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FUNCTION KEY ASSIGNMENTS: <F1>: HELP <F2>: NONE <F3>: DIRECTORY <F4>: NONE <F5>: NONE <F6>: DOS <F7>: RECORD KEYSTROKES <F8>: PLAYBACK KEYSTROKES <F9>: LOAD SETUP <F10>: SAVE SETUP **** USING DOS BATCH FILES *** Any command files or command line options may be invoked from within a DOS batch (.BAT) file, simply by placing the entire command line on one line of the batch file. For example, if an automated backup were part of a batch file named "SHUTDOWN.BAT", then part of that file might be CD C:\FASTBACK FB @MYBACK.FB When "SHUTDOWN.BAT" executes, it will change directories to "C:\FASTBACK" and run FB using the MYBACK.FB command file. *H_di **** DIRECTORY FUNCTION *** The Directory Function allows you to see a picture of the various directories and files that are contained on your hard disk. You can then use the picture to select the files for a large number of functions in FASTBACK PLUS. Once the picture appears on the screen you can move around in various ways. You can use the arrow keys -- up,down,left,right -- to move one item at a time. The <PgUp> and <PgDn> keys will allow you to move up or down a page at a time, the <Home> key will take you to the very top of the picture and the <End> key will take you to the very bottom of the picture. All these keys are found on the numeric pad to the right of the main keyboard area, or on the cursor pad if you are using an enhanced keyboard. *H_se_hd *** HARD DISK *** Hard Disk refers to the letter of a DOS logical drive. This drive acts as either a restore destination, or contains information to be backed up. Most computers assign the first hard drive the letter C:. If your computer has more than one hard disk, they will probably be assigned letters D:, E:, etc. The Hard Disk command allows you to choose the letter of the hard drive which will be used for backup or restore. USAGE: Press <Enter> at the Hard Disk Menu choice, then enter the name of the disk drive (for example, D:). DEFAULT: The default setting is C:, which normally is the first hard disk. REFERENCE: For further information, refer to Chapter 6. *H_se_in *** CHOOSE FILES *** FASTBACK PLUS allows you to choose all or individual directories and files to be backed up or restored. The selection of these files is quite simple. You look at a "map" of your drive and pick the desired file or group of files. You select directories and files for inclusion with the point and push method by pressing the <F3> key to call up a picture of your hard disk. The display allows you to see the various directories and files that are contained on your hard disk. You can then use the picture to select the files. Directories will appear on the left side of the screen, and may be individually highlighted by pressing the <uparrow> and <downarrow> keys. Files in the highlighted directory will appear on the right side of the screen. To move the cursor (highlighting) from the directory listing to the file listing, press the <Tab> key. When the desired file or directory is highlighted, press the <Ins> key to copy it to a file selection entry. When all desired files and directories have been entered, press <Esc> to return to the file selection lines, where you may edit the inserted entries. You can move around the picture in a number of ways. Use the arrow keys -- up, down, left, right -- to move one item at a time. The <PgUp> and <PgDn> keys will allow you to move up or down a page at a time, the <Home> key will take you to the very top of the picture, and the <End> key will take you to the very bottom of the picture. All these keys are found on the numeric pad to the right of the main keyboard area, or on the cursor pad if you are using an enhanced keyboard. If you choose not to use the directory picture you may use the standard DOS file specification methods to select files. You may enter up to twenty directory paths to include in your backup. Each entry may specify a single file or a group of files using standard DOS conventions. "\MEMOS\*.PRT", for example, would back up all files with the ".PRT" extension in the "\MEMOS" directory. You may also specify if you wish to include subdirectories of the listed directory. This method of selecting files requires that you are quite familiar with DOS. If you are fairly new to DOS, we suggest you use the directory function "point and push" method to select files. DEFAULT: The default selection is "C:\____*.*____Y", which includes everything on C: drive. REFERENCE: See Chapter 6. *H_ba_bd *** BACKUP DESTINATION *** During backup, you must copy information from your hard disk to some other location. The Backup Destination option allows you to select the location to place backup information. This is usually one or two floppy drives. Normally you will be backing up to Drive A: or Drive B: or both if they are the same type of drives. USAGE: FASTBACK PLUS presents you with a menu listing all the different types of media your computer can support, using information you provided during installation. Use the arrow (cursor) keys to highlight the selection you want, then press <Enter>. DEFAULT: FASTBACK PLUS defaults to your A: drive (or to both A: and B: if they are of the same type). REFERENCE: See Chapter 7. *H_ba_bt *** BACKUP TYPE *** PURPOSE: To choose the type of partial or full backup you wish to make. USAGE: Use the cursor (arrow) keys to select the proper option: The next several screens contain a brief discussion of each type of backup and the possible reasons for using each type of backup. FULL BACKUP The most commonly used backup type is the full backup. A full backup includes all files in all directories of the selected hard