Preferences extend Drag'nBack's functionality. You can set preferences to alter the execution of Drag'nBack. You change preferences by choosing Preferences… from the Drag'nBack(or its icon) menu. The preferences are stored with each template; you don't have to set them again. You can change preferences during backup. Any change in the preferences will take effect immediately.
When you create a new template the preferences are left unchanged as the previous template.
Balloon Help is provided with the preferences dialog. Clicking the Help icon will turn it on or off.
If you press down the option key before the backup dialog appears, the Preferences dialog will show up.
1. Resolve Alias Files
When you drag a folder to back up, the folder may contain alias files in it. If this option is selected, Drag'nBack will find the original object of an alias file. Otherwise the alias file will be treated as an ordinary file. If an object pointed to by an alias file is an alias file itself, then this object will be treated as an ordinary file.
For example, if you want to back up the System Folder, the Apple Menu Items folder in it might contain many aliases. Most of the time you will not want the aliases resolved.
On the other hand, you can create a backup folder and put the aliases of the folders you want to back up within it. This lets you drag one icon to back up.
When you drag a disk icon to back up, no alias file contained in it will be resolved.
The Finder always passes the original object to Drag'nBack when the object you drag is an alias file. Thus this option has no effect on any alias icon you drag.
When you add files to the template using Macintosh Drag and Drop, this option determines whether an alias icon will be resolved or not.
2. Scan Folder
When you double click at Drag'nBack to backup the files in a template it will scan the folders for new files before backup. Drag'nBack will scan the folders you dragged to it before or the folders you added to the template using the Add Files… command from the Drag'nBack icon menu. It will not scan the parent folders of the files you dragged to back up.
This option has no effect when you drag icons to back them up.
You can stop a folder to be scanned by selecting a file in the folder from the template then choose the Clear Folder command. A folder will stop being scanned if it can not be found in the same folder hierarchy as it was first dragged.
3. Use Spare Disk
Click this option to use any mounted volume that has not been used for backup for this template to back up new files. If a spare disk is found you will not be asked to identify the backup disk when backing up new files. The disk will not be renamed and existing files will not be deleted.
4. Use Backup Disk
Click this option to use any mounted volume that has been used for backup for this template to back up new files.
5. Skip on Error
Drag'nBack will automatically go to the next file for backup when an error condition occurs for a file. This reduces user intervention. Turn on the activity log so you can review the errors after backup is done.
6. Wait for OK
Drag'nBack will wait for you to click the OK button before starting backup. This will give you an opportunity to change option settings.
7. Confirm
Drag'nBack will ask for your confirmation before a file is copied or deleted.
8. Warn File Missing
Tell the program whether to warn you when it can not find a source file. The program takes three steps in handling a missing file. First, it will search the disk for the missing file. If the file is found renamed or moved to another folder, the program will rename and move the backup file. Second, if it can not find the file or the file is found in the trash can it will be recorded in the log file. Third, if this option is checked, it will warn you about it. Otherwise it will mark it as missing then proceed to the next file.
9. Check Created Date
When a file is to be backed up for the first time, backup will not occur if another file with the same name exists in the same folder on the backup disk. The desktop file is one example. The file will be excluded from backup.
When backing up a source file after it has previously been backed up, Drag'nBack will warn you if the creation dates of the two files are different.
When this option is off, the file on the backup disk will be replaced with the source file. You will not be warned.
10. Notify Verbally
When you are away from the desk, Drag'nBack will notify you when backup is done or when there is a problem with backup.
11. Resort
After backup is done the template will be resorted.
12. Backup Template
Drag'nBack will save a copy of the template on the last backup disk when it quits. The saving may not be done if there is not enough space on the backup disk. The template will be saved in the same folder as the template on the source disk.
13. Safer Mirror Image
This feature makes backup much safer than other mirror image backup software. It allows older backups to be kept on the backup volume. In the Technical Information topic, we recommend you rotate between two backup sets. Safer Mirror Image (SMI) automates this method. This method is called generational backup. Rotation between two backup sets is not exactly generational backup. This is because files in two backup sets may be modified at the same date.
In SMI, before a backed up file is updated, it is moved with its hierarchical folders into a folder called "Archives" located in the root directory of the backup disk. If this folder is absent it will be created. The changed source file is then backed up as before. This process is repeated every time a source file is changed. Before a backup is moved to the Archives folder, any backup of the same file in the Archives folder is deleted. Thus you always have two versions of backups available.
Why do we call SMI safer? As we discussed in the Introduction topic, a file can become corrupted when it is being saved or after it is saved. If you back up a corrupted file, the backup is corrupted also. If you can not open the corrupted original, you will not be able to open its backup either. Your file is totally lost. When you have two versions of the original backed up, you will at least be able to open the older version. This is because you have opened it before and thus it is not corrupted.
SMI is safer and better than generational backup. This is because if you do not detect a corrupted file after you complete a generational cycle, all the backups will be updated with the same corrupted original!
