Versatile Backup4U - Learn by Example

How to set up VersatileBackup4U for Ordinary Documents

This sample shows how to backup a large folder (or even a (small) partition) on two different external storage medias.
The ORDINARY MAIN Backup which has to be created before ORDINARY MINOR Backups will be stored on an external hard disk drive, which for the ORDINARY MAIN Backup has to be connected, up and running but can be switched off and disconnected after the ORDINARY MAIN Backup has been created successfully.
However, ORDINARY MINOR Backups will be saved to an external USB Flash Drive which has to be plugged in whenever the computer is up and running.

1. When you start Versatile Backup4U for the first time the following dialogue will appear:

Select the option you like. The top option is selected as seen above and this is the one what this document is all about.

2. An introductionary message will appear. Please read it carefully and then click either 'Gen Descr' or 'Example' if you want to read the manuals first and then click 'Carry on' .
The first form in the ORDINARY MAIN Wizard looks like this:

3. Select a folder which you want to be backed up:
Select the drive first (1.) and then the folder (2.).
Put it in the list by clicking on the button 'Put in List below' (3.)
In this example we only select one folder to keep things as simple as possible. Up to 5 folders or small partitions can be selected.

As you can see the 'Compress' checkbox is NOT checked. In case you have limited space on your Backup Drive and you want to save space you can tick this checkbox. For ordinary files about 70 % of space is saved. However, in case there are a lot of pictures (.jpg) or movies (.wmf, .mpg, .avi, etc) in your ORDINARY MAIN Backup folder then it doesn' t make sense to compress these files again as they are compressed already. The space savings are about 3 % or less and therefore not worth the trouble.

4. The next form, filled in with a location of where to store your ORDINARY MAIN Backups, looks like this:

An external drive is already preselected (if any). If it happens to be your External Hard Drive (quite likely), it's recommended to click on 'Create New Folder' and choose the suggested foldername or you can enter another name too.
Also select the desired maximum number of ORDINARY MAIN Backup versions in step 3.)

5. After a click on the 'OK, Continue' button this dialogue pops up:

6. Click on 'MAIN BkUp(s)' and the ORDINARY MAIN Backup will be created.
The confirmation message looks like this:

Compare the number of files, subfolders and foldernames with the ones shown in the ORDINARY MAIN Orig (and ORDINARY MAIN Destination) form.
(If you like you can doublecheck with the Windows Explorer or a file manager program if the backed up folders and subfolders are actually at the locations shown in the message in order to gain confidence to this backup program.)

7. The ORDINARY MINOR Wizard has not been run yet so the following message pops up:

8. In the next form we're going to select the location where ORDINARY MINOR Backups are to be stored. In order to be listed in the directories so that it can be selected, the real backup drive has to be installed and up and running.

The program asks you to install your ORDINARY MINOR Backup Drive which is preferably an external USB Flash Drive. Plug it in right NOW. (For the sake of testing this program you can select any partition of the hard disk, but in case of a hardware failure in your computer you would loose your ORDINARY MINOR Backups too, but your backups on an external drive won't be effected. You can restore them with only a couple of mouseclicks after the hard disk is repaired or replaced.)

The form where you select you ORDINARY MINOR Backup storage location looks like this:

9. Here too, an external drive is already preselected (if any), but it may NOT be your USB Flash Drive. If neccessary you have to select it manually ( step 1) ).

The button 'Create New Folder' has been used to create the foldername shown.

Click 'OK'.

10. In the last form parameters for SECOND COPY Backups have to be filled in.

The checkbox 'Interval Saves' is ticked by default as it is neccessary to enable up-to-the-minute backups. Fill in the interval (minutes). Needless to say the more often you save your currently open files the less data you are going to loose in case disaster strikes, so it's recommended to fill in the shortest time available which is 1 minute.
When the checkbox 'Enable Second Copies' is ticked SECOND COPY Backups are enabled. Everytime the Ctrl-S keys are pressed simultaneously a new version of the currently open file on the ORDINARY MINOT Backup storage location is created. They can easily be restored later on.

11. Finally, all the parameters entered in the ORDINARY MINOR Wizard are displayed as a summary on one single page (as already stated MINOR Wizard entries only).

Correct entries if necessary by clicking 'Go Back' or
click 'OK, Create File' when everything is OK.

12. The next message box prompts you if you would like to perform a MINOR Backup right now.

13. (This may NOT make sense as you will see in the following message box:)

You've seen this message so when it pops up next time it doesn't come as a surprise to you.

14. When you doublecheck the results of the just created Backups with a file commander something like this should be the result after running the two wizards.
The ORDINARY MAIN Backup has been created in a subfolder and as explained in the message, NO ORDINARY MINOR Backups have been created as yet.

How to Restore a Backup to its original location

1) SUPER Restore

Just RIGHT-click the VersatilBackup4U icon and select menu 'SUPER Restore'. The program automatically looks for the latest created backups (all of them including Daily and Secondary Backups (if any)) and restores them. In case the original folder still exists VersatilBackup4U pops up a messagebox. You have the option to delete the existing original folder and have it replaced by the latest backup(s) or to cancel the SUPER Restore operation alltogether.