becomes unwieldy very soon.
Data Backup Strategy #3 (Full Disk/Incrementals)
Step 1 Perform a FULL backup of your entire hard disk (all
categories)
Step 2 Every day (or after a significant period of data entry),
perform an INCREMENTAL backup of your entire
hard disk. This will back up only those files that have
changed since the last backup. Either append the files
to your existing backup set or carefully label each
floppy.
Step 3 Perform Step 2 for a month or so (approximately 20
incremental backups).
Step 4 Repeat from step 1, using a new set of disks for the
full backup and recycle the Incrementals.
Analysis of Strategy #3
Advantages - This strategy works well if you do not need to
restore files very often. It minimizes the number of disks
needed. It is not very prone to error.
Disadvantages - Restoring of a file could mean going through
10-20 backup sets. However, if this doesn't occur very
often, it is a very fast, thorough and efficient backup
strategy.
1.6 General Backup Guidelines
Finally, once you have a backup strategy that works. Stick to it.
Deviations can spell disaster.
It is always good policy to:
1. Have a well thought-out backup strategy and keep it.
2. Keep backups in a safe, fireproof, preferably off-site location.
3. Archive a full backup every 1-3 months that never gets re-
cycled
4. Backup your data at the end of a day rather than the
beginning. (Computers have a higher probability of failing
when they are turned on rather than failing while they are
running).
5. Test you backup strategy with a mini-fire drill to make sure
you know how to restore your files.
6. Maintain at least two backups if you are going to replace or
re-format your hard disk.
7. Have a well thought-out backup strategy and keep it. (This
bears repeating)
8. Turn on Verification ALWAYS!
9. Have plenty of disks available. They are cheaper than your
lost time.
2 Invoking SpaceBak
SpaceBak consists of three programs. SpaceBak is the user friendly
interface that lets you define your backup and restore options. It
invokes MAKEBAK to actually make a backup and GETBAK to
actually perform a restore. The backup "engines" may be run separately
from the command line (or Batch file). SpaceBak can be started at the
DOS command line as follows:
C:> SpaceBak [switches] [configuration file]
where the optional switches are:
/T for Text Mode
/G for Graphics Mode
SpaceBak automatically determines an optimal setting based
on your hardware and graphics capability. These switches
allow you to override the default settings.
and the optional configuration file is used to set up your
backup configuration upon startup. If no file is specified,
SpaceBak uses the file "LAST.GBK" stored in SpaceBak's
program directory. All SpaceBak configuration files have
the .GBK extension. SpaceBak first looks in the current
directory and then (for DOS 3.0 or greater) in the same
directory that SpaceBak.EXE is store in.
If you desire to perform backups with no user interaction (like from a
batch file), you may run the SpaceBak backup engine with the
command:
C:> MAKEBAK configuration_file
Here the configuration file and the extension are not optional.
If you desire to perform a restore with no user interaction, you
may run the SpaceBak restore engine:
C:> GETBAK configuration_file
3 Navigating in SpaceBak
SpaceBak is designed with an intuitive interface that needs no
introduction. Many programs have paved the way and set the standard
for navigating on a screen like SpaceBak's that should make learning to
use it a snap. For those not familiar with these navigation standards,
we'll give you a summary.
3.1 Some Definitions of Terms we will be using throughout this
manual
Menu - This is a list options for you to choose. There are many
such menus in SpaceBak. An example is the Main Menu where
you are give the option to:
Start Backup
Preview Backup
Start Restore
Preview Restore
Display Backup Set
Setup Backup Options
Edit Include/Excludes
Load Configuration
Save Configuration
Each of these items in the list are a Menu Item.
Button Item - A button is a rectangularly shaped box on the
screen used to select an option. The Exit button on the Main
Screen is such an object.
Highlighted Item - This is when a menu item (or button) is
highlighted with either a different color or a different intensity.
This item is available for Selection.
Select Item - This is when a highlighted item is selected to
perform the function it describes. For example, when the
Preview Backup Menu Item is Highlighted and then Selected,
SpaceBak begins to preview the currently defined backup. When
the Exit Button Item is selected, SpaceBak exits.
