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MinuteScout

Features:

MinuteScout is one of MinuteMan Data backup extras.

MinuteScout is made to backup critical work in progress, it will

repeat backups per interval minutes set.

A message pops up, (optional seconds) before backup commences.

It is suggested to close data that is being backed up before

backup commences.

Select Zip or not to zip backup.

Memorizes backup settings.

Select from many zip options.

Rotary backup.

Backup by file date.

Zip up to 2 gegabytes.

Install and Reinstall:

MinuteScout is already included with MinuteMan Data Backup

and a part of MinuteMan data backup.

MinuteScout needs the VB5run to be installed, if you don't have

the VB5run then download the VB5run2 at

http://www.mslm.com/free.htm

To install MinuteScout, double click Setup.exe and select a path

for it to be installed in.

Uninstall:

Delete the directory MinScout and delete the shortcut in the StartMenu.

SHAREWARE:

MinuteScout expires after 30 runs.

MinuteScout is free to MinuteMan registered owners.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Click the Browse button:

Browse and select the directory or file to be backed up.

(be sure yellow folder is opened or the file highlighted.)

Then double click window under Source to transfer path.

Double click the window that has the wildcards *.* to remove it,

it has to be blank if you are backing up a file.

Do the same with Destination path.

If zipping, be sure to give the destination zip

file a name.

Network computer:

Click the Browse button.

Enter computer name and drive of the computer

you are backing to or from. Once entered,

click the Network button to connect to the Network

Drive.

Follow instructions above to transfer path.

e.g. transferred path:

\\Computer Name\Drive\Directory

\\Joe\C\Backup

Don't click Disc Net button, unless you are having

Network connectivity problems or want to disconnect

from the other computer drive.

Click Local to browse back into your computer.

Auto Backup:

Enter the interval minutes between backups,

enter the number of seconds to be notified before backup commences

and click the Start Auto Backup button.

Zipping and Zipping options:

NOTES:

a) *.swp *.tmp and *.gid *.cnt *.chk and MinuteScout Zip Temp folder

    are already excluded.

    (*.swp are Win95/NT swapfile)(*.cnt and *.gid are help temps)

    (*.chk are lost clusters files saved by Scandisk)

b) Hidden, system and read only files are zipped by default.

c) Directories and Subdirectories are zipped by default.

    Select No Subdir if you want to backup only files.

d) Zip is selected by default.

e) If you are backing up the Windows directory then it is very important

   to exclude the Temp, Temporary Internet Files, History and Cache.

***********

1) If you selected Don't include 1st dir name:

then  it will not create the first directory when unzipping, so if

you are unzipping to a temporary directory then be sure that there

is nothing in the Temp directory, otherwise it will get mixed up with

the files and directories in the Temp directory.

Recommended to be used on large backups so when you unzip,

it will replace and overwrite the complete backed up directory.

Example: Let us say that you backed up C:\MyNotes directory,

and you have selected the check box Don't include 1st dir name,

when you restore to C:\MyNotes directory then it will overwrite

all files and directories, but it will not create the C:\MyNotes directory.

Suggest that you practice with zip unzip feature and get familiarized

with it before backing up your important data.

2) If you selected Zip No subdirectories: then it will zip

only the files in that directory but none of the subdirectories.

3) Exclude and Include:

You can exclude or include zipping files and subdirectories example:

*.hlp readme.* C:\Temp\*.* C:\MyData\OldData\*.*

Notice the one space between each item selected.

It will exclude all files with the extension  *.hlp space, all files that

are named readme.*  space, subdirectory  C:\Temp\*.*  space,  C:\MyData\OldData\*.*

Be careful here, if you use the Include then only included files and folders are

backed up, and files that are in the Exclude will be excluded from the Included

list. Make a test Run.

But if you have the Include window blank and you added items to the

Exclude then it will backup the whole directory except the files and

subdirectories that are added to Exclude.

MinuteScout will automatically detect if items added to Include and exclude.

Items have to be entered very accurately.

Include Example:  If you want everything backed up then leave the Include

window empty(blank). But if you want to select few subdirectories but exclude

some files then follow the example below.

Let us say you have C:\MyData folder and has many

subdirectories and files in it, but you want to backup only

C:\MyData\TodayData\*.*  and  C:\MyData\YesterdayData\*.* but you don't

want files that has the .exe extension or any files called scratch.txt.

In the Include Window add:

C:\MyData\TodayData\*.* C:\MyData\YesterdayData\*.*

in the Exclude window add:

*.exe Scratch.*

Notice the one space between each item selected.

This will backup the directories

C:\MyData\TodayData\*.* C:\MyData\YesterdayData\*.* only but will not

backup any files inside these two subdirectories with the .exe extension

or with any files called Scratch.

Include is little hard to figure out, use it to backup selected files

or Subdirectories

of a large directory. e.g. Backup all *.bmp files in the C:\ drive.

Or all the *.doc files in Program files or Microsoft Office.

Or all the *.doc *.xls *.wk3 *.ppt in Program files.

Exclude Example: Exclude is simple, be sure to leave the Include Window

empty(blank) and add the files and subdirectories that you don't want

to be included in the backup.

*.hlp readme.* C:\Temp\*.* C:\MyData\OldData\*.*

NOTE 1:

On some computers, if you are Including subdirectories with long file names

and there is a space in the name, e.g. C:\Yesterday Data\*.* then you may

need to add quotations marks around the item, e.g. "C:\Yesterday Data\*.*"

NOTE 2:

If you selected the Include then you can't select the

"Don't save first directory  name" No Dir Name option.

4) Backup by file date:

Backup files by date.  e.g.: enter 083098 that is Aug 30,1998

It will backup files dated Aug 30, 1998 and newer only.

5) Update only:

Update is a time saver, backups are done about ten times faster.

If selected, first time backup will take the required time to zip,

but the next time you zip it updates the backup replacing older

files with newer ones and adds files.

But doesn't replace newer files with older ones, be careful here again.

6) Rotary:

Use the Rotary backup method.

Select Rotary backup, every time you backup, older backups

gets renamed and new backup gets created.

e.g. Before new Backup1.zip gets created,

2_Backup1.zip gets deleted,

1_Backup1.zip renamed to 2_Backup1.zip,

a new Backup1.zip gets created.

So backup 2_Backup1.zip is the oldest and

Backup1.zip is the newest.