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Personal Backup

Personal Backup

© 2001 − 2021, Dr. J. Rathlev

Control panel

The control panel is a new feature introduced with Version 6 and will inform you about all your configured backup tasks and the associated time schedules for automatic backups in a clearly-arranged form. In addition, you can edit time schedules, configure backups using Windows Task Scheduler as well as call additional tools for restore and verification of backed-up data and to clean up backup directories.

You can select the desired function by clicking the buttons on the tool bar on the left of the window. On the right, the associated details will be displayed.


 Backups

All user-configured backups are displayed as a list.

Show time schedules Backups using Windows Task Scheduler Additional tools Close program Keep running in background Run utilitiy programs Open menu Show backup log Start backup using Windows Task Scheduler Create Desktop shortcut to start backups Start selected backups Edit backup task Configure time schedules Task description Remove entries Insert comments Sort alphabetically Create new backup task Add backups task to list Change order Log settings

The list My backup tasks shows all tasks created by the user. Using the buttons New and Open (to the left) you can add a new backup task or an already-saved task to the list. Clicking on a list entry will show the associated details on the right:

Placing the mouse cursor over the destination directory field will show a list of all directories to be backed up when running the selected task. Clicking the log mode indicator will open a dialog for changing the backup log settings.

Edit list of backup tasks

Create new task: Clicking the New button will start the wizard for creating a new backup task. This will be inserted as a new entry at the beginning of the list.


Add tasks to list: Clicking the Open button will provide access to one or several backup tasks already saved as buj files to the list.


Edit task: To edit the properties of the selected backup task, click the button at the top right. A dialog will open where you can, for example, add other directories for backup or modify the file selection or any other setting.


Remove all entries from list: Clicking the button will delete all entries from the list. In so doing, only the list entries but not the task files themselves will be deleted. At any time, you can add a saved task file back to the list again by clicking the Open button.

Remove selected entries from list: Clicking the button will delete the selected entries from the list. In so doing, only the list entries but not the task files themselves will be deleted. At any time, you can add a saved task file back to the list again by clicking the Open button.

Change order: Clicking one of these buttons will move the selected entry or entries (even several) one position up or down. In this way, it is possible to arrange the tasks according to their properties (such as the destination directory).

Insert comments: To improve visibility, you can insert comment lines into the list. In so doing, the arrangements described above can for example be provided with headers.

Sort alphabetically: Clicking this button will sort the whole list alphabetically. Please note that the arrangements described above will be lost.


Time schedules

On the right of the list showing the time schedules associated with the selected task you will find two buttons to configure these. Clicking the upper button will show the details of the selected schedule (here: 2: On logoff ...) for editing, whereas clicking the lower button will add a new additional schedule associated with the selected task ⇒ more information.
 


Other functions

Task scheduler: The selected backup task will be added to Windows Task Scheduler to be performed automatically according to the specified time schedule. If this task is already registered. the time schedule can be edited ⇒ more information.


Shortcut: A shortcut on the computer desktop for the currently-selected backup tasks (even several) will be created. By single double-clicking thereon these backups will be started automatically one after another. In addition, you can specify a subsequent action like shutting down the system ⇒ more information.


View log: A viewer window will open to show the log file belonging to the currently-selected backup task. You can inspect the log and print it if required.


Start backup: Depending on how many backup task are selected in the list, the further procedure is different:


Additional functions (Tools)

This item brings together the functions for restore, verification and cleanup of files which can optionally also be saved as task files. When selecting a particular function, a list of the associated tasks that were created and saved by the user is shown. In addition, similar to the backup tasks (see above), the details of the selected task are displayed on the right.

Restore files

A summary of all user-configured restore tasks is displayed.

Edit restore Run restore Restore using Windows Task Scgeduler Create Desktop shortcut for restore Verify files Delete files Show log Backup Show time schedules Backups using Windows Task Scheduler Close program

Using the buttons New and Open (to the left of My restore tasks) you can add a new restore task or an already-saved task to the list. Clicking on a list entry will show the associated details on the right:

Using the buttons below to the left, you can change the order of the entries and delete selected or all entries from the list. In so doing, only the list entries but not the task files will be deleted. At any time, you can add a saved task file to the list again by clicking the Open button.

To edit the selected restore task, click the button at the top right. A dialog will open where you can change the settings for this task.

Notes on creating a new restore: When clicking the New button, the important settings for the restore, such as backup directory, settings for compression and encryption and the backup method, will be predefined as specified in the currently selected backup task. The user need only specify where to restore (to the original or to any other directory), if all files or only those of a specified age are concerned and if files already existing shall be overwritten. You will find more information in the detailed description.

Below you will find buttons for the following functions:

Verify backed-up files

A summary of all user-configured verify tasks is displayed.

Edit verification Run verification verification using Windows Task Scgeduler Create Desktop shortcut for verification Restore files Delete files Show log Backup Show time schedules Backups using Windows Task Scheduler Close program

Using the buttons New and Open (to the left of My verify tasks) you can add a new verify task or an already-saved task to the list. Clicking on a list entry will show the associated details on the right:

Using the buttons below to the left, you can change the order of the entries and delete selected or all entries from the list. In so doing, only the list entries but not the task files will be deleted. At any time, you can add a saved task file to the list again by clicking the Open button.

To edit the selected verify task, click the button at the top right. A dialog will open where you can change the settings for this task.

Notes on creating a new verification: When clicking the New button, the important settings for the verification, such as backup directory and the backup method, will be predefined as specified in the currently selected backup task. The user need only specify how to verify (comparison with the original or any other selected directory) and if all files or only those of a specified age are concerned. You will find more information in the detailed description.