You do not have to do SMI on every backup. You can turn SMI on when you feel you have completed a certain level of work on a document.
When you are restoring backup files to a source disk and there is an older source file already on the disk, the older file will be moved to an Archives folder when SMI is on.
14. Incremental
The incremental backup provides unlimited undo of modified source files. Each time you back up a modified file, the old backup file is moved to an incremental folder. Thus you will have multiple copies of a source file. They differ from each other incrementally. Be aware that you will need lots of backup space.
The incremental folder is created inside the Archives folder as in SMI. The name of the folder is the time, date and day of the week when the backup was initiated.
This option can be used in conjunction with the Archives option. This will save you disk space and make your backup more organized. See below for a description on how this is done.
15. Archives All
This option is in effect when either the Safer Mirror Image option or the Incremental option is selected. When this option is selected all the backup files are moved to the Archives folder whether or not the source files have changed. This option will be turned off after backup is done.
Use this option when you have finished a project and wanted to put all project related files in one archives folder.
16. Compress Archives
This option will compress a backup file when it is moved to the Archives folder. You need to set this option when the backup file is moved to the Archives folder for the first time. You also need to set this option if you want the backup file compressed when it is moved to an incremental folder.
If a backup file is first placed in the Archives folder without being compressed, a subsequent backup file will be placed in the same folder without compression, even if this option is checked. On the other hand, if a backup file is first compressed when it is placed in the Archives folder, a subsequent backup file will also be compressed when it is placed in the same folder, even if this option is not checked.
17. No Verify
When a source file is copied to a backup disk, Drag'nBack normally reads the backup file to verify that it exactly matches the original. You may want to verify the writing of backed up files in this way. On the other hand, verification takes more time.
18. Block Bad Space
If a bad spot on a backup disk is detected while backing up, selection of this option will prevent the bad spot from being used again.
19. Save Comment
Drag'nBack will copy file comments to the backup disk when the file is being backed up. If a file comment is copied to a floppy disk, you will not be able to view the comment in the floppy disk using the Get Info command. However, it can be restored to the source disk when needed.
Note: when many files have comments, using this option greatly increases backup time.
20. Check Backup Disk
Drag'nBack will normally compare the modified date of the backup file to that of the source file to determine whether the source file needs to be backed up. You will need to insert every used backup disk.
On the other hand, if this option is not chosen, Drag'nBack will not check the backup disk when the modified date in the template is the same as the source file.
21. Synchronize
File synchronization is keeping two files identical. It allows either file to be modified.
Drag'nBack maintains a mirror image copy of your source file on the backup disk. Your source file is considered the real copy. Thus if you make changes to the backup, Drag'nBack will alert you about whether to replace a more recent file on the backup disk with an older one on the source disk.
When this option is selected and the above situation occurs, Drag'nBack will copy the backup to the source disk, replacing the source file. This may be what you really want. Thus the source file and its backup are synchronized. You can work on either copy freely.
When Safer Mirror Image option is selected and the source file is older, the source file will be moved to an Archives folder on the source disk before the newer source file is copied from the backup disk.
You can synchronize files between two computers. Drag'nBack will automatically adjust for the clock differences between them.
22. Delete Backup
When a source file is found to be deleted from the disk, then the backup copy will be deleted from the backup disk also. Choose this option if you wish to permanently remove a file. This option is turned off before a restoring operation.
Note that when a source file is found to be deleted from the disk, then the file will be marked if this option is not on. If this option is turned on at next backup this file will not be processed. Thus there is no danger you will unwillingly delete a backup file which has been excluded from backup.
Warning! If you inadvertently deleted a file, the backup file will be deleted. Then you have lost a file without backup. So use this option cautiously when you really know the consequences.
23. Shred Backup
A backup file will be shredded on a backup disk before it is deleted from that disk as requested from the Delete Backup option.
24. Always Replace
Normally Drag'nBack will update a backup file when the modified date of the source file is changed since last backup. This is called incremental backup. However, the backup file will be replaced under two other conditions when this option is chosen.
The first condition is when the modified date of the backup file is also changed since last backup. This may be because you opened the backup file and made some changes to it.
The second condition is when the file size of the source file is changed since last backup but its modified date is the same as the backup file. This condition may sound impossible. However, we have seen several programs saved changes of a document without updating its modified date. In this case you of course want to replace the backup file.
Note, however, it is theoretically possible that a source file may become corupted such that its size is changed while its modified is not changed. This is a dilemma. Thus before selecting this option, make sure that the file size is changed because the program did not update the modified date.
25. Compare
Drag'nBack will compare the source file with the backup file when their modified dates are the same. If the two files differ, you need to find out through other means whether the source file or the backup file is corrupt.
The Check Backup Disk, Synchronize, Always Replace, Compare and Archives options are interrelated. For example, if you select the Compare option the Check Backup Disk option will be turned on automatically.
