FAQ Backing Up Files

• How often can I do a backup
• What files are being backed up
• How to confirm backups are taking place
• Viewing what files were backed up
• What you can and cannot back up
• Selecting or Deselecting files in Backup View
• Using "Find" to locate a particular file
• Message in log: "0 Files backed up"
• Deleting files from storage
• Where your data is stored
• Backing up Outlook

How often can I do a backup

You may back up your data as often as you like, as long as your computer is turned on and connected to the Internet. The easy-to-use Backup Direct™ Backup Wizard lets you set days and times for your backup to automatically happen.

What files are being backed up

Data plans

The software has various built in "wizard" type tools that allows you to select which documents to back up.  This includes the ability to select either:  all files in selected folders, all files of certain types e.g. MS Word documents (no matter where they are located),  all files on a certain drive - or any combination of these options. Temporary files, Internet cache, streaming media are automatically excluded.

System and Network  plans

If you chose to use the System or Network backup, your Backup Direct™ software will automatically detect and backup your data and system files that are located anywhere on your hard disk to ensure full-system backup and recovery. Data files are files that you create, such as documents, spreadsheets, and preferences that you defined in software that you use. A total of 10GB (system and data files) per individual PC account may be protected. Temporary files, Internet cache, streaming media are automatically excluded.

How to confirm backups are taking place

The easiest way to confirm that your backups are taking place is to check the logs. Here's how:

• Open the Backup Direct™ software.
• Click the Log tab.
• Highlight the log for any session that you want and then click the View Details button (bottom of window).

Each log lists every file that was marked as needing to be backed up, and ends with a summary of the backup session.

What files were backed up

The easiest way to determine what files were backed up is to check the logs. Here's how:

• Open the Backup Direct™ software.
• Click the Log tab.
• Highlight the log for any session that you want and then click the View Details button (bottom of window).

Each log lists every file that was marked as needing to be backed up, and ends with a summary of the backup session.

What can and cannot be backed up

The Backup Direct™ service is intended to protect your critical data files, not the commercial software that you install from disk or CD. If you were to have a system crash you would be better off re-installing your software so that essential information could be written back into the Windows registry database that is part of your operating system.

We recommend that you not back up multi-media files. Their size and sheer volume would make it costly and lengthy to restore via the Internet. Although you could order a CD of your backups, it is generally cost-prohibitive, possibly costing several hundred pounds.

Only the Network version of the software are configured to recognize network drives.

Selecting or Deselecting files in Backup View

When you click the Backup View tab, a scan of your hard disk is initiated. Upon completion, a list of files needing backup is displayed. You can de-select files:

• Click the box in front of a file name
• A red X will be displayed
• The file will then be removed from the backup list.

If you want to add files:

• Change the display to show a directory tree that you can browse. The button for this is in the window on the left; click Explore to pick files.
• To select/deselect, click the box in front of a file name. In some editions of the software, you will also be able to click on an entire folder to include/exclude everything in it.
• A green check indicates the file is selected for backup, while a red X indicates the file is NOT selected for backup.

Using "Find" to locate a particular file

Using the Find feature is a fast and easy way to locate a specific file. You can use Find in Backup View and Retrieve View. Simply click the magnifying glass icon at the upper right of the window, next to the question mark (the Help icon).

HINT: When entering a long file name, or one that you aren't sure of, use an asterisk (*) as a wildcard symbol. An asterisk can be inserted at any point in a file name in place of characters that you aren't sure of, or you don't want to bother typing. There's only one rule: Don't use two or more asterisks in succession; use one at a time as a placeholder.

Example 1: For a file named My CV.doc, type *CV.doc. This tells Find to look for all files that end in CV.doc.

Example 2: For a file named Peaches and Cream.jpg, you could type P*and*.* or P*and*.jpg or Peach*.jpg

If you don't see the file that you want with your first try, click Find Next until you do find it. You can click Find Next as often as needed; it will recycle through the list no matter where your starting point is.

