PC-SIG: Essential Home & Business/PC-SIG - Essential Home and Business Collection.iso/27/1/9/FLEXPLUS.DOC

Text File | 1991-05-26 | 41KB | 981 lines

                F L E X I B A K   P l u s (TM)


             The Flexible Hard Disk Backup System

                Copyright 1991 Nildram Software

                      All Rights Reserved











               FLEXIBAK Plus was written by Adrian Mardlin



Address:       Nildram Software
               26 Stanley Hill Avenue
               Amersham
               Bucks  HP7 9BD
               United Kingdom

Telephone:     [phone]

Email:         [e-mail]
               [e-mail]



Program and Documentation Copyright 1991 Nildram Software.
All rights reserved.


FLEXIBAK Plus is a trademark of Nildram Software.
FLEXIBAK is a trademark of Nildram Software.
                      ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS



My thanks go to all those who played a part in Beta testing
FLEXIBAK Plus, notably the following:

     Brian Gregory
     David Clark
     Neville E Sanderson
     Barry Drake
     Clive Goldman
     Jon Wolfe

Thanks are also due to Borland for their excellent C++ compiler,
Innovative Data Concepts for the TCXL screen handling library.
                        INTRODUCTION



Overview

     FLEXIBAK Plus, like its predecessor, FLEXIBAK, is a
flexible, easy to use hard disk backup system that takes a
logical, simple and unique approach to the backup problem. With
a conventional backup system, you are required to take a full
backup approximately once a week and do daily incremental backups
which are placed on separate disks. Should you need to restore
from the backup, you must first restore the full backup and then
each of the incremental backups up to the last backup taken. With
FLEXIBAK Plus, all this is different as the concept of full
backups and incremental backups is removed. Instead, you only
need to take a full backup once and then all subsequent backups
are placed on the same backup disks, giving some long term speed
increases, simpler file restoration and an improved backup
management capability.

     Here are some of the more outstanding features provided by
FLEXIBAK Plus:

     Selective backups allow you to specify, both globally and
     by directory, which file groups should be included in, or
     excluded from, the backup, potentially dramatically
     reducing the number of backup disks required.

     Incremental backups are placed on the same disks as the
     full backup, so you only ever need to take a full backup
     once.

     File management system means that FLEXIBAK Plus keeps track
     of what has been backed up, and informs you if any files
     have gone missing from your hard disk since the last
     backup. This allows you to recover accidentally deleted
     files.

     File compression is included in the system as is the
     capability to handle up to 20 hard disk drives.

     Alarm system warns you on booting your computer that you
     have forgotten to take a backup for a specified number of
     days.


What Is Shareware?


     Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software
before buying it. If you try a Shareware program and continue
using it, you are expected to register. Individual programs
differ on details. Some request registration while others require
it, some specify a maximum trial period. With registration, you
get anything from the simple right to continue using the software
to an updated program with printed manual.

     Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial
software, and the copyright holder retains all rights, with a few
specific exceptions as stated below. Shareware authors are
accomplished programmers, just like commercial authors, and the
programs are of comparable quality. (In both cases, there are
good programs and bad ones!) The main difference is in the method
of distribution. The author specifically grants the right to copy
and distribute the software, either to all and sundry or to a
specific group. For example, some authors require written
permission before a commercial disk vendor may copy their
Shareware.

     Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software.
You should find software that suits your needs and pocket,
whether it's commercial or Shareware. The Shareware system makes
fitting your needs easier, because you can try before you buy.
And because the overhead is low, prices are low also. Shareware
has the ultimate money-back guarantee - if you don't use the
product, you don't pay for it.


Disclaimer

     Users of FLEXIBAK Plus must accept this disclaimer of
warranty:

     "FLEXIBAK Plus is supplied as is.  The author disclaims all
     warranties, expressed or implied, including, without
     limitation, the warranties of merchantability and of
     fitness for any purpose. The author assumes no liability
     for damages, direct or consequential, which may result from
     the use of FLEXIBAK Plus."