26. Tidy Backup Disk
Drag'nBack will create a folder with the same name as the source disk on the backup disk, then copy the source file and its hierarchical folders to this folder. If you use a backup disk to store other files and don't want it to be cluttered with folders of the source disk then select this option. If you back up more than one source volume to one backup disk this option will also reduce cluttering.
27. Desktop to Desktop
Drag'nBack will copy desktop files to desktop of backup disk. If this option is not checked, desktop files will be copied to the source folder of backup disk.
28. Encrypt
Encrypting a backup file will transform its content according to a key. An encrypted file can be opened only by Drag'nBack and its content becomes unreadable without decryption.
You need to type an encryption key. After that, the option can be turned off and the backup will be kept encrypted in subsequent backups even when the option is turned off later.
To restore an encrypted file, either double-click the file icon of the backup on the desktop or select the file in the template and choose the Restore… command. You need to type exactly the same key you used to encrypt it.
29. Ask For Key
If this option is checked, you will be asked for the key every time an encryption key is needed.
30. Compress
If this option is checked, the backup file will be compressed from the source file.
For this option to work you need a compression utility such as Stuffit‚Ñ¢ from Aladdin Systems, Inc. The compression will be faster if the utility is kept in the front. If the file is oversized, the file will be compressed on the source disk. The compressed file is then segmented to multiple disks. The compressed file is then deleted. When the file is updated, only the compressed file will be compressed again.
31. Minimum Compress Size
This popup menu lets you to select a number so that compression will take place when the file size is at least this big.
32. Open then Back up
When you double-click on a template to open it, backup will start after it is opened.
33. Back up then Quit
When you double-click on a template to do a backup, Drag'nBack will quit after backup is done. Thus the combined effect of both the Open then Back up option and the Back up then Quit option is equivalent to double-clicking on the Drag'nBack icon.
34. Shut Down After
Click this option to shut down the computer after backup.
35. Defragment
A file on a disk gets fragmented when it grows bigger and bigger. The file is saved on several discontinuous places on the disk. In order to read the file into computer memory, the read head has to move all over the disk surface. This slows down the loading of the file. Furthermore, unnecessary head movements can decrease the life of a hard disk.
Defragmentation is the act of putting a fragmented file continuously on a disk. A defragmented disk is optimized or sped up in the sense that files can be read and written with maximum speed.
This option is a sub-menu. If you choose an item other than None, a fragmented source file will be copied to a continuous space on the disk after it is backed up or after it is successfully compared to its backup. This procedure insures maximum integrity of your source file. That is, you can do defragmentation safely because the file is backed up.
You can choose how frequently defragmentation will be done with the pop up menu.
Defragmentation will not be done when the source file is on a remote volume.
36. Prevent Fragment
When this option is checked the program will try to prevent the backup file from fragmenting. However some drives will cause the program to freeze. Turn this option off if freezing occurs.
37. Speed
This option is a sub-menu. It allows you to choose how fast backup will proceed when Drag'nBack is switched into the background during backup. The higher the number chosen, the faster backup will proceed. However, your mouse movement may become jerky.
38. Activity Log
Drag'nBack can record backup activity and display it in the upper portion of the template window. The log is saved as a TeachText/SimpleText file in the same folder as the template. It can be deleted without affecting the execution of Drag'nBack. Select this option to turn on recording. Any error condition will be recorded. In addition you can select the following action.
Hide The log will be hidden from the template window. You can manually drag the box at the right of the title bar to reveal the log.
First Backup File will be recorded when it is backed up for the first time.
When Updated File will be recorded when it is backed up after the first time.
When Archived File will be recorded when old backup is archived to the Archives folder.
Folder Name Folder name will be included with each file.
Disk Name Disk name will be included with each file.
There are three additional dynamic options that appear on the backup dialog. These options can only be set from the dialog.
39. Delete
Drag'nBack will delete the file from the source disk when it is backed up. The file will be deleted in a backup session when it is found to have been backed up first. Warning! After you have archived a file using this option be very careful with your backup disk. Your only copy of the file is on the backup disk.
40. Shred
The source file will be shreded before it is deleted from the source disk. The delete box need be checked.
41. Link
The source file will be replaced with an alias of the backup file after it is deleted from the source disk. After a backup file is linked, you can rename, or move the alias, the backup file will be changed similarly. If the Delete Backup option is checked and you delete an alias the backup file will be deleted as well. You can restore the source file from backup file in the standard way. If you deleted a source file without creating an alias and later wanted to create the link, you can use the Link command to do so. We recommend you use a separate template to track archived files.
42. Tasks
There are three buttons in the Preferences Dialog when clicked will set specific preferences for different tasks.
A. Auto
This is the automatic backup task. The preferences will be set to allow backup to proceed without interaction.
B. Image
This is the mirror image backup task. The preferences will be set to allow backup file and folder to become mirror image of the source file and folder. New files created in the source folder will be backed up.
C. Sync
This is the synchronization task. The preferences will be set to allow backup file and folder to synchronize with the source file and folder. New files created in the source folder will be backed up. Backup file will be copied over the source file if it is changed.
