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OVERVIEW.DOC
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1996-10-03
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BACKUP WIZARD
PARK-A-BYTE INC.
~INTRODUCTION~
==============
Yes! we know Backups is not a sexy subject! But unfortunately it is something
which CANNOT BE IGNORED unless you are willing to pay an extraordinarily
heavy price!
Just stop and think for a minute what it would mean to you and your livelihood
if your Hard Drive crashed this next minute. These crashes occur far more
frequently than you think. Would you believe even more frquently than
Freeway crashes! Would you STOP driving a car because of Freeway accidents?
Obviously you cannot GET AWAY WITHOUT MAKING BACKUPS! OR CAN YOU?
Yes, NOW you can! Forget about making Backups the old fashioned and (of
course, the hard) way and let the Operating System (Windows) do
ALL (Backup work) for you!
[No more fancy screens, menus and no learning curve steep or otherwise!
The WIZARD will ferret out every SINGLE file on your system that gets
changed somehow, whether by you or by the Operating System or other software,
without your knowledge, even obscure files such as *.ini, *.grp or *.qag or
*.qab produced by Norton Desktop and which get modified only occasionally!!
The WIZARD picks these up through what we call Preventive Maintenance,
(Press Esc and choose menu item, 'setinfo.txt' for details) which is
similar to FULL Backups but takes only a FRACTION ofthe time, and,
importantly, much more controllable. It can be interrupted and resumed
WITHOUT having to redo the work already done! If it seems to take too long
for a particular directory to be updated, note the Pkzip prompt which gives
you the Path of the compressed (zip) file. The name of the directory,
x.zip gives you 'x' as the original drive letter as 'x', and the name of
the zip file itself gives you the name of the original directory. Now If
you press Ctrl-c or Ctrl-Break, the rest of the directories will be either
practically passed over, or will take a few more seconds to update.
Later on, when you have a few spare minutes you can back up the above
directory separately, using the BKUP option.
MOST OF ALL, the WIZARD works all the time picking up every single file that
gets modified/processed AS SOON AS you exit the (Windows) session, WITHOUT
a single mouseclick or a keypress from you! If the Drive crashes right
after you exit Windows, you will be able to restore the entire system the
way it was just AFTER your last PM (Prev. Main.), which should be less
than two to three weeks for most people. Less than ten to twenty stray files
mentioned above should be lost. If you set up the AUTOPILOT feature
correctly (Press Esc and choose 'SETINFO.TXT' menu item to read about it),
and do the P.M. frequently enough, hardly any files would be lost and you
should recover within a few minutes at most!
When it comes to retrieval and Recovery, our unique Patent-Pending Public
Library Style is unmatchable and effortless as compared to any other
system on the market.
This is the only system which does NOT force you to label floppies or tapes
and then go hunting for them because of a prompt! Our WIZARD knows exactly
where the 'zip' (compressed) files are located, hunts them down and
uncompresses them into the ORIGINAL PATH, again, WITHOUT a single
mouseclick or a keypress from you!
Backups with ANY other software are such a hassle requiring discipline and
time (lots of it especially if you are using floppies or Tapes!).
Is there an alternative?
Yes, THE WIZARD is a very elegant, poweful and easy alternative to use! In
adition you do not even have to struggle with any fancy menus, screens and
'train' yourself!
~Nor do you have to worry about slow.... tapes or (corruptible!!) floppies.
Let the WIZARD force the Operating System do ALL the (BACKUP) work. Just
concentrate on doing the PM regularly every two or three weeks and
sleep peacefully!
========================================================================
~INNOVATIVE (COPYRIGHTED) FEATURES UNPARALLED BY ANY OTHER BACKUP SOFTWARE~
Backup software (tape, floppy-based or even hard-disk-based) available today
(including Microsoft and Symantec (Norton) is nothing but a `glorified'
copying operation, with lots of fancy screens, menus and prompts! It takes
more time to familiarize ("train") yourself with these fancy screens and
menus than solving Rubik's cube!
On the other hand, when it comes to the real McCoy of `RECOVERY' they
literally fall apart, one and all! You have to deal with the messy and
excruciatingly slow (and often tangled, Pun intended!) tape operating
system, and deal with one subdirectory at a time due to the slow, sequential
access of the tapes.
The slow, snail-like `RETRIEVAL' (you could find Aladdin's treasure faster!)
provided by tape operating software is bound to frustrate anyone. It
literally takes ages to recover a file (or directory and good luck if it is
a HUGE Drive!) from the slothlike slow moving tapes (worse if they are
huge capacity gigabyte tapes). Then you add HUMAN ERROR to the recipe, which
spells a simple problem into a real DISASTER!
Floppies (in addition to being easily corruptible) pile up even for small
backups and then you run into the humongous time-consuming and frustrating
chore of LABELLING GENERATIONS of Backups, and storing such tapes or
floppies carefully and in proper order so you can recover and access them
when you need them (Good Luck!).
Backup software, which backs up onto a hard Drive itself (like this One) has
its own monumental problems, especially when it comes to retrieval!
Simply copying data from one portion of hard disk to another or to another
hard Drive, not only wastes an enormous amount of space, BUT ...
When it comes to RETRIEVAL, the User is literally left to 'sink or swim'!!!
Even if the backup is a compressed 'zip' archive file, the User has to
'REMEMBER' exactly where and on which disk it was stored, then go through
another set of menus to locate, uncompress and place them in the
ORIGINAL PATH!!! Whew!
The WIZARD automates the procedure 100%! The User simply specifies to the
WIZARD an original Directory Path such as C:\Lotus, D:\qpro etc. and the
Drive (letter only) of the Backup Drive and voila! The original DIRECTORY IS
back in the ORIGINAL PATH, with all ORIGINAL Files! That's RECOVERY for you!