If you are looking for an older file and are unable to locate it, then click the Retrieve Options button (bottom of window) and select Show all versions of all files.

Message in Log: "0 Files backed up"

There are several circumstances that may prevent files from being backed up:

• You cancelled the backup. Normal backups will resume without error.
• You ran a second backup immediately after another backup, so there were no changed files.
• Files needing backup were open. Close all files that you want backed up.
• File selection method is set to Manual. You need to reset it-we recommend Automatic. You can leave it in Manual if you intend to select all the files that should be included in your backup group, but don't forget to select the files. (Only applies to the Premium Data Backup Service plans.)
• Insufficient resources on your computer, such as not enough free hard disk space, not enough available RAM, too small a page file, open files, or numerous background processes.
• An outbound connection to the Internet could not be made. See Connections.
  Also, confirm that your connection setting in the software is correctly set for the way you connect, either Dial-Up Networking (Modem) or Direct Connection. AOL is an example of a Direct Connection because the connection is already open when you go to back up. (Connection Settings are under Options, on the menu bar.)
• Backup Schedule is set to 'Backup On Connection To Network' and there were no changed files since your last backup. No action required; backups will resume normally when there are changed files.
• The Backup Direct™ software is installed in the same folder with the files you are trying to back up. Application programs, such as the backup software, should always be installed in a folder of their own, not mingled with files from other programs.
• A synchronization error occurred, in which case the details of the log would show a Diagnostic with reference to 'Base hash count.' (Contact Support via a Support Request.)
• You are running Norton Anti-Virus software and may have encountered a rare incident that causes the backup to stop transmitting files (Contact Support via a Support Request.)

Deleting files from storage

File management is automatic. We maintain the following data retention settings on our Data Centres for Service Customers:

• Note that the latest copy of all your files is always retained.
• Files that have been deleted from your system will be deleted from the Data Centres 30 days later.
• Files that you backed up then de-selected from your backup set will be deleted after 7 days.
• Files of accounts that have been cancelled are deleted 30 days after cancellation.

Where your data is stored

When you open your account, it is assigned to a mirrored pair of data centres that are geographically separate. Since the data centres are identical, backups and restores can be made to or from either one of them. The software automatically handles the connection for you. The redundancy of a mirrored pair increases the security of your stored data. Additionally, the data centres are themselves backed up. Further, duplication permits maintenance to be performed without interrupting the service.

Backing up Outlook

Microsoft Outlook comes in two forms: Outlook and Outlook Express - it is important that you know which you have.

Outlook

If you are using Microsoft Outlook, it is likely that your data is contained within a file called a pst file - often called outlook.pst and/or archive.pst. The location of these files varies depending upon the version of Windows you are running and the version of Outlook that you are using. For Windows XP users, the location is: c:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\outlook.pst. For other situations, the simplest way to locate them is to perform a search using the search term *.pst. This will provide a list of all such files on your computer and you should be able to tell which ones are current by their size and their last modified date.

Once you have located the files, you can then select them to be included in the backups in the Backup View of Backup Direct™.

If you are using version 7 of the software, your Outlook files will be backed up incrementally as changes are made to the file e.g. new emails received, calendar items added, etc.. There is no need to close down Outlook as the unique Email Optimiser feature is designed to work with Outlook whilst it is still running.

If you are using version 6 of the software, you will need to close down Outlook in order to backup the pst files. The software will still apply incremental backups to save time, but Outlook cannot be running during this process.

Outlook Express

Outlook Express stores its information in files called dbx files - one for each folder e.g. inbox.dbx, sent items.dbx. The simplest way to locate them is to perform a search using the search term *.dbx. This will provide a list of all such files on your computer and you should be able to tell which ones are current by their size and their last modified date. Alternatively, you can Open Outlook Express, click on a folder such as Inbox and then right-click. Choose Properties, where the location of the inbox.dbx file is stored. This will then provide the location for the other folders also.

These files can be backed up using Backup Direct™ by selecting them in a similar way to any other file.