Terms And Conditions

     FLEXIBAK Plus is a "Shareware program" and is provided at
no charge to the user for evaluation.  Feel free to share it with
your friends, but please do not give it away altered or as part
of another system.  The essence of "user-supported" software is
to provide personal computer users with quality software without
high prices, and yet to provide incentive for programmers to
continue to develop new products.  If you find this program
useful and find that you are using FLEXIBAK Plus and continue to
use FLEXIBAK Plus after a reasonable trial period, you must make
a registration payment of £29.95 to Nildram Software.  The £29.95
registration fee will license one copy for use on any one
computer at any one time.  You must treat this software just like
a book.  An example is that this software may be used by any
number of people and may be freely moved from one computer
location to another, so long as there is no possibility of it
being used at one location while it's being used at another. Just
as a book cannot be read by two different persons at the same
time.

     Commercial users of FLEXIBAK Plus must register and pay for
their copies of FLEXIBAK Plus within 30 days of first use or
their licence is withdrawn.  Site Licence arrangements may be
made by contacting Nildram Software.

     Anyone distributing FLEXIBAK Plus for any kind of
remuneration must first contact Nildram Software at the address
below for authorisation. This authorisation will be automatically
granted to distributors recognised by either the Association of
Shareware Professionals or the Association of Shareware Authors -
 UK as adhering to their guidelines for shareware distributors,
and such distributors may begin offering FLEXIBAK Plus
immediately.

     You are encouraged to pass a copy of FLEXIBAK Plus along to
your friends for evaluation.  Please encourage them to register
their copy if they find that they can use it.  All registered
users will receive a copy of the latest version of the FLEXIBAK
Plus system.


Registration

     FLEXIBAK Plus is a shareware product. This means that you
are free to use it for trial purposes only and you may freely
pass copies on to your friends and colleagues. However, if you
find FLEXIBAK Plus useful and intend to continue using it, you
must register your copy. To do this, either print out and fill
in the registration form provided (Type 'COPY REGISTER.DOC PRN'
at the DOS prompt), or send a cheque for £29.95 or your credit
card details to the following address:


               Nildram Software,
               26 Stanley Hill Avenue,
               Amersham,
               Buckinghamshire
               HP7 9BD

     For your money, you will receive the latest version of
FLEXIBAK Plus without the registration encouragement screen, a
printed manual, free support and cheap upgrades as and when they
become available.


Overseas Registrations

     For European users, there is an additional shipping charge
of £2.00 and for other overseas users, the charge is an extra
£5.00. However for those in the USA or Canada, FLEXIBAK Plus can
be registered for just $39.95 + $4.00 shipping from:

               Shareable Software International, Inc
               PO Box 59102
               Schaumburg, IL 60159
               USA

               Phone: [phone]
               Compuserve: 76226,2652
               EXEC-PC: Bill Dickson
               Fax: [phone]

Support

     Support is offered to registered users in the following
ways. Firstly, any updates of FLEXIBAK Plus will be available to
you for a minimal fee. All registered users will be notified of
any major updates. Lifetime support for FLEXIBAK Plus is provided
and can be obtained by contacting Nildram Software by writing,
telephone or any of the Email addresses listed at the front of
this manual. USA and Canadian customers can also obtain support
by contacting Shareable Software International, Inc at the
addresses detailed in the Overseas Registrations section.
Support is also available via the Runway BBS, Conference 77,
  [phone]  2400 baud
  [phone]  HST
  [phone]  V.32

The Future

     It is hard to predict the future of FLEXIBAK Plus. However,
there are still many things that could be done to make FLEXIBAK
Plus a better product than it already is, such as disk
formatting, file encryption and a faster backup disk filing
system. What changes and enhancements will be made depends very
much on you and your feedback, which I can assure you will be
listened to and acted upon to make FLEXIBAK Plus the product you
want it to be.


Shareware Associations

     Nildram Software is a member of two very important Shareware
organisations, both of which impose minimum standards on their
members. The following two statements are part of those standards
and provide a method of settling disputes between yourself and
any member of each organisation.