disk. Normally, you perform full backups at weekly intervals. This insures that you will be able to restore all or any part of your data that may become lost or damaged. This is the default setting for FASTBACK PLUS. After you have made a full backup, you probably will not want to include all your files in daily, or partial backups. You may decide, for example, that backing up certain program and data files that never change is a waste of time. DIFFERENTIAL BACKUP During a differential backup, Fastback Plus checks to see if a file has changed since the last full backup. If the file has not been changed, it is skipped. If the file has changed, it is included in the backup set. A differential backup does not mark files as backed up after completing the backup. Each differential backup contains all files that have been created or changed since the last full backup was made, even if the file was included in a previous differential backup. It is called differential because it records the difference between the last full backup and the current state of the hard disk. To restore your hard disk to its most recent state, you would first restore the last full backup, followed by the most recent differential backup. INCREMENTAL BACKUP During an incremental backup, Fastback Plus checks each file to see if it has previously been backed up. If so, the file is not backed up again. If the file has not been backed up (meaning it has changed or been created since the last backup), the incremental backup procedure backs it up and marks the file as being backed up. Each incremental backup contains only the files that have changed or been newly created since the previous backup. It is called incremental because it increments (adds to) the original backup a little bit at a time, as changes are made. To restore your hard disk to its most recent state, you would first restore the last full backup, followed by all intervening incremental backups. SETTING A BACKUP ROUTINE If you are not yet thoroughly exhausted from considering the possibilities, it is time to decide on a regular backup routine that best meets your particular needs. GENERAL STRATEGIES The most common strategy for backup routines is to: (1) Start out with a full backup of your hard disk, (2) make partial (incremental or differential) backups at small intervals (preferably daily), (3) Start the process all over again with a full backup at longer intervals (weekly or monthly). When To Use Differential Backups If you usually work with the same group of files each day, you will probably find the differential method quicker and easier. You can use the same backup disks over again each day (which will also make the backup process go faster, since the disks will already be formatted). When To Use Incremental Backups If you customarily use many different files from one day to the next, the incremental method is probably more practical for you -- in this case, a differential backup would quickly grow very large and take more time. The incremental method offers another advantage in that it preserves a daily record of changes to your files. If, for example, you discovered that the changes you made to your inventory database yesterday were all wrong, you could restore the database to the state it was in the day before yesterday. With differential backups, the earlier version would already have been overwritten with yesterday's data. DEFAULT: The default backup type is Full. REFERENCE: See Chapter 5. *H_ba_pv *** PREVIEW BACKUP *** After you have decided which files to back up, you may wish to have one final check of your selections. The Preview Backup function provides this information. USAGE: Once your backup selections have been made using the options discussed earlier, selecting Preview Backup will produce a directory tree diagram similar to the display in the Choose Files options, except it occupies the full screen. You may toggle between the directory and files windows with the <Tab> key. Every file selected for backup will be marked with a small triangle in front of the file name. Directories will be marked in this way if some or all of the files contained in the directory are selected for backup. A directory will not be marked, however, if its subdirectories contain files to be backed up but the main directory itself contains none. In this case, the subdirectories will be visible (and marked). DEFAULT: The default markings are those for the default full backup; that is, all the files and subdirectories of C:\. REFERENCE: See Chapter 6. *H_ba_pr *** START BACKUP *** After selecting the various options for backup, use this selection to proceed to the Backup Progress menu and start the backup. There are three options on the Backup Progress Menu: ESTIMATE DISKS -- Scans the hard disk for all selected files and constructs an estimate of the time and number of disks the backup will take. This estimate is approximate. The actual time and number of disks may vary slightly. START BACKUP -- Begins the backup process, tracks the files written and other backup statistics, and prompts you to change diskettes when necessary. QUIT -- Exits from the Backup Progress Screen and returns to the Start Backup selection on the main Backup menu. DEFAULT: This selection defaults to the values you have previously chosen for your backup. It will automatically name a backup set with the current date followed by an underscore character and a letter (A-Z) to indicate the first (A), second (B) etc. backup made on this date. Swapping disks As soon as you close the drive door, the screen gets very busy, constantly updating and informing you of backup progress. On the right side of the screen, you will see the name of each file quickly displayed as it is backed up. On the left side, you will see the numbers in the Actual column (next to the Estimates) updated continuously. The Track: numbers to the upper left will count upward as each new track is written to the backup diskette. The little diamond-shaped Buffers: indicators will flash on and off in a seemingly random pattern (you do not need to interpret this pattern -- the main thing to know is that the program is functioning correctly as long as they continue to flash). When the first backup disk is full, FASTBACK PLUS will beep and prompt you to insert Volume 2. When this happens, open the specified drive door, remove the first diskette (if necessary) and insert the second diskette, and close the door. The floppy disk drive light will remain ON throughout the backup -- don't wait for it to go off before inserting or removing diskettes. It is safe to change diskettes whenever FASTBACK PLUS prompts you to do so. *H_re_rs *** RESTORE SOURCE *** A restore operation is the opposite of a backup. During a restore you copy information from your backup set (usually floppy disks) to your hard drive. The restore source allows you to choose which floppy drive(s) contain the backup information to be placed on the hard disk. USAGE: FASTBACK PLUS presents you with a menu listing all the different types of media your system can support, using the drive information you provided during installation. Use the arrow (cursor) keys to highlight the selection you want, then press <Enter>. DEFAULT: FASTBACK PLUS defaults to your A: drive (or to both A: and B: if they are of the same type. REFERENCE: See Chapter 3. *H_re_dp *** RESTORE DIRECTORY *** A directory is like a file folder in which you have placed various pieces of information. FASTBACK PLUS remembers which directories contain certain types of information. Normally, you will place the information in the same directory from which it came. However, there are circumstances when you might wish to place information in a different directory. The restore directory option allows you to choose in which directory to place restored files. USAGE: Choose Create Only If Needed to restore files to their original directory and subdirectory paths. If these paths no longer exist on the hard disk (perhaps because it has been re-formatted), FASTBACK PLUS will automatically create them as needed. EXAMPLE: Normal usage. If you backed up files in the "\MYFILES" directory and wished to restore to the same directory. Choose Default Directory to place all restored files into the current directory. If the default directory when you started the program was "\FASTBACK", all files will be restored to the "\FASTBACK" directory. EXAMPLE: Suppose you have been working on a very long document and you have been backing up files each day. Then you discover an earlier draft was better than the current draft. In such a case you may wish to restore the file to the default directory and then compare the two drafts. DEFAULT: The default selection is Create Only If Needed. REFERENCE: See Chapter 7. *H_re_pr *** START RESTORE *** Use this menu selection after choosing all the proper restore options to proceed to the Restore Progress menu and perform the restore. It should be noted that if the files you are restoring do not begin on the first backup diskette, you can begin by inserting the diskette containing the needed files. You need not always start with diskette (Volume) number one. USAGE: The Restore Progress Menu is nearly identical to the Backup Progress Menu. There are only two options: START RESTORE -- Begins the restore process, tracks the files written and other backup statistics, and prompts you to change diskettes when necessary. QUIT -- Exits from the Restore Progress Menu and returns to the Start Restore selection on the main Restore menu. Swapping Disks Remember, the diskette drive will not go out while FASTBACK PLUS is operating. It is perfectly safe to swap diskettes when you are prompted. REFERENCE: See Chapter 7. *H_op_ul *** USER LEVEL *** FASTBACK PLUS accommodates different levels of user experience through the User Level. Higher User Levels offer access to advanced options, but are not as easily mastered. YOU ARE CURRENTLY ON THE BEGINNER LEVEL. USAGE: Use the arrow (cursor) keys to select a User Level, then press <Enter> to enter your choice and update the menu screens to the new level. If you are just getting used to FASTBACK PLUS (and especially if you are new to computers), it is a good idea to leave the User Level set to Beginner, until you become comfortable with all of the options. The Experienced and Advanced levels allow you to access additional features and options. They are more confusing, however, and present more opportunity for error. DEFAULT: The User Level defaults to Beginner. *H_op_in *** INSTALLATION *** Before performing backups and restores with FASTBACK PLUS, you must install the software. The purpose of installation is to identify which floppy drives are installed, and test your hardware to determine which speed (Low, Medium, or High) can be used. USAGE: Unlike the other FASTBACK PLUS sub-menus, the Installation menu occupies an entire screen of its own (See Chapter 2). There are three items on the Installation screen: Floppy Drives, Test Hardware, and Set DMA Speed. *H_op_in_dd *** DEFINE FLOPPY DRIVES **** Use the arrow keys to position the light bar over the line that describes your A: and B: drives. If you have a combination not listed, choose Other. If You Choose Other you must consider the following: Logical drives and physical drives DOS allows the naming of assigning of different drive name letters