An extensive automatic backup system is built into EasySpreadsheet.
Under default settings, every 20 minutes, your worksheet is automatically saved to a backup file. The previous backup file is copied to the Grandfather Backup file. The previous Grandfather Backup file is copied to the Great-Grandfather Backup file.
You can adjust the time setting, to make backups more or less frequently. As well, you can easily turn backups OFF (default is ON).
If the AncestorsTM settings is turned on (default is OFF), then each time a backup is made, a copy is also deposited in the Ancestors Backups folder. (If there are no changes in the worksheet, then in order to conserve disk space, no copy will be deposited in the Ancestors Backups folder.)
In addition, when you save your worksheet, a similar process occurs: your worksheet is automatically saved to a backup file. The previous backup file is copied to the Grandfather Backup file. The previous Grandfather Backup file is copied to the Great-Grandfather Backup file. If the Ancestors Backups setting is turned on (default is OFF), then the current file is also copied to the Ancestors Backups folder; thus, if you exit the program, a backup copy of the file is preserved in the Ancestors Backups folder.
"I have never played around with the Automatic Backups before, but I just deleted my worksheet by mistake, I can't find it in the recycle bin, and I want it back. What should I do?"
To open a backup file:
Click on the File1 drop-down menu at the top of the screen.
Select Open Backup.
By default, EasySpreadsheet will perform automatic backups every 20 minutes. This means that whatever was in your current worksheet 20 minutes ago was saved as a backup and is now retrieved.
If you select Open Grandfather Backup, you will retrieve what was in your current worksheet 40 minutes ago, while Open Great-Grandfather Backup will retrieve what was in your current worksheet 60 minutes ago.
If Ancestors Backups setting is ON (the default is actually OFF; you must turn this feature ON to use it), a snapshot of your worksheet every 20 minutes has been saved, going back to when you first started working on it - even if that was many years ago. (Note: If there are no changes in your worksheet between each 20 minute interval, then no backup copy is performed for that interval.)
"Why do I need Grandfather Backups , Great-Grandfather Backups or Ancestors? A single backup should really suffice. This seems wasteful."
Most of the time, a single backup is all you really need. However, for that occasional (or frequent, depending on how intensively you manipulate files) time, when you want the version before the backup version, you will be very happy to have, for example, the Grandfather Backup. Having three levels of backup does not actually take up that much space, since one backup is continuously replacing another. If you prefer, you can actually turn OFF automatic backups (un-check Perform Automatic Backups in the File1 menu).
Similarly, when you are looking for some file that you created two months ago, the Ancestors Backups will prove invaluable. The Ancestors Backups use up a lot more disk space since they accumulate, rather than replace each other. However, some points to consider:
Ancestors Backups are turned OFF by default. They will not accumulate unless you turn the feature ON (to turn ON, go to the File1 menu, and ensure that Perform Ancestors Backups is checked off).
You can easily erase the entire Ancestors Backups folder, whenever you want. You may want to do so periodically, perhaps copying the files in Ancestors Backups to another set of folders for archival storage, if necessary. To erase the contents of this folder, go to the File1 menu, and select Setting of automatic backups, then click Clear Ancestors Backups Folder.
Ancestors Backups are not performed if there is no change in your worksheet. If you go away from your computer for an hour, when you come back there will not be any backups performed during this time.
If you are working with worksheet text files, the typical inexpensive hard drive can hold many, many such files. For example, if you are creating letters some 10K in size on average, then Ancestors Backups running all day long during an 8 hour day, will only use up 10K * 8 hours * 3 backups/hour = 1/4 MB per day, or about 70MB over a working year - a small percentage of the capacity on a 10GB hard drive.
"There are so many files in the Ancestors Backups folder. How will I ever find the file I need?"
The files are grouped by filename, and are date-stamped and time-stamped. If you know the approximate date the file you need was created, you usually can narrow down to a small group of files the file you are looking for.
If you click Search Ancestors for particular text (in the File1 menu), you can search all the Ancestors Backups files for a particular phrase of text (e.g., a name, a part number, etc.) that the worksheet you are looking for contains.
By default, Search Ancestors for particular text looks at all the files (*.*) in the Ancestors Backups folder. You can speed up the search by entering the filename, or a portion of the filename, if you know it. Type the filename, or portion of the filename, in the Named box, then click Find Now.
"I have been using Ancestors Backups now for a few months. My Ancestors Backups folder is simply too packed with files, and it slows down my computer every time that folder is accessed. What should I do?"
If you don't really need any of the Ancestors Backups files, you can go to the File1 menu, then Settings of automatic backups, and click Clear Ancestors Backups Folder.
Note: This will only be allowed if you are using the default Ancestors Backups folder located in the 'EasyOffice 2001' folder. If you are using another folder for Ancestors Backups, for example, on another computer over your LAN, you will not be allowed to delete that folder.
If you want to archive your Ancestors Backups then use Windows Explorer to move them over to another folder.
You can reduce the rate of Ancestors Backups being made: Click on the File1 menu, and select Settings of automatic backups. Then, enter a longer interval at which to perform automatic backups. For example, if you perform automatic backups every 60 minutes, instead of the default 20 minutes, you will create one-third as many Ancestors Backups files.
"I am working with very large files on a very slow computer. It is annoying when every 10 minutes a box opens up on my screen for a few seconds telling me that an automatic backup is in progress. What should I do?"
You can simply turn automatic backups off. (Click on the File1 drop-down menu, and un-check Perform automatic backups.)
You can make automatic backups less frequently, for example, once every 60 minutes, instead of the default once every 20 minutes. (Click on the File1 drop-down menu, then click Settings of automatic backups, and then enter a longer interval at which to perform automatic backups.)
Search Engines
Various search engines can be used to search the files in the Ancestors Backups. The default search engine is the Windows' Find: All Files' search utility.
The Windows Find: All Files will successfully find text strings in RTF (rich text format) files but not in DOC (Word) files. Similarly, it will successfully find text strings in XLS (Excel) files, but not in ESS (EasySpreadsheet) files. (While it will find text strings in XLS files, it will not find numbers in XLS files because the numbers are binary and not stored as text strings.)