     This program is produced by a member of the Association of
Shareware Professionals (ASP).  ASP wants to make sure that the
shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve
a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the
member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can
help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but
does not provide technical support for members' products. Please
write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442
or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman
70007,3536.

     Nildram Software is a member of the Association of Shareware
Authors - UK (ASA-UK). ASA-UK wants to make sure that the
shareware principle works for you. If you have a dispute with an
ASA-UK member that you are unable to resolve directly with that
member, then you can write to the ASA-UK Ombudsman at the
following address:

               The Ombudsman,
               ASA-UK,
               PO Box 26,
               Bracknell,
               Berkshire
               RG12 4WA
              INSTALLATION AND GETTING STARTED



Installation

     Installation is a very straightforward process. All you need
to do is insert the disk on which FLEXIBAK Plus is located into
the drive, select that drive as the current drive by typing "A:"
or "B:" (depending on the drive in which the disk is inserted)
at the DOS prompt. Now type "INSTALL" and press <ENTER> and then
follow the instructions. Alternatively, if you acquired your copy
of FLEXIBAK Plus by downloading it from a BBS or you prefer to
manually install it, just create a directory on your hard disk
and copy all the files to that directory.


Setting The Alarm

     FLEXIBAK Plus has a warning alarm feature that warns you if
you haven't taken a backup recently. To enable this, you should
place the following lines in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file in an
appropriate place. (If you are not sure about the function of the
AUTOEXEC.BAT file or how to alter it, please consult your MS-DOS
reference manual).

x:
CD \FLEXPLUS
FLEXPLUS /A=y
C:

     Where 'x' is the hard disk drive where you have installed
FLEXIBAK Plus - if other than drive C - and 'y' is the number of
days after which you wish the alarm to sound.

     If you have done this correctly, every time you boot your
computer FLEXIBAK Plus will check to see how long it has been
since the last backup was taken and if it is longer ago than the
specified threshold - 'y' in the above example - an alarm will
be sounded giving you the opportunity to take a backup.


Command Line Parameters

     If you are running on a machine with a particularly low
amount of free memory or a particularly high number of files, you
may have trouble getting started with FLEXIBAK Plus as it will
abort with an exception message saying that it has either run out
of memory, file space or directory space. You can override the
initial memory allocation settings of FLEXIBAK Plus by use of
some command line options which can later be set permanently by
using the General Setup option of the Setup menu. To override the
number of files (the default is 4000) that space is allocated
for, use the "/F" command line option and to override the number
of directories (the default is 300), use the "/D" command line
option. For example, if you have a particularly large hard disk,
you might use a command like this:

FLEXPLUS /F=5000 /D=500

     This would tell FLEXIBAK Plus to allocate space for 5000
files and 500 directories.
                          TUTORIAL



Getting Started

     Once you have installed FLEXIBAK Plus on your system, you
can run it by changing to the "x:\FLEXPLUS" directory, where "x"
is the hard disk drive onto which FLEXIBAK Plus was installed,
and typing, "FLEXPLUS". FLEXIBAK Plus should now start up and
proceed to log your drive C. FLEXIBAK Plus defaults to backing
up all files on drive C, except those with the extension ".BAK",
with no compression and the destination disk set to drive A. If
this setup is ideal for you, then you can use FLEXIBAK Plus
straightaway. Otherwise, you should configure the setup by using
the Setup menu which is documented in the Reference chapter.

     You should see a menu bar across the top of the screen with
the Backup option highlighted. Press <ENTER> and a menu will
appear. Select the Start Backup option to begin your backup and
follow the instructions.


The Backup Data File

     The backup data file, called "FLEXPLUS.DAT" or similar,
contains information about all the files in the backup set, along
with the setup of your backup. While, in emergencies, it is
possible to restore data without this file (using FPREST), any
such rebuild will take time and cannot be guaranteed to rebuild
the file to its original state. Therefore, you should take every
opportunity offered by FLEXIBAK Plus to update this file (for
example, set the Save Data File After Each Disk? flag to "Y") and
keep a copy on your master diskette. i.e. Don't skip the part on
exiting FLEXIBAK Plus when you are asked to insert the master
disk and press <ENTER>.

     A copy of this file is also saved as "FLEXPLUS.BAK" (or
whatever you have called the data file) each time you run
FLEXIBAK Plus as an extra precaution.


Using Multiple Backup Sets

     It is possible in FLEXIBAK Plus to have more than one set
of backup disks to give an increased security to the backup. This
can also be used to speed up the backup process as you could have
a complete backup on one set of disks and just the most vital
files on another set of disks. This would allow you to use the
second set for day to day backups and the main backup set can be
updated perhaps once a week or so. This would mean that any non-
vital files that changed during the week would only be backed up
once, at the end of the week.

     Keeping multiple backup sets is a good way to improve the
security of your backup as, although FLEXIBAK Plus can detect
that files have gone missing, it can't detect if they have been
corrupted and you might not notice until after a backup has been
taken. With multiple backups, you are able to go to the
previously used backup set and restore the file from there.

     To specify alternative backup sets, simply pass the name of
the set as an argument when you run FLEXIBAK Plus. For example:

FLEXPLUS FULLBAK

will create a backup data file called "FULLBAK.DAT" and will use
the name "FULLBAK" as an identification on all backup disks so
that it is not possible to mix up the disks from two different
backups.
                          REFERENCE



Introduction

     The screen is split into 3 main sections. The top section
contains statistics which enable you to see at a glance the
status of the backup. The meaning of the figures are as follows:

     Backed Up: The total number of files backed up.
     To Add: The total number of files left to add to the backup
     disks.
     Queries: The number of unanswered queries.
     To Restore: The total number of files tagged to restore.
     No Disks: The number of disks in the backup set so far.
     Note that this is not the number of disks required to
     backup all the files.
     Total K: The total number of Kilobytes of files in the
     backup.

     The main section of the screen is where most of the
interaction between the user and FLEXIBAK Plus occurs. A general
rule throughout FLEXIBAK Plus is that <ENTER> is used as a
positive response to a question or situation and <ESCAPE> is used
as a negative response or to 'escape' from a situation. If you
remember this, then you will very quickly feel at home with
FLEXIBAK Plus.

     The bottom section of the screen is used for on-line help.
You should refer to this if you ever get stuck or are unsure what
is happening or what a particular function will do.

     In addition to these three main screen sections, FLEXIBAK
Plus contains a pull-down menu system which enables you to
quickly and easily move around and select the various program
functions. The various menu options are explained in depth later
on in this chapter.


Mouse Support

     FLEXIBAK Plus supports any Microsoft compatible mouse, as
long as the appropriate mouse driver is loaded. You will find
that a mouse will greatly ease your use of FLEXIBAK Plus and, in
fact, it is possible to use FLEXIBAK Plus without ever needing
to touch the keyboard. The left button on the mouse is the
equivalent of <ENTER> while the right button represents <ESCAPE>.


Backup Menu

     The Backup Menu contains all the necessary options for day
to day use of FLEXIBAK Plus, allowing you to backup files, answer
queries and restore files as necessary.

     Start Backup Option

          This option starts the backup process which will add
     any tagged files (see the "To Add" count in the statistics
     box at the top of the screen) to the backup disks. If a new
     disk is required, you will be asked to insert a Blank,
     Formatted disk, otherwise you will be asked to insert a
     particular disk number. Don't worry about inserting the
     wrong disk as FLEXIBAK Plus checks each disk inserted to
     make sure that it is the correct disk or, in the case of a
     blank disk, to make sure that it is blank. If FLEXIBAK Plus
     requires a blank disk and you do not have any blank disks
     left but wish to use a non-blank disk, you can use the
     Inspect Disk and Erase Disk options in the DOS menu to
     check your disks and then erase them as necessary.

          FLEXIBAK Plus will now update the backup disk by
     deleting any unwanted files (those tagged for deletion when
     answering queries) and adding any new or changed files to
     the disk. When it has finished with a disk, FLEXIBAK Plus
     will ask you to either insert another disk or will return
     you to the menu if there are no more files to add to the
     backup disks.

