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Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 4:15 pm
by Awethentic
Many thanks Admin - much appreciated.
Another question - you mentioned in a previous quote that an easier way of having the same effect of deleting both catalog files is to choose the "<Clear backup>" option under "run program or action before backup". Is this true?
Also, is it true that if you select this option, not only does it clear the catalog files, but also deletes all the files at the destination drive that were backed up during the previous backup?
If this is so, is there any way one can choose the <Clear backup> option to JUST clear the catalog files, but keep all the destination files (ie not delete them) from the previous backup?
Also, another question. If Fbackup finds the same source drive filename at the destination from a previous backup (this is using mirror option), does it only overwrite it if the source drive is a newer file (ie later date and or time)? If the source file is older, does it leave the destination file alone, and NOT overwrite it?
The reason I am asking these, is that my backup needs are as follows -
*Mirror backup only (so can search on the backup easily using Win Explorer - I have plenty of space, so do not need compression)

*Set the backup once and schedule this same backup job daily
*Ensure every file on the source is always backed up, even if accidentally or otherwise erased on the destination drive between the time of the last backup and the time of the next backup. Many posters have expressed concern about trusting the veracity of the backup at destination, because FBackup only uses the catalog file(s) to compare the source and destination files from a previous run of an existing backup job, and does not compare the actual files at source and destination before running the backup. I would like to force it to always compare the source and destination files every time an existing backup job is run.
*If a file is erased either deliberately or accidentally on the SOURCE drive, then this file on the destination drive from a previous backup REMAINS on the destination drive (I am aware that if in the future my needs change and I want to make an EXACT mirror, then I can use your new feature (thank you for this) where I can tick the box "remove or excluded files from backup" before doing the backup)
*WISHLIST FEATURE - Have an option for the user to choose whether FBackup uses the catalog file (.fkc) as a reference before doing the next backup (and thus run more quickly, as it then only backs up newer and or added files to the source drive, but of course runs the risk of not backing up source files that are listed in the catalog that were backed up in the previous backup but may have been deleted since in the destination drive) OR Fbackup does not use the catalogue file and runs the same backup job each time as if it were a new job and backs up every file if it is newer or does not exist on the destination.
*The <Clear backup> option clears ONLY the catalogs (fkc) and does NOT delete all the files at the destination drive that were backed up during the previous backup, if this is what it now does.
Could the above Wishlist feature be added to the wishlist please?
Also, could you please correct my understandings as necessary in my points above.
This is a great program and has some great features, and it would be good to have the above clarified for ease of use and for ease of mind.
All the best, cheers and enjoy and thanks again.
A


Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 8:19 pm
by Adrian (Softland)
1. The "Clear backup" action will delete both catalogs and also the zip files in destination. If only the catalogs are deleted, you won't be able to restore the zip files because all the information about them was in the backup catalog.
2. If the existing folder in destination was created with FBackup and the information exists in catalog, only new and modified files will be backed up, that means only the newer files will be written in destination.
3.Manually deleting a file in destination won't make FBackup to copy that file again.

At this moment, using or not the backup catalog is not an option. The catalog will always be used.

We also added you request on the wishlist.