Toggle Item - Certain discrete items can be toggled to select
alternate options. For example, the Verification Status item can
be toggled from On to Off and vice versa.
Edit Item - Certain items are fields that can be edited. For
example, when loading new configuration, you can enter the file
specification for the configuration file that you wish to load.
Window Item - On most screens there are multiple window
items. For example on the Main Screen there are seven separate
window items:
The Main Menu
The Status Window
The Hardware Status Window
The Advanced Status Window
The Current Configuration file
The Exit Button
The Include/Exclude Matrix
Context Sensitive Help - SpaceBak provides context sensitive
help to help you find your way around its screen. Whatever item
is highlighted has a unique help message to help you remember
what it does. For example, if the View Backup Set item is
highlighted in the Main Menu, selecting Help will provide a
detailed description of what selecting this item will do.
Status Window - SpaceBak has three status windows; one for the
normal setup options, one for the hardware options, and one for
advanced options that need not be changed under normal
circumstances. Each status window is actual a menu consisting
of two more menu items itself. There are no hot keys associated
with these menu items.
Hot Keys - SpaceBak provides a way to select a menu item or a
button item with a hot key. A hot key is indicated by an
underline in Graphics mode and a bold character in Text mode.
Hot keys may be activated from anywhere on the screen with an
<ALT>-<Hotkey>.
3.2 How to Navigate
Navigating through SpaceBak menu's is performed using any
combination of the following techniques:
Keyboard Navigating
Cursor Control Keys - use the <UP_ARROW> or
<DOWN_ARROW> to position the cursor or
Highlighted item. Once you have Highlighted the item
you desire, hit the <ENTER> key to Select it. Use the
<LEFT_ARROW> or <RIGHT_ARROW> keys to
move horizontally across items.
Exit Window - The <Esc> key can be used to exit any
window
Hot Key Character - in every menu, items may be selected
by hitting the key corresponding to the item. This key is
identified in bold for Text mode applications and with an
underline for Graphics mode applications.
<Tab> Key - This key may be used to move from window
item to window item on the screen. <Shift-Tab> moves
from window item to window item in the reverse
direction.
<Space Bar> - This key is used to toggle items
<Enter> - This key is used to select an item, toggle an
item, or complete the editing of an item.
<PgUp> and <PgDn> - These keys are used in menus to
go to the top or the bottom of the menu. When viewing
help screens or Include/Exclude lists, these keys move the
highlight bar one page up or down.
Mouse Navigating
The mouse may be used to select or toggle an item by the
simple Point and Click method. Point the mouse cursor at the
item and click the left mouse button. If the item is to be
selected, it will be selected (for example, SpaceBak will Start
a Backup). If the item is an item to be toggled, the item will
be toggled.
Scroll Bar
When viewing large amounts of data (in a Help Screen or in
the Include/Exclude list), a scroll bar is provided for
navigation. You may either click on the scroll button and
drag the button down to position the text or you may click on
the UP and DOWN arrows to move one line at a time.
4 Setting Up SpaceBak
SpaceBak allows you to set up several options in order to configure your
backup. Although SpaceBak provides a set of defaults, you need to
carefully chose your options to fit your hardware and your backup
strategy.
SpaceBak provides two ways for you to set up its options - the fast
method and the verbose method. We recommend that you utilize the
verbose method at first since it will walk you through each of the
options. At any time you may click on the Help Button or hit <F3>
to call up the context sensitive help.
The Main Screen provides a complete status of all of the options
selected for SpaceBak. This allows you to see all the options you have
selected all at once.
We will describe how to select an option using each of the two methods
using the Drive type as an example. All other options are set the same.
The following options are available:
Hardware Configuration
Type of Backup Media (360k, 720k, 1.2m, 1.44m floppy, or
DOS drive)
Drive (and for DOS drives the directory)
Colors on your Display
Text or Graphics mode
Setup options for Backup/Restore
Type (full, differential, incremental)
Files (only defined files, all except defined files)
Archive Bit (set or cleared after backup)
Compression option (Compression On or Compression Off)
Verify (Check that the backup worked as you go)
Restore Overwrite Warnings (Tell you that you are overwriting)
Advanced options
Formatting of Target Drive
Keeping of Log Files on Hard Disk
Deleting of Files on Target Drive
Backing up System/Hidden Files
4.1 Hardware Configuration
SpaceBak requires that you define where the backup files are to
go and where the restored files are coming from. SpaceBak
needs to know what drive they are on and what type of drive it
is. In addition, SpaceBak allows you to specify the colors for
your screen (if you have a color monitor) and whether or not you
are in text mode or graphics mode. All four of these options
may be set through the pop up menus by selecting first the
SETUP BACKUP/RESTORE and then SETUP HARDWARE
OPTIONS. Where the files are coming from and going to and
the backup media type may also be set directly from the Main
Menu by using either the <Tab>, <Arrow>, and <Enter>
keys or the Mouse to toggle these options.
4.1.1 Drive Type
You must select the type of media you are going to back up
to. The options for this are:
360k 5¼ Floppy
720k 3½ Floppy
1.2m 5¼ Floppy
1.44m 3½ Floppy
DOS media - This can be network, a tape drive, or an
unsupported floppy. You can also do cumulative
backups to DOS media. This allows you to have
multiple backups on one media. This is also called
append. In general this mode is considerably slower
than defining the media type.
If you do not know what type of drive you have, select the
DOS media.
4.1.1.1 Selecting the Drive Type (Fast Method)
From the main screen, the Drive type is listed in the
Hardware Status window. By depressing the <TAB>
key, you will move the highlight bar to the Drive
Type. Hitting the <Enter> key will toggle this
through each of the options. For mouse users, place
the mouse cursor on the Drive Type and depress the
Left Mouse button once to toggle the option.
4.1.1.2 Selecting the Drive Type (Verbose Method)
Alternately, for beginners, the drive type may be set
via the menu selections. First, select the SET
BACKUP/RESTORE from the main menu (using the
<Down Arrow> key and the <Enter> key or the
Mouse). This will take you to the Setup Menu. Select
the first item, (SET HARDWARE OPTIONS) by
hitting the <ENTER> key or clicking it with the Left
mouse button. Then select the SET MEDIA TYPE.
This will bring you to a menu of media type options.
Select the option desired by either hitting <ENTER>
or clicking on it with the mouse. You may return to
the main menu by selecting the RETURN option in
each of the menus.
4.1.2 Target/Source Drive for Backup/Restore
You must specify the target drive for backups and the source
drive for restore. Generally only a letter is required.
However, for DOS drives, you may also specify a directory.
If you specify a directory, you will not be able to toggle this
from the status window.
4.1.3 Color Options
SpaceBak allows you to specify the Color of various items on
your screen. Colors may only be set with the verbose method.
It is possible to set the foreground and background colors of
the following:
Borders around windows
Windows
Window objects
Titles
Menu items (both selected and non selected)
Hot Key items (character color only)
Buttons (like the HELP, GENERAL HELP)
Foreground color is defined as the color of the characters or
lines. Background color is defined as the color of the paper
the characters are written on.
It is also possible to reset the color to their original settings.
These settings are stored in a file called BBCOLOR.DAT and
is located in the same directory that the SpaceBak.EXE is
kept. If you desire to save different color configuration, this
file can be renamed to reflect any number of color
configurations.
4.1.4 Text and Graphics Mode
SpaceBak runs in two modes:
Graphics Mode
Text Mode
On startup, if no mode is specified, SpaceBak determines the
mode based on the hardware available, and the speed of
your machine. For 808X machines (like PC's and XT's),
SpaceBak defaults to text mode. You may override this by
specifying a "/T" or a "/G" switch at startup.
Also, you can switch screen modes from a Hardware Menu
option.
4.2 Setup Options
SpaceBak allows you to configure your Backups and Restores
with the following options:
Type: SpaceBak allows you to specify three types of backups:
Full - This option backs up all files that are specified.
Incremental - This option backs up only files that have
changed or have been created since the
last FULL or INCREMENTAL backup.
Differential - This option backs up only those files that
have changed or are new since the last
FULL backup.
Files: SpaceBak allows you to specify which files to backup:
Include This option will allow you to specify a list of
directories and files to include in
Backup/Restore. The inclusion of these files
may be superseded by an Exclude
specification.
All Include This option will allow you to specify a list of
directories and files to include in the
Backup/Restore that can not be superseded by
an Exclude specification
Exclude This option will allow you to specify a list of
directories and files to be excluded in the
Backup/Restore.
In the restore mode, you may also specify a different
target directory.
Archive Bit: SpaceBak allows you to select what happens to
the Archive Bit of files that are backed up. Under most
circumstances you will not want to change this option.
Setting this will override the effect of the backup type.
For example, generally, a full backup always clears the
archive bit. Setting this to UNCHANGED, will cause the
archive bit to not get cleared. Setting the bit to
UNCHANGED means that the archive bit will not be
changed at all.
Compression: SpaceBak allows you to disable its normal
compression techniques. This option will cause the
backup to use more disk space and generally will cause the
backup to take longer. Under certain circumstances (a
very fast backup media and/or a very slow PC), disabling
compression might speed up the backup process.
Verify: SpaceBak normally verifies all data it writes to the
backup media. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE
INTEGRITY OF YOUR BACKUP! In some
circumstances, it may be desirable to turn this feature off.
PLEASE BE AWARE WHEN YOU DO THIS.
Backup/Restore Overwrite Warnings : This option is used
during restore to warn you that a file already exists on
your hard disk which you are about to overwrite with the
backup version. During Backup, this option will enable
you to be warned if files on a disk are being overwritten.
All of these options may be set via the menu system by
selecting the SETUP BACKUP/RESTORE option and then
the SET BACKUP/RESTORE. These also may be set
directly from the Main Menu by using either the <Tab>,
<Arrow> and <Enter> keys or the Mouse to toggle these
options.
4.2.1 Type
There are three types of Backups that can be performed with
SpaceBak:
Full
Incremental
Differential
Full Backup is used when you want to backup all files
specified in your INCLUDE/EXCLUDE specification
independent of the status of the archive bit. Full backups
generally clear the archive bit (unless overridden by the
ARCHIVE BIT UNCHANGED option) of all files that it
backs up. Selecting a Full Backup automatically sets the
Archive bit option to CLEARED.
Incremental Backup is used when you want to backup any
files that have changed or are new since the last backup.
Incremental backups are made based on the status of the
archive bit. The incremental backup clears the archive bit of
each file it backs up (unless overridden by the ARCHIVE BIT
UNCHANGED option). This means that the next incremental
backup will not back that file up again unless it has been
changed. Selecting an Incremental backup, automatically sets
the Archive bit option to CLEARED.
Differential Backup is used when you want to backup all
files that have changed since the last full backup. Differential
backups are made based on the status of the archive bit. The
differential backup does not clear the archive bit as it backs
up. This allows you to run consecutive backups after a full
backup. Selecting a Differential backup, automatically sets the
Archive bit option to UNCHANGED.
4.2.2 Include/Exclude Specifications
You may specify the files that you want to INCLUDE or
EXCLUDE in a definition file. You have five options to
create/define this file:
■ You mayfile that already exists from a previous backup
or you created offline with your word processor
or editor
■ You may create a new file with all of your directories
listed to allow you to edit from this baseline
■ You may create a new empty file and build the
definition from scratch
■ You may edit your current configuration
■ You may select the files from a directory tree
In some cases you do not want to back up all of your files and
all of your directories. With SpaceBak you can select only
certain files, certain extensions and / or certain directories to
back up. This is done with the INCLUDE/EXCLUDE/INC
ALL option. Only those directories and files that you specify
will be backed up. This selection is performed by defining
the directories and files in a backup configuration file. The
file consists of a list of directories and files. Filenames
may be specified using DOS wildcard characters (* and ?).
Backup will only backup files that you specify in this file.
INCLUDE means to backup these files unless overridden
by EXCLUDE.
EXCLUDE means to not backup these files unless
overridden by INC ALL.
INC ALL means to always backup these files.
Be careful not to have overlapping INCLUDE and/or INC
ALL specification or SpaceBak will backup the files twice.
EXAMPLE: To Backup only ".DOC" files in all directories,
you would create a list with the following contents:
INCLUDE/ File Specification With
EXCLUDE Subdirs
INCLUDE c:\*.DOC SUBDIRS
In some cases, you want to back up all of your files except
certain exceptions. This may be done with the EXCLUDE
option. As with the INCLUDE option, you create a file with
a list of files that you want to be excluded from backup.
SpaceBak will backup all files except for those you specified.
EXAMPLE: To Backup all files except those files in the
"user\tmp" directory, you would create a file with the
following contents:
INCLUDE/ File Specification With
EXCLUDE Subdirs
INCLUDE c:\*.* SUBDIRS
EXCLUDE c:\user\tmp\*.* NO SUBD
When specifying INCLUDE, INC ALL and EXCLUDE three
rules that SpaceBak follows are very important.
RULE #1: EXCLUDE takes precedence over INCLUDE.
This means that in the above example the INCLUDE
specification (C:\*.*) defines all files except as exempted by
the EXCLUDE. This rule always applies unless overridden
by rule #2.
RULE #2: INCLUDE specifications that do not include DOS
wildcard specifications can never be excluded.
RULE #3: INC ALL specification can never be excluded.
For example:
INCLUDE/ File Specification With
EXCLUDE Subdirs
INCLUDE c:\*.* SUBDIRS
EXCLUDE c:\*.TMP SUBDIRS
INCLUDE c:\IMPORTNT.TMP NO SUBD
INC ALL c:\SPECIAL\*.TMP NO SUBD
In this example, all files will be backed up unless they have a
TMP extension. No .TMP files will be backed up except
IMPORTNT.TMP and those in the special directory.
4.2.2.1 Editing Include/Exclude Lists
It is possible to Edit the Include/Exclude list from several places
in SpaceBak. From the Main Screen, you can completely edit
the list but you cannot add additional items to the list once it is
filled. From the other screens, you are allowed to add and delete
lines to the list as well as seed it with you directory structure.
When backing up, enter all of the file specifications you desire
and indicate whether or not you desire to INCLUDE or
EXCLUDE these files from the backup. If you desire the file
specification to be inclusive of all subsequent subdirectories,
select SUBDIR in the subdirectory button.
When restoring files, each line of the file specification can
actually contain two file specifications separated by a space. The
second file specification is the destination of where you want the
restored files to go.
For example, to restore all *.DOC files in the C:\WORD\DOC
directory to the C:\WORD\TMP directory, you would select
INCLUDE and:
C:\WORD\DOC\*.DOC C:\WORD\TMP
To insert lines into this list, place the cursor where you want to
insert and select the insert button (Placing the mouse cursor and
clicking the left button or Hot Key <ALT-I>).
To delete lines in this list, place the cursor on the line where you
want to delete and select the delete button (Placing the mouse
cursor and clicking the left button or Hot Key <ALT-D>).
When you have made all your changes, select the OK button to
exit. If you wish to cancel your changes, select the CANCEL
button.
Editing and cursor movements while in this list are as follows:
Cursor Movement:
<Down/Up/Right/Left> Move cursor one character
down/up/right/left
<PgDn> <PgUp> Move the cursor down/up
one page
<Home> <End> Move the cursor to the
beginning/end of line
<Ctrl Right/Left> Move cursor one word to
the right/left
<Ctrl Home> <Ctrl End> Move cursor to the
beginning/end of the file
{Left Mouse Click} Move cursor to the Mouse
cursor
Delete Text:
<Del> Delete the character at
the cursor
<Ctrl Del> Delete the word at the
cursor
<BkSp> Delete the character
before the cursor
<Ctrl BkSp> Delete from the cursor to
the end of line
<F8> Delete from the cursor to
the end of line
Mark Text:
<Ctrl F5> Marks text for copy or
cut
<ENTER> Following a mark, copies
text to paste buffer
<Del> Following a mark, deletes
text to paste buffer
<Ctrl F6> Cut marked Text
<Ctrl F8> Copies from paste buffer
to cursor
4.2.2.2 Seeding the Include/Exclude List with a Directory Tree
SpaceBak allows you to start your list of
Include/Exclude files with a directory tree. For
example, if you wanted to start with all directories of
the C: drive you would enter:
C:\
SpaceBak will then display all of the directories on
your C drive.