     Answer Queries Option

          From time to time, files on your hard disk drive(s)
     that are backed up will be deleted, either accidentally or
     on purpose. FLEXIBAK Plus is unique among hard disk backup
     utilities in that it will notice that a file has gone
     missing and tag it as a Query (the number of Queries is
     displayed in the statistics box at the top of the screen).
     This option will allow you to answer any outstanding
     Queries by deciding whether to restore each file or delete
     it from the backup disks also.

          To make matters easier for you, FLEXIBAK Plus attempts
     to group files by directory when asking you to answer a
     Query. Thus, if you delete all the backed up files from a
     particular directory, or you remove the directory entirely,
     you will first be asked whether you want to Restore the
     entire directory, Delete the entire directory or deal with
     each file as an individual Query. You will then be given
     the opportunity to answer Queries on individual files,
     which you may choose to Restore, Delete or Skip. By
     Skipping a Query, you can postpone indefinitely your
     decision on what to do with that file, though FLEXIBAK Plus
     will alert you to the fact that you have outstanding
     Queries whenever you select the Start Backup option as I
     don't advise this practice.

     Restore Tagged Option

          Use this option to Restore any files tagged for
     restoration by use of the Answer Queries option. You will
     be prompted to enter disks in much the same way as in the
     Start Backup option except that, by pressing <ESCAPE>, you
     are able to skip a disk and move on to the next backup
     disk. This is to account for the possibility of one of the
     backup disks being either lost or destroyed. If FLEXIBAK
     Plus has a problem restoring any file, you will be alerted
     and the file will be tagged as a Query so that it can be
     reprocessed at a later time.

     Restore Queries Option

          If you are sure that you want to restore all the files
     tagged as Queries, rather than answering a string of
     Queries, you can use this option which will tag all Queries
     for restoration and then restore them in the same way as
     the Restore Tagged option.

     Restore All Option

          To restore all files, including those that are still
     on the hard disk drive(s), you should use this option. You
     should only ever need to use this option after a complete
     hard disk failure. Do not use it at any other time unless
     you are absolutely sure what you are doing as you could end
     up restoring files that are older than those currently on
     your hard disk. Be careful!

     Restore Directory Option

          It is possible with this option to restore all the
     files in a particular directory while also changing the
     directory name if desired. This can be useful if you need
     to transfer files from one PC to another as you can take a
     whole directory from one system and restore it to another
     directory on the other system. Upon selecting this option,
     you will be presented with a pick list of the available
     directories from which you should select the directory you
     wish to restore. After selecting the directory, you will be
     given the opportunity to enter a new directory name to
     which the files should be restored. The operation will then
     proceed as for the Restore Tagged option. You should note
     however that, for safety reasons, this option will only
     restore those files that are already tagged as either
     Queries or for Restoration. i.e. They must not already
     exist on the source disk.


Setup Menu

     The Setup Menu is used to alter the setup of FLEXIBAK Plus
to suit your requirements. Three of the options in this menu take
you into a window where you can configure File Specs. These are
a series of DOS wildcards (such as "*.*" which means all files
or "*.EXE" which means all files ending in ".EXE") which enable
you to configure which files should be included or excluded from
the backup or compression. File Specs ending with a "-" are taken
as exclusions, and File Specs are processed in the order in which
they occur. For example, the default Global File Specs are "*.*"
followed by "*.BAK-" which means that FLEXIBAK Plus will backup
all files except those ending in ".BAK". If theses File Specs
were the other way around, the FLEXIBAK Plus would backup
everything as the last File Spec, "*.*" would tell it to include
all files.

     To add a File Spec, just type it in and press <ENTER> and
to remove a File Spec, you should type in the opposite File Spec.
For example, to remove "*.*", type in "*.*-" and press <ENTER>.
If you wish to change the order of File Specs, you must first
remove the leading File Specs and then add them to the end by re-
entering them. A maximum of 12 File Specs are allowed in each
situation.

