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In search of ideal backup utility
tslim:
We hope to have Backup4all 4.1 fully Unicode (we're depending on a 3rd party, so it might be sooner).
-Softland (August 22, 2008, 01:40 AM)
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The sooner the better.
Regarding the registry backup, Backup4all has the ability to do that but we haven't made this public because we consider this a rather dangerous thing if it's not used by powerusers. ...
-Softland (August 22, 2008, 01:40 AM)
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Are we talking about backing up the whole registry or just selective key(s)?
Let's take GBM's registry key(s) backup as example, the selected registry key(s) are simply part of a backup job, i.e. when I setup a backup job to backup data of an application I could also pick few registry keys (where the application's settings are stored). So whenever the backup job is run, everything defined therein will be backup, I don't see how could I miss/ forget to backup the registry keys that are defined in a job. (be it incremental or not).
Btw, GBM's registry keys (and/or its plugins) backup can be added as part of a job, they don't have to stand by themselves...
I mean, I couldn't understand your logic of error/problem in registry is more dangerous then in ordinary data. A mistake in backup (or restore) of ordinary data could also cause big problem, then why only the former is being hidden from the users? You mean you hide the feature just because you think user might make mistake? I don't see that a reasonable thought or logical factor in software design.
Say I am a Backup4All user, and I forget to turn on my Backup4all scheduled backup for half a year which then cause me to loss everything when I got a bad HDD, does that cause you to cut the schedule function from Backup4All?
Btw, I do not create a gigantic job to backup several applications or EVERYTHING. I create job on per application basic and then group them. e.g. I could group A, B, C and D in a group called "daily backup" simply because they change a lot of data everyday. And I could have another group named "Graphic utilities" where it contains A, X, Y and Z applications. Note that A is also present here in this group because it is a graphic utility. So whichever group I run the backup, the A's sources are backup to the same target as defined in job A.
I am sorry I can no more remember the group feature in Backup4All in detail. I know it has tree-like presentation of jobs, but are the grouping a real grouping where groups can share a single job?
Softland:
Are we talking about backing up the whole registry or just selective key(s)?
-tslim
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I was talking about the whole registry. Backup4all can already back up selective key(s) as part of the plugin system. So if you define a backup plugin for application A, you can add registry keys for that application and they will be restored when you perform a restore (there's already a list of plugins created for several applications http://www.backup4all.com/kb/15/, and there's a tutorial on creating a plugin here http://www.backup4all.com/kb/how-to-create-a-backup-plugin-161.html).
Btw, I do not create a gigantic job to backup several applications or EVERYTHING. I create job on per application basic and then group them. e.g. I could group A, B, C and D in a group called "daily backup" simply because they change a lot of data everyday. And I could have another group named "Graphic utilities" where it contains A, X, Y and Z applications. Note that A is also present here in this group because it is a graphic utility. So whichever group I run the backup, the A's sources are backup to the same target as defined in job A.
I am sorry I can no more remember the group feature in Backup4All in detail. I know it has tree-like presentation of jobs, but are the grouping a real grouping where groups can share a single job?
-tslim
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You can have the same backup job in several backup groups, as long as you have a different name for the backup job (but it can have the same sources and destination). So your scenario works with Backup4all, and as mentioned above if you create a backup plugin for an application you can select its registry keys to be backed up too.
cmpm:
tslim,
You may call it a wizard interface.
But there has to be a way to choose what you want backed up.
What Dirhael screenshot was only some of the choices.
Are you trying to be able to find a backup program and have the backup program automatically select the files and registry keys and dependencies for you?
McAfee used to have a program that you could move a selected program with all that, to another computer if you wanted to. You could choose the program and it would gather everything that program needed except the OS and pack it up. It wasn't called a backup program though. For good reason.
tslim:
You can have the same backup job in several backup groups, as long as you have a different name for the backup job (but it can have the same sources and destination). So your scenario works with Backup4all, and as mentioned above if you create a backup plugin for an application you can select its registry keys to be backed up too.
-Softland (August 22, 2008, 03:50 AM)
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I can't quite understand what you have stated about the job sharing. Lets say I want a backup job A to be shared by N backup groups, do you mean:
1) Those N groups can share the same piece of job A definition, but Backup4All requires different name in each group
or
2) I will need to repeat the same job A setup in each of the N group and each time with a different name
?
I hope you mean the 1) not 2).
If a job to be shared is complex, repeating the same definition in many groups is a waste of time and future change/remove of such job will become very difficult, because any change will have to be repeated in all the N groups and that is provided one can still remember exactly what are the groups that need to be changed.
Backup4all can already back up selective key(s) as part of the plugin system. So if you define a backup plugin for application A, you can add registry keys for that application and they will be restored when you perform a restore (there's already a list of plugins created for several applications http://www.backup4all.com/kb/15/, and there's a tutorial on creating a plugin here http://www.backup4all.com/kb/how-to-create-a-backup-plugin-161.html).
-Softland (August 22, 2008, 03:50 AM)
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If Backup4All strictly requires one to create plugin first in order to backup selective registry key(s), then that is too bad. I don't even agree with any claim that it supports registry key(s) backup. I can easily quote you an example which also sounds like a trick or workaround than a real support of such feature:
For any backup utility that supports pre and post backup commands, I can define a job, whose Pre-backup-action - a script/batch file calls another registry program (e.g. Resplendent Registrar) to export selective registry key(s) to a file. I then include that file in the backup job. Does that mean that backup utility supports selective registry backup?
Definitely NO, because it does it indirectly and with condition - that is not an ordinary feature of a backup utility.
GBM does not require one to create plugin in order to backup registry key(s), though I have to say, its registry key picklist is difficult to use, try it and you will know what I mean. Anyway, that is understood, anything involve user-interface (such as picklist) in GBM is lousy!
(Edited: I just try it again, for the latest ver, the picklist window is now resizable and it seems find. What a long wait... a surprise to me)
As from the screen capture of cmpm, TitanBackup's registry key(s) backup feature also does not make plugin as a pre-requisite. You can click to enlarge the screen shot, it is very clear.
Nice capture cmpm!
tslim:
Hi cmpm,
You may call it a wizard interface.
But there has to be a way to choose what you want backed up.
-cmpm (August 22, 2008, 06:13 AM)
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The TitanBackup website states that the product is wizard-driven - first item in its "Main Features"
Are you trying to be able to find a backup program and have the backup program automatically select the files and registry keys and dependencies for you?
-cmpm (August 22, 2008, 06:13 AM)
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No, I am not.
I monitor all application installations (including hardware drivers's) with Total Uninstall, well, most of the time, with the intention to learn what the setup copies to my HDD and writes to the registry. My finding tells, there are so many that utilize registry to store settings and other info and that is why I eagerly want my backup utility to be able to backup registry keys.
Btw, I review the series of screen shots by Dirhael and I find TitanBackup supports grouping.
Ah, why didn't you tell me at the beginning...
Seriously, do you know whether is it unicode aware and able to backup ADS?
If so, then it is one big step closer to my 7 needs, I wonder if the company gives discount to user who switch from their competitors...:)
Anyway, I will download it and flip through its features, thank you.
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