If you want to start your list with the list of all
directories under the \USER\ directory, you would
enter:
C:\USER\
This starting point will allow you to easily specify the
files that you want to include/exclude.
4.2.3 Archive Bit
Whenever a file is created or modified, a bit is set in the file
to indicate that this file should be archived. This bit is called
the archive bit. The archive bit is used by backup utilities
(and XCOPY) to indicate that a file has been created or
modified since the last backup. Generally you want the
archive bit cleared when the file has been backed up.
Generally, all FULL and INCREMENTAL backups will clear
the archive bit of each file that is backed up.
For example, lets imagine that you just backed up your entire
disk. All files will have their archive bit cleared indicating
that they do not need to be backed up again. After one day of
creating and modifying files, you run an INCREMENTAL
backup. This backup will only backup those files that have
the archive bit set. It will generally clear the archive bit of
those files. But, if you wanted to run two identical
INCREMENTAL backups you could not do it if the archive
bit gets cleared. If you desire to run two identical
INCREMENTAL backups, you must run the first with this
option set to ARCHIVE BIT UNCHANGED. The second will
be run with the ARCHIVE BIT CLEARED.
You may also want to not clear the archive bit after any
INCREMENTAL backup. In this case, each INCREMENTAL
backup would include all files that have changed since the last
full backup. This would (in effect) be a DIFFERENTIAL
backup. The archive bit will always be UNCHANGED during
differential backups.
4.2.4 Compression
With the Compress option on, SpaceBak will compress your
files on the backup media while backing up your files. This
causes them to take less space on your backup media than
they took on your hard disk. Normally, SpaceBak will also
run faster with compression turned on. Compression takes
processing time to compress your data. But since disk I/O is
generally the slowest part of any computer program,
compression generally saves more time than it takes.
However, with a very slow PC and/or a very fast disk or
tape, SpaceBak may run faster with compression turned off.
You also may choose to turn compression off if you are only
backing up files that are already compressed (.ZIP or .ARC)
files.
The compression option has no effect during Restore.
4.2.5 Verify
There are two ways to verify your data as you write it.
Verify every byte that it writes
Use the DOS verify which merely checks the integrity of the
data
Many backup programs only perform the DOS verify.
Because the DOS verify provides a false sense of security,
SpaceBak does not even provide it as an option. SpaceBak
defaults to checking every byte that it writes to your backup
media. This adds a significant amount of time to your backup
process. However, floppy disks are notorious in dropping
data. If VERIFY is turned off, the backup program cannot
attest to the integrity of the backup. We would strongly
recommend that you leave VERIFY on.
Again, depending on the speed of your machine, this could
add between 20% (for a slow machine) to 50% on a fast
machine.
4.2.6 Backup/Restore Overwrite Warnings
SpaceBak Restore allows you to choose whether or not you
want to be warned during a restore if it is going to overwrite
a file. Having this option on will cause an overwrite warning
and a prompt to ask you to proceed.
During backups, the overwrite option, when enabled, causes
SpaceBak to warn you whenever you are going to overwrite
files on the target media.
4.3 Advanced Setup Options
SpaceBak allows the user to set certain advanced options for
backup. The default operation for these options will meet the
needs of most users. For certain users, changing the defaults on
these options will allow additional flexibility in backup.
These options include:
■ Allow the user to not keep the log files on their hard drive.
SpaceBak defaults to keeping the last five log files on the hard
drive.
■ Allow the user to not automatically format the target drive if
it is not formatted. SpaceBak defaults to automatically
formatting the target drive if required.
■ Allow the user to not automatically delete the files on the
target drive. SpaceBak defaults to automatically deleting all
files on the target drive.