     Global File Specs Option

          This option should be used to configure the Global
     File Specs for your setup. Upon selecting this option, you
     will be taken straight into the File Spec Entry window
     where you can alter the Global File Specs to suit your
     system requirements. Global File Specs are applied to EVERY
     directory on the source disk(s) and will be automatically
     effective on any new directories that are created. If you
     alter any Global File Specs, you should select the Re-Log
     Disk(s) option from the Utilities menu in order for the
     changes to take effect.

     Local File Specs Option

          Use this option to configure File Specs for a
     particular Directory. You will first be presented with a
     pick list of all the logged directories from which you
     should select your required directory. This will now take
     you to the File Spec Entry window where you can add any
     Local File Specs. Local File Specs are applied to a
     directory after Global File Specs and not instead of them.
     If you alter any Local File Specs, you should select the
     Re-Log Disk(s) option from the Utilities menu in order for
     the changes to take effect.

     Comp File Specs Option

          Compression File Specs are used to determine whether
     a file should be compressed or not. So, for example, you
     might want to Compress all files except those which are
     already compressed such as "*.ZIP" and "*.ARC". In such a
     case, you would enter File Specs of "*.*", "*.ZIP-" and
     "*.ARC-". You should note that unless you specifically
     include the files you wish to compress (for example, by
     using "*.*"), no compression will occur.

     General Setup Option

          Upon selecting this option, a window will pop up
     containing a selection of configurable parameters. They are
     as follows:

          Source Drive(s)

               In this field you should type a list of all the
          drives from which you wish to take your backup. For
          example, "CDEF" in this field would cause FLEXIBAK
          Plus to backup from drives C, D, E and F. The field
          may contain a list of up to twenty source drives.
          Please note that any changes made in this field will
          not have any effect until either FLEXIBAK Plus is
          exited and restarted or the Re-Log Disk(s) option in
          the Utilities menu is used.

          Destn Drive

               This field should contain the drive to which you
          wish to backup, such as "A" or "B". Please note that
          if this is set to anything other than "A" or "B", the
          Erase Disk option will be disabled. This is to prevent
          the accidental deletion of vital data.

          Update File Archive Flag?

               If this is set to "Y", the Archive Flag on each
          file is cleared as it is backed up and is checked when
          logging on to detect whether the file has changed or
          not. If it is set to "N", the Archive Flag is not
          cleared, and neither is it checked when logging on.

          Backup Hidden Files?

               If you have any hidden files that you wish to
          backup, then you should set this field to "Y".
          Otherwise leave it set to "N".

          Save Data File After Each Disk?

               This is a security option which, when set to "Y",
          causes FLEXIBAK Plus to save its data file after
          processing each disk when doing a backup. The default
          setting is "N".

          Maximum No Of Files

               This field contains the maximum number of files
          that FLEXIBAK Plus can handle. The default value is
          4000. You should only alter this field if your
          computer is short of memory or you have more than 4000
          files on your hard disk(s). Changes do NOT take effect
          until FLEXIBAK Plus is restarted. Please also see the
          section of the manual about command line switches.

          Maximum No Of Directories

               This field contains the maximum number of
          directories that FLEXIBAK Plus can handle. The default
          value is 300. You should only alter this field if your
          computer is short of memory or your hard disk contains
          more than 300 directories. Changes do NOT take effect
          until FLEXIBAK Plus is restarted. Please also see the
          section of the manual about command line switches.


     Verify Flag On/Off Option

          This option toggles the DOS Verify Flag on and off.
     When switched on, any data that is written to disk is
     immediately re-read and compared with what was written to
     make sure there were no errors. As this adds on a
     substantial amount of time and the probability of errors is
     so slight, I would advise leaving this option set to its
     default of Off.

     Sound On/Off Option

          This option simply toggles any sound effects on and
     off. Very useful for those of us who work at home late at
     night and don't wish to wake up the rest of the family.

Utilities Menu

     Re-Log Disk(s) Option

          Use this option to Re-Log the disk(s) after you have
     altered any configuration information such as the source
     disks or File Specs.

