Using Backup4all - FAQ 3

This section contains answers for frequent questions regarding the registration process of Backup4all.

On this page:

How do I restore the default layout for all Backup4all windows?

Open the Layout menu and press Restore Default Layout. This will restore all windows to their original size and position, and will also reset the column order, size and visibility for all grids.

I scheduled a backup job and it didn't execute. What is the problem?

This happens usually when you are logged off from Windows and you didn’t set a password for that scheduled task in the Backup4all. To enter the password for the scheduled job go to Backup Properties -> Scheduler, select the task that didn’t run and click on Edit. In the window that opens click on Set password and enter the password for the current logged in user.

We do not save your password but it is needed in order to set up the scheduled task in the Windows Task Scheduler.

If your user account does not have a password you can run scheduled tasks only if the user is logged in.

Also, make sure that you enter the correct password - if the password is wrong the scheduled task will not run.

I have used Backup4all for some time now and I have a large number of zip files in the destination. How can I clear them and start over again?

Open the Backup Properties window for that backup job. Go to Advanced page, check Run program/action before backup and choose <Clear backup> from the combo. This will delete the backup files in the destination before the execution of the backup job. If you check the Run only once option, the <Clear backup> action will be executed only once (at next backup execution) and after that it will be disabled. The <Clear backup> action has parameters to further customize its functionality.

I've set a password for the backup and I forgot it. Can you help me get it back?

We don’t have any solution to recover your lost password.

If you used Zip(2) compatible encryption you could try using a 3rd party zip password recovery application - depending on the length of your password there is a chance to recover your password.

If you used AES encryption it’s almost impossible to recover your password.

Does Backup4all work with eSATA hard drives?

External Serial Advanced Technology Attachment or eSATA is an extension that allows connecting SATA enclosures. eSATA provides transfer rates significantly higher than USB or FireWire.

Yes, Backup4all works fine with eSATA hard drives. You will be able to back up as simple as to a normal SATA hard drive.

How can I see the number of files to backup at next backup run? What about the number of changed files since latest backup?

First you need to switch to the Statistics View by clicking the "Statistics (F3)" button on Backup4all's toolbar. To start counting files press the "Calculate Statistics for Next Backup (CTRL+F5)" button. Wait until the counting is over. The results are shown in the text below. The left column shows the counters for files to be backed up and the right column shows the counters for files changed since the latest backup.

How can I store multiple versions of my files and keep the backup size as small as possible?

Our recommendation is to use incremental back up type with maximum zip compression. The incremental backup type ensures that only new and modified files will be backed up.

How can I restore many files from older backup versions?

Sometimes we need to restore files from an older backup version. To do this, open the Restore Wizard by clicking on the Restore button, select Choose/filter files and restore any version option, then click Next. The list of files will be shown so you can select only the files/folders you need. Press Next to list the available backup versions. You can select one or many versions (use the SHIFT and CTRL keys to define the selection). In the next page you can apply file filters for the selected versions you want to restore.

How can I limit the number of back-up versions?

Open the Backup Properties window for the backup job. Go to the Type -> Storage page. Here you can select the Limit number of backups option and specify the desired limit.

I'm backing up to DVD using Mirror backup and it writes the DVD very slow. Any solutions to improve the speed?

Go to File -> Options -> CD, DVD or Blu-ray page and select Use SCSI Pass Through Direct layer (SPTD) option. Press OK, restart the computer and try again.

This should improve the CD/DVD/Blu-ray writing speed.

If your CD/DVD/Blu-ray burner is not recognized after you click on OK, you’ll need to re-open File -> Options -> CD, DVD or Blu-ray and select the Use native Win32 interface (SPTI) option.

Is there a way to clear a previous backup from the destination?

The first method is to clear the existing backup before running the new one. To do that, please follow these steps:

The second method is to limit the number of backups. To do that, please follow these steps:

Can I apply a filter to an entire directory?

Yes you can apply filters to entire directories. This way the filter will apply to the subfolders and individual files of the filtered directory too:

What security offers Backup4all for my backups?

Backup4all supports AES encryption (128-bit, 192-bit and 256-bit key strength), one of the most secure encryption methods available.

If you want your backups protected, select one of the Encryption methods available and define a password of at least 6 characters.

Be sure not to lose the password, because if you are using AES encryption, it's almost impossible to recover it, thus the data in that backup. When you’re backing up to FTP you also have the option to use an additional SSL encryption when communicating with the FTP server; using this option your connection details will be sent to the FTP server in an encrypted form rather then in simple text.

Does backup to FTP support resuming?

Yes Backup4all supports FTP resuming, within a certain number of retry times defined in the File -> Options -> Online destination -> FTP window.

For instance, let's say that in When destination server is not ready section you have the Retry value 10 and wait 60. If the connection with the FTP server is lost during the upload, Backup4all will retry to upload the files 10 times every 60 seconds. If it succeeds in re-establishing the connection, the backup will continue from where it was stopped. If the connection cannot be restored after that number of retries (10 in our case) the backup will be aborted and starting a new backup will upload the files again. Note that there are some FTP hosting servers that do not support resuming.

How can I give customized names to the zip files?

Open Backup Properties -> Type -> Storage. Under "Customize prefix of backup files" option, you can customize the zip file name prefix.

How can I test older backup versions?

First select the backup job you want to test. From the top menu, press Test. This will show a list of all backup versions.

Select the backup version(s) you want to test and press Test button.

How can I set the compression level to be used?

Open the Backup Properties, go to the Compression page. Here you can choose from four compression levels:

Cannot copy files using the mirror backup type under Vista

In Windows Vista, when backing up files using the mirror backup type, if you receive an error that files cannot be copied please uncheck the "Copy NTFS security permission" option in Backup Properties (Ctrl+P) -> Type -> Mirror.

NTFS file permissions are used to control the access that a user, group, or application has to files. This includes everything from reading a file to modifying and executing the file. There are five NTFS file permissions: read, write, read & execute, modify and full Control.

Step by step instructions on how to disable the "Copy NTFS security permission" option:

How do I set the backup job to automatically skip the files without waiting for user input?

You have to open Backup4all and go to:

File -> Options -> Notifications.

Select a notification type and uncheck the "Show notification" option from the bottom of the window.

Why Backup4all is preparing shadow copy so long?

Please follow these steps: