SyncBack with Dummy Profiles

[Curt]

Note that if you're using SyncBack Freeware you'll need to move up to SyncBackSE/Pro to enjoy the following.

http://www.2brightsparks.com/

Be Clever with Dummy Profiles

If you want to have something handy to take with you when you leave the house (as fire/burglary insurance, maybe) backed up with your latest (perhaps 'slimmed down', 'most-crucial') data, then you can set up a Group with the appropriate profiles in it to back up that data onto a portable device, either re-using existing profiles, or making special ones with extra filtering or de/selection, as you see fit.

If you then want to be able to run that Group without much PC-interaction, now set the Group to trigger On Insert of that device. You can also create a couple of dummy profiles, called Startup Announcer Profile and Completion Announcer Profile (or similar), which have Speech strings in their Misc settings page, thus (as appropriate to the profile name & purpose, in the appropriate Speech section):

This is the %PROFILENAME% confirming that backup group %GROUPNAME% has started
This is the %PROFILENAME% confirming that backup group %GROUPNAME% has completed

You can adjust the announcements to what you like (or even use WAV files instead).

These 'announcer' profiles are set with Source & Destination pointing to two dummy directories created for the purpose, with a dummy file in one (the first run will copy it to the other) to avoid any pop-ups about 'no files found'. You can make one profile, Copy it to an adjusted name for the other, and simply edit the speech string of the resulting copy. Both profiles can use the same dummy Source and Destination.

These profiles can thus be re-used in any Group to signify startup and completion. You can then set the Group to run On Insert, unattended, and the whole thing will audibly confirm to you it has started, and when it finishes (provided you turn the volume up). You can then trigger the entire backup just by removing the flash drive (if it was already inserted) and re-inserting it (always provided SyncBackSE/Pro is running). You can then wait a couple of seconds to hear confirmation the backup has started, then continue on with your preparations for leaving, whilst awaiting the announcement of completion at the end of the group; then simply remove & pocket the drive.

This avoids the need to keep checking to see if the backup has completed - you can simply hear that it has in the background (TV, etc permitting). It might be most suitable for a flash drive on your key-ring, as it then makes it hard to leave the premises without your backup (at least, without your keys...), although you do need to remember to insert the drive to start with! haha.

This entire scenario assumes you have your flash drive set to disable write-caching, and/or it is unused for other purposes, except perhaps backups scheduled to occur at radically different times (e.g. overnight). Removing a flash drive in mid-use is definitely not recommended, and if the Safely Remove icon appears in your System Tray, you either need to disable Write Caching, or click Safely Remove (which needs the mouse, and maybe your spectacles, and detracts from the 'automated' aspect somewhat).

So there you have it. Get smart with dummy profiles today and ensure you've always got your most important data backed up and close by.

-2BrightSparks newsletter

The latest releases of SyncBackSE & SyncBackPro V5.9.4 are now available. If you want to purchase a key for SyncBackPro, I no longer have one spare 20% rebate coupon for one key. This offer will expire on 31 December 2010.  

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Price Changes For 2011
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We´ve kept prices of our software licenses frozen for two and a half years, and our volume discounts have been a steal over the same period. Now is the time to grab your license as price changes come into play as of 1st January 2011.

[edbro]

Great software. I've used Syncback SE for years now. The lifetime license is a steal.

[TheQwerty]

----------------------
Price Changes For 2011
----------------------

We´ve kept prices of our software licenses frozen for two and a half years, and our volume discounts have been a steal over the same period. Now is the time to grab your license as price changes come into play as of 1st January 2011.

-Curt (December 06, 2010, 07:11 AM)

Guess I should look into upgrading to the Pro license... anyone have experience and feel it's actually a worthwhile upgrade?

I'm not interested in backing up to optical media, e-mail, or SFTP, and not sure BZip2 compression really makes that much of a difference.
The drive failure detection and scripting might be nice and $20 to upgrade isn't bad. Hmmm...

[4wd]

I'm not interested in backing up to optical media, e-mail, or SFTP, and not sure BZip2 compression really makes that much of a difference.
The drive failure detection and scripting might be nice and $20 to upgrade isn't bad. Hmmm...

-TheQwerty (December 06, 2010, 11:37 AM)

I was thinking exactly the same thing last night and I'm glad you reminded me this morning

I thought the backup to/from email server looked especially interesting and the scripting sounds great..........time to log into PayPal