to your drives. While normally your floppy drives are called A: and B:, you could call the first drive E: instead of A: -- or you could even call it A: and E:. These assignments create what are known as logical drives. Confusion is avoided by assigning each drive a physical index number. The initial floppy drive is assigned a physical index of 0. Suppose your computer is composed of two floppy drives internal to your machine and a third floppy drive which is external. Let us further suppose that the third drive is assigned the letter D:. The following assignments would be in force: DRIVE LETTER A: B: D: PHYSICAL INDEX 0 1 2 The Installation menu asks you to describe your physical drives; that is, the actual physical equipment itself, regardless of what logical name you may assign to it. If you have drive assignments other than type A: and B:, use the Other selection to enter them. *H_op_in_th *** TEST HARDWARE *** Test Hardware runs a diagnostic test on your computer at three different speed levels and reports the highest setting that passes. If all three tests pass, press <Esc> to return to the Installation menu. If any of the tests fail, you will be forced to reboot your computer. Each test should take about 30 seconds. *H_op_in_sd *** SET DMA SPEED *** Set DMA Speed is automatically set at the highest speed passed during the Hardware Test. If you wish to manually change it, you may change to a lower (slower) setting. Do not set the DMA Speed faster than the one selected by the Hardware Test -- it could cause serious problems or loss of data. REFERENCE: See Chapter 2. *H_vi *H_op_ca *** HISTORY REPORT *** FASTBACK PLUS allows you to view or print a copy of the history files which are automatically created during backup. History files contain information about which files were backed up, and on which volumes they reside. USAGE: Use the arrow (cursor) keys to select View or Print, followed by <Enter>. You will then be asked for the file name. Press <F3> for a directory if you are unsure of the file name. After entering the file name, press <Enter> again to begin viewing or printing the file. You may use the arrow (cursor) keys, <PgUp>, <PgDn>, <Home>, and <End> keys to scroll the file. DEFAULT: The default setting is View. REFERENCE: See Chapter 7. *H_op_ro *** OLD RESTORE PROGRAM *** PURPOSE: To allow backup sets made with the original FASTBACK to be restored to your hard disk. USAGE: Selecting this option invokes the FRESTORE program from the original FASTBACK. Consult your FASTBACK manual for FRESTORE instructions. *H_op_rk *** KEYSTROKES TO FILE *** PURPOSE: To record any operations you perform in FASTBACK PLUS, so that they may later be played back. USAGE: You will be prompted for the name of the file in which to place recorded keystrokes. Enter a full DOS pathname, and press <Enter> when done. You will be returned to FASTBACK PLUS' home position (first selection on the Main Menu). You may now perform any operation you wish, except loading and saving setup files, recording keystroke files, and exiting to DOS. These functions will terminate the record keystrokes session. This option may also be called from anywhere in FASTBACK PLUS by pressing <F7>. REFERENCE: See Chapter 7. *H_op_pk *** PLAYBACK KEYSTROKES *** PURPOSE: To replay keystrokes previously recorded with the Record Keystrokes function. USAGE: When you select this feature from the Options menu (or by pressing <F8> from anywhere within FASTBACK PLUS), you will be prompted to enter the name of the keystroke file you wish to playback. If you can't remember the file name, press <F3> to call up the directory tree, where you may locate the file name and copy it using the <Ins> key. Use the full DOS pathname, then press <Enter>. FASTBACK PLUS will immediately begin playing back keystrokes. The screen will respond as if you were typing commands from the keyboard. REFERENCE: See Chapter 7. *H_op_ls *** LOAD SETUP FROM DISK *** PURPOSE: To restore all FASTBACK PLUS menu settings to the values previously recorded in a Setup File. USAGE: You may select this feature either from the Options menu or by pressing <F9> from anywhere within FASTBACK PLUS. You will be prompted to enter the name of the Setup File you wish to load. If you can't remember the file name, press <F3> to call up the directory tree, where you may locate the file name and copy it using the <Ins> key. After pressing <Enter>, the FASTBACK PLUS menu settings are immediately reset to the recorded values. If the User Level remains unchanged, you are returned to the last Main Menu item. If the User Level has changed, you are returned to the menu home position. REFERENCE: See Chapter 7. *H_op_ss *** SAVE SETUP TO DISK *** PURPOSE: To save all of FASTBACK PLUS' current menu settings to a file. USAGE: You will be prompted for the name of the file where you want your setup recorded. Enter a full DOS pathname (FASTBACK PLUS will add the extension ".fb" if you do not specify an extension). If you want to save only your backup and restore file specifications (Include/Exclude Files and Files by Date), press <Tab> to move to the Save Filespecs Only? field and change the N to a Y. Press <Enter> to save the settings to the file you have named. DEFAULT: Save Filespecs Only is set to N by default. The Save Setup filespec is set to be "STARTUP.FB" in the FASTBACK Support Directory by default. REFERENCE: See Chapter 7. *** EXIT *** PURPOSE: To exit from FASTBACK PLUS and return to DOS. USAGE: As the menu prompt suggests, simply press <Enter> to exit. If you change your mind and decide not to exit FASTBACK PLUS, you may choose another option with the arrow (cursor) keys or the first letter of the option.