■ Allow the user to not backup Hidden and System files.
SpaceBak defaults to backing up all files.
There are two methods of setting these options; using either the
menu system or the Status windows.
4.3.1 Log Backup Sets on Hard Drive
Every time a backup is performed, a log file containing the
list of files that were backed up and what disk they are on is
stored on the last floppy in the backup set. In addition, the
last five log files are automatically kept on the hard drive in
SpaceBak's special hidden directory }H_DD_N{. (or
optionally in the directory specified by the environment
variable GBK_LOG). If you want these kept in a different
directory, put the following in your autoexec.bat file:
SET GBK_LOG=C:MY_DIRECTORY
These log files are named as follows:
YYMMDDL#.BK1
Where YY is the year, MM is the month, DD is the day, L is
the first drive in this backup set, # is the letter (A-Z)
representing the number of backups performed on that date.
When you want to backup just a few files from a backup set,
many backup programs force you to go through all of the
floppies to find the file. SpaceBak uses the log file to tell
you which floppy to insert to restore the files. Having these
log files on your hard disk, allows you restore files without
having to insert the last floppy in the drive.
This option allows you to not keep any log files on your hard
disk.
This option has no effect during a restore.
4.3.2 Backup Media Format Option
SpaceBak always checks to see if a floppy requires formatting
before backing up to it. Sometimes, it may be important
to stop the backup if the floppy isn't formatted (or is the
wrong density). This options (if selected) causes SpaceBak to
display a warning message if a wrong density or unformatted
floppy is used during backup.
SpaceBak uses a DOS compliant formatted floppy. Although
this is not as fast as some proprietary formats, it allows you
to mix and match your floppies between backups and normal
usage.
This option has no effect during a restore.
4.3.3 Delete Target Files Option
SpaceBak always deletes all files on a floppy unless this
options is selected. There are situations (networks in
particular) where you would want to have multiple backup
sets on one floppy.
Select this option if you do not want to delete files on the
target drive when a backup is performed.
This option is only available for DOS media type.
This option has no effect during a restore.
4.3.4 Hidden /System Files Option
Certain files on your hard disk are not visible to you the user
with normal DOS operation. These files are categorized as
either System or Hidden files. By default, SpaceBak backs up
both System and Hidden files.
Under certain circumstances (older methods of copy
protection for instance), you may not want these files backed
up.
Select this option if you do not want to backup up System
files
This option has no effect during a restore.
5 Configuration Files
There are three types of files that are used with Getback:
Configuration Files - These files specify the Backup/Restore specific
information needed to perform a specific Backup or Restore. We
would recommend that they be named to reflect their purpose
(like ALLFULL and DATAFULL for a full backup of the entire
disk and a backup of all data files).
Color Configuration Files - This file sets the colors for all of
SpaceBaks programs.
Backup Set Files - These files contain a log of all of the files backed
up during a particular Backup Set. They are kept on the backup
media (floppy or network) and the last five are kept in
SpaceBak's hidden directory.
5.1 Backup/Restore Configuration Files
Configuration files are used to store the option information for
SpaceBak. These files are ASCII files that can be created with
any word processor or editor capable of producing pure ASCII
files (in Word Perfect these are called DOS text files). These
files consist of a first line containing the options and subsequent
lines containing the include/exclude specification. These files are
generally kept in SpaceBaks home directory but you can store
them in your current directory.
A configuration file is saved any time you exit SpaceBak with the
name LAST.GBK. This file is also loaded into memory on
startup if no other configuration file is specified.
The same file can be used for backup and for restore. Certain
options are not applicable to each and are ignored.
5.1.1 Saving the Backup / Restore Configuration File
You can specify a file where you want to save the
configuration. This can be done from the Main menu by
selecting Save Configuration.
You may specify the full drive, path, and filename (without
extension) of where you want the configuration file to be
stored. This configuration file will contain all of the setup
information required. This file always has the .GBK
extension to allow you to easily find them on your hard disk.
If no directory is specified, SpaceBak saves the file in the
directory where SpaceBak is stored (\GETBAK by default).
The configuration includes:
Drive to be backed up to/restore data from
Media type
Backup Type
Archive Bit Option
Compression Option
Verify Option
Backup/Restore Warning Option
Hard Drive Log File Option
Hard Drive Format Option
Delete Target Drive Overwrite warnings
Include/Exclude File list
Status of Hidden /System files
The same file may be used for either backup or restore.
Certain options, however may not be selected and/or
appropriate for both.
5.1.2 Loading the Backup / Restore Configuration File
Every time SpaceBak powers up it takes either the last
configuration file you used or one that you specified from the
command line. You may also load another configuration file
using the Load Configuration selection from the Main Menu.
Once selected, you are offered an option of selections to
choose from or you may enter your own selection. Files are
selected from the pick list with either the mouse or the
<Tab>, <Cursor Ctrl> keys, and the <Enter>. Files
offered from the pick list are either from your current
directory (those marked with a # sign) or from the directory
where the SpaceBak.EXE file is stored. You may specify a
load file from any directory.
5.2 Color Configuration File
SpaceBak stores the color information in a file called
BBCOLOR.DAT. This file is automatically retrieved from the
directory that SpaceBak.exe is stored in and loaded into memory.
This setup can be stored in your current directory to allow
different color configurations for different users and or uses.
5.3 Backup Set Files
Every time a backup is run, a backup set file is optionally stored
on you hard disk as well as on the last media disk where the
backup is performed. This backup set contains the complete
history of the backup, including file names, date, time, size of
the file, and which disk the file was stored on. These files are
used to pinpoint where in the backup set each file is that the user
wants to restore. This enables the program to tell the user which
disk to insert during a restore. For DOS type media, multiple
backup sets are allowed on each media. This allows the user to
append a series of back ups to one media.
SpaceBak also (optionally) stores the last 5 backup sets in its
C:\}H_DD_N{ directory (or optionally in the directory specified
by the environment variable GBK_LOG. If you want these kept
in a different directory, put the following in your autoexec.bat
file:
SET GBK_LOG=C:\MY_DIRECTORY
where MY_DIRECTORY is the full DOS directory
specification.
6 Backing Up
Before starting your backup, make sure that the following items are
correct in SpaceBak's status windows:
The Type of Backup - Full, Incremental, or Differential
To Compress or not to compress (should be ON)
To Verify or not to verify (should be ON)
The Include / Exclude specification
The archive status (should be CLEARED unless you are doing a
special backup or a Differential backup)
The Drive letter
The Media type
Once your program is completely configured, you may start backing up
your valuable data by selecting the Start Backup option from the Main
Menu. To verify everything is set up you may desire to preview the
backup by selecting the Preview Backup option. At this point the
backup engine takes control.
Once started, SpaceBak provides an estimate of the number of disks
used and the amount of data that will be backed up. It also provides
you the ability to see how far the backup is along on the entire backup
as well as on the individual disk. This gives the ability to know if you
can leave your machine for a minute or two without dropping a second.
SpaceBak will not embarrass you by telling you how much time it takes
to load the floppies. Some of us fumble fingers would rather not know.
Should there be any errors during the backup, SpaceBak will provide a
comprehensive description of the error and a possible remedy for the
problem.
7 Restoring Data
In the unfortunate event that you need to restore some data from a
backup set, step one is to set up SpaceBak with all the appropriate
option. Before starting the restore (with the Start Restore selection,
make sure that the following options are set correctly:
The Include / Exclude specification
The Drive letter
The Restore Overwrite warning option
Before starting you may also desire to do a preview of the restore to see
that every option is correctly stated. This can be started from the Main
Menu by selecting Preview Restore.
Both Start Restore and Preview Restore may offer you an optional pick
list of backup sets on a DOS media that allows multiple backup sets.
Selecting this backup set is performed in the exact same way selecting a
configuration file for loading is performed.
Sometime it becomes necessary to view the files in a backup set to see if
they are the correct files. A preview will tell you what files you are
restoring but not any other details about the files. View Backup Set
provides the ability to obtain the following about the files in a backup
set:
Name
Extension
Path
Date Created
Time Created
Size of the File