     Disk Usage Option

          This option will give you an estimate of the number of
     disks required to backup all the logged files. The estimate
     does not take into account the effects of compression
     which, if set, should significantly reduce the number of
     disks required.

     Check Disk Option

          Use this option from time to time to check up on the
     state of a backup disk. It will check that the contents of
     a particular backup disk are what FLEXIBAK Plus thinks they
     are and, if there are any differences, they will be
     corrected. Just insert a backup disk and press <ENTER>.

          The checking procedure is split into two passes. In
     the first pass, FLEXIBAK Plus will check all the files on
     the backup disk to make sure they should be there and will
     delete any that shouldn't be on the disk. In the second
     pass, FLEXIBAK Plus will check all the files that it thinks
     should be on the backup disk to make sure they are there
     and are up to date. At the end, you will be told how many
     errors occurred and were corrected. Normally this should be
     zero, but it is possible if the computer is reset or
     crashes while FLEXIBAK Plus is loaded for errors to occur.
     In such cases, you should run this option as a matter of
     course to make sure of the integrity of your backup.

     Refresh Disk Option

          If a backup disk is accidentally lost or destroyed,
     you will need to create a duplicate without having to
     abandon the entire backup. This option will perform this
     task for you by tagging any files on the specified disk for
     Adding and then assuming that the disk has not yet been
     used. This will mean that when you use the Start Backup
     option, FLEXIBAK Plus will ask you to insert a blank disk
     (when it reaches the disk you have refreshed) and will then
     backup all the files on that disk.

     Compact Backup Option

          From time to time, the amount of data on your hard
     disk drive(s) may decrease. If this happens, the number of
     backup disks used by FLEXIBAK Plus may be more than are
     actually required. If you want to release any backup disks
     for other uses, you should use this option to compact the
     backup. The effect of this option will be to release the
     last disk in the backup set and attempt to locate the files
     on this disk elsewhere. Immediately after using this
     option, you should use the Start Backup option which will
     then add the files to other backup disks and you will be
     able to see whether the compaction was successful or not.

     Create Queries Option

          If you have answered any Queries and you wish to go
     back on your decision, use this option to re-tag for Query
     any files that are tagged for restoration or deletion.

     Abandon Backup Option

          Use this option to completely abandon the current
     backup and start afresh. This will allow you to take a full
     backup on a new set of disks.

Reports Menu

     File Specs Option

          Use this option to produce a report of all the File
     Specifications that you have set up for the backup. Make
     sure that your printer is on-line and connected to the
     computer before running this report.

     Disk Info Option

          Use this option to produce a report of the Disk
     Information. This contains a few handy statistics along
     with details of the number of files, total size and space
     free on each disk. Make sure that your printer is on-line
     and connected to the computer before running this report.

     Registration Option

          Use this option to print a registration form which you
     can send off to register your copy of FLEXIBAK Plus.

DOS Menu

     Inspect Disk Option

          This option allows you to search through any disk and
     check the contents of it. I would strongly advise that you
     use this option before the Erase Disk option when
     considering erasing a disk.

     Erase Disk Option

          This option allows you to erase a disk in preparation
     to being used as a backup disk. I would strongly advise
     using the Inspect Disk option first and in any case, this
     option is disabled if the Destination Drive is not set to
     either "A" or "B" (use the General Setup option in the
     Setup menu to set the Destination Drive). This option will
     fail if the disk contains any read-only files.

     Exit Option

          This option terminates FLEXIBAK Plus and returns you
     to DOS. Before exiting, the data file is saved to the hard
     disk and then you are prompted to insert the Master Disk
     (this should be a backup copy of your FLEXIBAK Plus
     distribution disk). The data file will then be copied to
     the Master Disk also. This can be avoided by pressing
     <ESCAPE> when prompted to insert the Master Disk, but it is
     highly inadvisable to do so as FLEXIBAK Plus will need to
     use this file in order to restore the backup should you
     suffer from a hard disk crash.
                       TECHNICAL NOTES



Introduction

     This chapter is written with the intention of giving the
more advanced user (i.e. Those who know low level DOS pretty
well) a clearer insight into the workings of FLEXIBAK Plus. If
you do not understand this chapter, the do not worry - it will
not impair your ability to get the most out of FLEXIBAK Plus in
any way.