Below you will find buttons for the following functions:

Delete files

A summary of all user-configured cleanup tasks is displayed.

Edit cleanup Run cleanup Cleanup using Windows Task Scgeduler Create Desktop shortcut for cleanup Restore files Verify files Show log Backup Show time schedules Backups using Windows Task Scheduler Close program

Using the buttons New and Open (to the left of My cleanup tasks) you can add a new cleanup task or an already-saved task to the list. Clicking on a list entry will show the associated details on the right:

Using the buttons below to the left, you can change the order of the entries and delete selected or all entries from the list. In so doing, only the list entries but not the task files will be deleted. At any time, you can add a saved task file to the list again by clicking the Open button.

To edit the selected cleanup task, click the button at the top right. A dialog will open where you can change the settings for this task.

Notes on creating a new cleanup task: When clicking the New button, the important settings for the cleanup, such as backup directory, will be predefined as specified in the currently selected backup task. The user need only specify whether he wants to delete files as result of a synchronization with the original or any other directory or if he wants to delete all files matching to special filter conditions, such as text patterns and/or age. You will find more information in the detailed description.

Below you will find buttons for the following functions:

View log

A viewer window will open to show the default log file. Clicking the appropriate button will print out or delete the log file. Additionally, you can search for the beginning of a backup section (blue arrows), backup errors (red arrows) or any other text. To copy the whole text to the clipboard, no text selection is required. For part of the text, select a section and type Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Ins on your keyboard.


Quit Close program

When you exit the program, all preferences including your selections for automatic backup will be saved.

Hide Move program to background

If at least one of the options for Automatic backups on logoff or at time of day is selected and/or Show icon in notification area is checked, the program will remain running in the background and an icon will appear in the Windows notification area (see below).


Keep running in background

If at least one of the automatic 16 tasks is activated as time controlled or at logoff, this box will be checked by the program and the Personal Backup will not be terminated when closing the main window, but will continue running in the background. An Icon icon will then be displayed in the Windows notification area (usually at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen). Under Windows 7 and newer this icon may initially be hidden, in which case click the arrow adjacent to the notification area to view all hidden icons. To show the icon permanently (recommended), click on the icon and drag it from the hidden list to the notification area.
Furthermore, the program adds a shortcut to the startup folder of the Windows start menu to be started automatically on next user logon if at least one automatic task (time-triggered or on logon/logoff) is active. If the user is logged on as administrator and at least one automatic task is using a Volume Shadow Copy, in addition the Run as administrator flag of this link will be set.
Left-clicking the icon in the notification area will show a list of all pending automatic backups, right-clicking it will call a context menu from which one of several actions can be initiated (e.g. backup, logoff).

Clicking this checkbox will change the program behavior:


Start dialog

After double-clicking a saved task file, this dialog will ask whether you wish to edit the task or start the task immediately:

Start dialog

Menus

 Program settings, view log files, etc.

Delete tasks ... - Over time, more and more tasks for backup, restore, cleanup and verify will be accumulating. They are stored in the task directory as files using the extensions buj (Backups), rsj (Restores), cuj (Cleanups) and vfj (Verifications). Depending on the active function in the tool bar at the left, you can select the appropriate task files in a dialog and delete them.
Logs
Selected task
Show log ... - Display and optionally print the log file of the currently selected backup task
Delete log ... - Delete the log file of the currently selected backup task
Show other log ... - Select and display any log file
Delete old log files ... - Delete all log files from the current log directory older than an adjustable fixed date or older than a selectable number of days, weeks, months or years relative to the current date.
FTP communication log (see here)
View ... - Display the FTP communication log file
Delete ... - Delete the FTP communication log file
Mail delivery log (see here)
View ... - Display the mail delivery log file
Delete ... - Delete the mail delivery log file
Preferences
View ... - View settings
Start program ... - Settings for program start
Shutdown ... - Settings for backups on shutdown
Copy options ... - Basic settings for copying files
Security copies ... - Presets for security copies
Log file ... - Log settings
Printer ... - Settings for printing the log
Directories ... - Selection of the directories used by the program
Other ... - Other settings
Language - Selection of the user language
Default - Use the system default language
English
German
Dutch
French
Hungarian
Italian
Polish
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish
Help
Overview - Brief summary (F1)
Context-sensitive help - depending on the selected function (F2)
Data backup - Configuration of a backup task
Backup time schedules
Windows Scheduled Tasks
Restore files
Verify files
Cleanup directories
License - User license
Version - Version info
Changelog - Information on version history
References - Information on components used from other authors
Check for update ... - A connection to the Internet will be established to check if a new update is available (details).
Homepage - Homepage of Personal Backup
Download - leads directly to the download page of Personal Backup

 Utilities

Configure backup schedules - Launch the supplementary program PbPlaner, to configure alternating backup schedules using Windows Task Scheduler.
External Restore program
Restore files - Launch the supplementary program PbRestore to select single files from backup (even when compressed and encrypted) for restore to any location.
Restore from zip archive - Launch the supplementary program PbRestore to restore files from a zip archive in which also archives with encrypted filenames are supported.
Start Backup under different account - Launch the supplementary program PbStarter to configure backups so that they will be started under a different user account. This is good way to protect the backups from manipulation by malware.
Thunderbird mail backup - Launch the supplementary program TbBackup to help less-experienced Thunderbird users to backup and restore their mail data.
Real-time backup of data - Launch the supplementary program PbMon to start backups of selected directories automatically in background after changes are recognized.
User defined utilities

J. Rathlev, 24222 Schwentinental, Germany, January 2021