(See the section on PRESERVATION OF BACKUPS in the file FEATURES.DOC. Press
Esc and choose 'FEATUES.DOC' from the Menu.)
=======================
~PROCESSING WITH LISTS~
Imagine the flexibility and control you will have by dealing with LISTS OF
first level directories (of your choice and creation), rather than entire
drives.
You can segregate `modifiable' data from `programs and other unchanging
data by simply looking at the first-level directory paths.
Prepare separate lists, for separate projects. Back up just once, the
list/s for Data which does NOT get modified, such as programs, and
reference data, and put away the cartridge safe from any virus, human
or otherwise as well as from acts of God1!
Please read the file 'Setinfo.txt' (Press Esc and choose 'SetInfo,txt' from
the Menu).for details about setting up the system on AUTOPILOT so
that the OPERATING SYSTEM (Windows) (and NOT you) does ALL the Backup work
automatically without a single mouseclick or keypress from you.
AUTOPILOT will work even for files modified through DOS environment, as well
as WINDOWS environment, as long as you simply enter a Windows session
through Pilot.bat and then exit!
==============================================================================
To make life even easier for you, we have provided two Batch files, one named
GO.BAT and another named README.BAT. The first one permits you to
execute the Basic Anchor commands and the two utilities. (Press Esc and
choose menu item 'Command.doc' to read details.)
The other Batch file allows you to choose the documentation files to view
through a menu. Since each of these Batch files permit you to select
the OTHER through a menu item, they interact with each other.
You can therefore actually execute the commands, WHILE viewing the documents
and get back to viewing the documents, as and when you please! Sort of
a primitive hypertext style!
To start type either 'GO' or 'README' at the DOS command line (or run either
one through the File Manager or Program Manager).
For users who would like more detail about practical hints to increase
productivity read the Hints.doc file (Press Esc and choose Menu Item,
'Hintips.doc')
========================
~EASE OF LEARNING AND USE~
No fancy menus, screens or prompts! No messy irrecoverable floppies or tapes!
No labeling, indexing and other generational Backup hasslles! No
difficult training curve either!
The best part is that you can do the Backups and recoveries as often as you
like. (Actually have fun with it! Can you imagine that?) Each time, only
modified, updated or new files will be backed up, so each succeeding
backup will be faster!
Read the file 'Setinfo.txt'(by Pressing Esc and choosing menu item 'SETINFO.TXT')
for details about Preventive Maintenance, which is absolutely crucial for
the true safety of your Data.
If you do need to retain certain versions of certain modifiable files, you can
always PRESERVE the backups (See Date-stamping in file Features.doc)
Press esc and choose menu item 'FEATURES')
===============
Important Notes:
In order to use this software, you must have a copy of Pkzip.exe and
Pkunzip.exe files (from Pkware Inc.) available on every on-line service
Shareware Library. If you dont have them already or have difficulty
finding them, we will be glad to help you.
You must pay attention to any messages issued by the `Pkware' software in their
documentation available only with the purchase of their software.
Especially please note the space requirements for archiving and unarchiving.
and the message `Disk may be Full'. Otherwise, you may lose valuable data,
not being backed up due to space requirements.
Before making or updating any backups make sure you have at least TWICE
the amount of FREE space on the Backup Drive, as the total space
occupied by the Directory (and its subdirectories) being backed up,
OTHERWISE YOU MAY LOSE DATA!
----------------
INTERNET Address: actuary@nmaa.org
Compuserve Address: 70154.3043@compuserve.com
=================
PROMOTIONAL OFFER
If you and five of your associates, referred to by you, (by placing your
name in the field, Referred By: in the Order.doc form), pay for the
THE WIZARD in full, we will give YOU a credit of $100.00 toward the
purchase of a Portable Hard Drive of your choice!
=========================
Disclaimer and Copyright:
The user assumes all responsibility for any damages arising out of the use of
this software. In any event all claims for any damages shall be limited to
the price paid by the user for this software. In other words, if you
pirated this software, be assured you get nothing anyway!
This software is fully protected by U.S. Copyright and Patents Law. Patent
application is pending. All copyrights and the trademark are held by
Park-A-Byte Inc. (registered trademark 1995).
Anybody using the basic COPYRIIGHTED concepts (the intellectual property
under this law), underlying this software, to produce competing software
and trying to market such software will be prosecuted to the fullest
extent of this Law.
==================
EVALUATION PERIOD:
It is a sad fact of life that people do abuse Shareware programs by using them
free AND FAR beyond a reasonable period required for evaluation. This
raises the cost of producing and maintaining quality software. We had to,
therefore, place a limit on the evaluation period, a limited number of
sessions.
If you are convinced like us, that this software will save you the pain of
dealing with messy tapes and bulky floppies, and give you that important
PEACE OF MIND that your data is SAFELY backed up and EASILY RETRIEVABLE,
you can do your friends a favor by passing on copies of this demo.
Lastly, your comments and suggestions to improve the product and service will
be more than welcome.
=================================
ORDERING INFO AND EMAIL ADDRESS::
If you are a Compuserve member, give us your user-Id or your Internet address
and we will e-mail the software to you.
Our EMAIL ADDRESS ON INTERNET: actuary@nmaa.org
-----------------------------------------------
Try out the Demo. If you like it, contact us for license to use it.
================================================================
GUARDIAN OF MOST IMPORTANT COMPUTER DATA IN THE WORLD ---YOURS!
Park-a-Byte Inc.
Fax: (703) 893-9330 1127 Buchanan St.
Voice: (703) 893-0660 McLean VA 22101