Backup File Format

     In order for FLEXIBAK Plus to be able to handle files of any
size, all files over the size of 300k are split into 300k
sections, each of which is treated as an individual file by
FLEXIBAK Plus. This has a number of implications. First of all,
some statistics won't appear to add up. For example, if you run
the Disk Information Report, the total number of files backed up
will not necessarily be the sum of the number of files on each
disk as one file may appear on more than one disk and would
therefore be counted more than once. Also, FLEXIBAK Plus may give
you the impression that it keeps trying to copy the same file to
different disks. It is in fact copying different sections of the
same file.

     When stored on the backup disk, the files contain a header
which gives information about its original name and location, its
date and time and its size. The file names used on the backup
disks are ascending numerical. That is, they are not the same as
the name on the source disk. This, along with the fact that some
files may be compressed, means that you cannot just copy files
from a backup disk manually, you have to use FLEXIBAK Plus or one
of the accompanying utilities.

Backup Disk Format

     If you look at a backup disk created by FLEXIBAK Plus, you
will notice that it does some rather strange things to the disk,
the reason for which I will attempt to explain. First of all, a
file is created with the name of the data file being used (such
as FLEXPLUS) and the disk number as the extension, for example
FLEXPLUS.1 would be disk number 1 of the FLEXPLUS backup set.

     Next, depending on the size of the disk, a number of
directories are created. If the disk is less than or equal to
360k in size, 12 directories are created, whose names are the
numbers 0 to 11. If the disk is 720k or less in size, 20
directories are created, whose names are the numbers 0 to 19, and
if the disk is larger than this, 40 directories are created whose
names are the numbers 0 to 39. The reason for this is to increase
the backup speed of FLEXIBAK Plus by making sure that all the
directory information is stored at the front of the disk, near
the File Allocation Table. Due to the blocking factor of smaller
disks being 1k and those of larger disks being only 512 bytes,
it is possible to fit up to 30 files in each directory on the
smaller disks and up to 14 files in each directory on the larger
disks without causing directory fragmentation. This is exactly
what FLEXIBAK Plus will do, though if it runs out of space, the
last directory will be fragmented to fit any extra files on.
                          UTILITIES



Introduction

     FLEXIBAK Plus comes equipped with some stand alone utilities
which enable the viewing and restoration of the backup disk
contents without the use of the FLEXPLUS.DAT (or similar) file.
This means that, even in the worst case scenario, where you have
lost or destroyed the disk containing FLEXPLUS.DAT, you are still
able to restore all the data with almost 100% efficiency. I say
"almost" because it is always preferable to restore using the
data file as that is the only way that FLEXIBAK Plus can be
absolutely sure of the backup status of each file.


FPDIR

     FPDIR is a simple utility designed to give a directory of
the files contained on a backup diskette. The syntax is simple,
simply type:

FPDIR x:

     Where 'x' is the disk drive containing the backup disk. You
will then simply be presented with a list of the files backed up
on that disk, in the order in which they appear.


FPREST

     FPREST is the utility to use to restore files from backup
disks where the backup data file has been lost. FPREST is quite
clever in that it will accept a list of file names or DOS style
wildcards and restore those files only. The syntax is as follows:

FPREST x: file1 file2 ...

     Where 'x' is the disk drive containing the backup disk. A
good example of the use of this utility would be:

FPREST A: *.BAT C:\DOS\*.EXE C:\CONFIG.SYS

     This command would restore all files matching "*.BAT",
whatever directory they may be in, all files matching "*.EXE" in
the "C:\DOS" directory and "C:\CONFIG.SYS".

     FPREST works on one disk at a time and reports the names of
the files as it restores them. Please be aware that large files
can be split over many backup disks and so you must make sure
that you run FPREST on all the backup disks in the set to ensure
that the whole of any large file (over 300k in size) is properly
restored.