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    How to clear the backup

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    This article applies only to Backup4all. If you don't have it yet, you must download it first.

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    May 05, 2023
    Backup4all 5.x-9.x
    We strive to keep our articles as accurate as possible. If you notice any inconsistencies or outdated info please let us know.
    In Backup4all you can clear the backup job, which means to delete all backup versions from destination and also delete the backup catalog. That will result in a fresh job, starting that backup from the beginning.

    On this page:

    How to set up a clear backup action

    1. Open Backup4all and right-click the backup job. Select Properties.
      Clear backup
    2. Go to Advanced page
      Clear backup
    3. Select Run program or action checkbox. The Clear backup action will be enabled.
      Clear backup
      The <Clear backup> predefined action deletes the ".bkc" file and all zip files associated with the current backup job. If this action is set, then the next backup performed will be a full backup, even if the backup type is set to incremental or differential.
    4. Select Run only once if you want it to be executed only one time. If the option is not set, it will clear the backup on every execution.
      Clear backup
      The “Abort backup when action fails” option is used to abort the current backup execution if the action executed before the backup failed. It is most used in cases when the backup execution depends on the result of the action executed before backup. For example: in order not to fill the destination drive if the clear backup action failed, the backup will not be executed.
    5. Press Save. The Clear backup action will be executed next time you run the backup.
      Please note the backup will wait until the action before backup is executed. Only after that, it will start the backup.
      How to clear the backup

    How to customize the clear backup

    You can customize the “Clear backup” action with the following parameters (numbers can be changed as necessary):
    • <Clear backup d=7>
      Clear backup is executed only if 7 days have passed since the first backup increment (the full backup).
    • <Clear backup n=10>
      Clear backup is executed only if the number of file versions is 10.
    • <Clear backup d=7 n=10>
      Clear backup is executed if 7 days have passed since the first backup increment (the full backup) or if the number of file versions is 10.
    • <Clear backup dw=1,2,7>
      Clear backup is executed only in the first, second and seventh day of the week (Monday, Tuesday and Sunday in the given example). Valid values: 1-7 (if a parameter outside of these values is set, it will be ignored).
    • <Clear backup dm=23, 30>
      Clear backup is executed only in the 23rd and 30th day of the month. Valid values: 1-31 (if a parameter outside of these values is set, it will be ignored, same as using the value 31 for a month having only 30 days).