The following DiskFit 1.5 release notes contain a summary of the latest enhancements, and an addendum to the enclosed manual. We suggest you read the manual before following the procedures outlined below. A thorough understanding of DiskFit will help you take advantage of the new features.
If you╒re already familiar with earlier versions of DiskFit, you╒ll find that DiskFit 1.5 offers enhanced MultiFinder compatibility, and new, advanced tape features. In addition, DiskFit 1.5 is compatible with Apple Computer╒s new FDHD (Floppy Disk High Density) disk drive.
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Ñ The overall performance of DiskFit 1.5 is significantly faster ╤ both under Finder and MultiFinder.
Ñ DiskFit 1.5 makes use of the new Notification Manager under Apple system 6.0 (or later). If you are running DiskFit in the background under MultiFinder, the notification manager provides visual clues as disks are needed. A special ╥attention╙ sound is played, and the notification icon flashes at the Apple logo in the menu bar.
Ñ Under MultiFinder, the Apple menu and Quit are now enabled ╤ even during backup and restore. You can use the Apple menu to select other applications while DiskFit is processing the backup, rather than having to search for and click a window in another layer.
Ñ The Shut Down and Restart commands in the Finder are no longer ignored if DiskFit is processing a backup. Instead, an alert appears to ask if you really want to stop the backup.
Ñ The DeskTop file can be backed up under MultiFinder. The DeskTop file can also be restored under Finder, with all comments intact.
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Ñ The tape driver is now easier to use, and has several new features.
Ñ Tape cartridges can be treated like Finder-readable Macintosh disks. Finder comments are preserved on tape set volumes.
Ñ Formatting and initializing tapes are now integrated into the tape driver. The driver recognizes whether your tape is formatted or initialized, and prompts you accordingly.
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Ñ DiskFit is fully compatible with Apple Computer╒s new FDHD disk drive. This drive is standard on the new Macintosh IIx, and is available as an upgrade option for the Macintosh SE and Macintosh II.
Ñ When Autoformat under the Options menu is enabled, the disk will be formatted to be as large as possible given available formatting possibilities (i.e., 800Kbytes for normal media, and 1440Kbytes for high-density media).
Ñ DiskFit 1.5 remembers the location you choose for its main window. Subsequently, if you run DiskFit on a Macintosh with a smaller screen and the window would not be visible, DiskFit automatically centers the window on the screen. Alerts and dialogs are also centered with respect to the main DiskFit window.
Ñ The ╥you may need X more disks╙ message is updated to use the disk size of the most recently used SmartSet disk. For example, the message may read ╥may need 2 20Mbyte disks╙ when backing up from a 40Mbyte hard disk to 20Mbyte Bernoulli cartridge.
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DiskFit 1.5 contains two new features which are not mentioned in the manual: the folder exclusion option, and tape backup capability.
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Exclude [Folders] in the Options menu allows you to define a folder, or group of folders which will not be backed up by DiskFit. When this option is selected, any folder whose name starts and ends with square brackets (such as ╥[my folder]╙ or ╥[Old files]╙) will be ignored by DiskFit. Excluded folders are never backed up.
You may select this option before any backup or restore. Excluding folders can provide four advantages:
1. Saves space on the backup disk.
2. Reduces the scanning/backup time.
3. Allows duplicates of files, when the source would otherwise not fit on the destination.
4. Allows the maintenance of archive files on a destination disk; that is, files which will not be erased during backup.
If you wish to Duplicate your source disk to another hard disk which is not large enough to hold the entire contents, you may exclude enough folders so the contents will fit. When enough folders have been excluded, use the Duplicate command in the File menu.
You may create excluded folders on a destination hard disk if there is extra space on it. For example, if you have a 20 megabyte drive in your SE and you are duplicating to a DataFrame XP 40 you may create a folder called [Archive] on your XP 40 and store files there. These will not be erased during a DiskFit Duplicate ╤ even though they are not on the SE 20.
WARNING: Do not put excluded folders on a destination SmartSet disk or tape. DiskFit will not see these files ╤ and may become confused. Also, if you do put excluded folders on a destination hard disk and then duplicate, make sure there is enough room on the disk to accommodate all copied source files.
NOTE: A better way to use DiskFit for archiving purposes is to create a SmartSet of your hard disk at any time and label and store that set. That becomes a snapshot of your hard disk at that time and date. However, be careful that you do not use this SmartSet for future backups: any changes to your hard disk will be reflected.
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Your DiskFit disk also contains a new DataStream file. The DataStream driver contained in this file tells your Macintosh how to communicate with 3M DC 2000 tape drives. Apple Computer╒s Tape Backup 40SC, SuperMac╒s DataStream and DataFrame 60+40, and General Computer╒s HyperTape 40 all use this kind of tape drive, and will work with the new DataStream driver.
The DataStream driver makes backing up to tape just like backing up to any Macintosh disk. Select the source hard disk, click Backup or press return, select the tape cartridge, and click Proceed or press return again. If you are given the choice of selecting Duplicate or creating a SmartSet, pick Duplicate.
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Copy each file to its appropriate destination as follows:
1. Copy the DataStream file from your DiskFit disk to your startup System Folder. This is normally your hard disk System Folder. The DataStream driver must be in the System Folder of your startup disk, or the Macintosh will not be able to read from or write to tapes.
NOTE: If your System Folder contains any other tape drivers, you should remove them before installing the DataStream driver.
2. Copy your DiskFit application file to your hard disk.
3. Copy DiskFit Help (also found on your original DiskFit disk) to a folder on your hard disk that contains the DiskFit application file, or into your startup System Folder. DiskFit Help provides complete instructions for using DiskFit, and is available anytime DiskFit is running. The help text is available by choosing Help from the Windows menu after launching DiskFit.
NOTE: It╒s important that you are using the latest version of the system software. Though DiskFit is compatible with System 4.2 (or later), you should use System 6.0.2 (or later) to take advantage of all the new features of DiskFit v1.5. If you are using an earlier System, contact your dealer for an update.
After you finish copying the files to your hard disk, store the DiskFit disk in a safe place ╤ away from heat, humidity, and anything magnetic.
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The Macintosh will not communicate with the tape drive unless the DataStream driver is loaded into memory when the Macintosh is first started. When installed in the System Folder, the DataStream driver will automatically load itself into memory. You can make sure the driver is loaded correctly by following these steps:
1. Starting from the Finder, select Restart from the File menu. The Macintosh will begin its usual startup sequence.
2. The startup screen should appear; then the following dialog box should appear briefly on the startup screen:
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If this dialog box is not displayed, the DataStream driver has not been properly installed. Install the DataStream driver again as described under Installation Procedures above. Make sure the DataStream driver is in the System Folder itself, rather than inside of any folders within the System Folder.
3. When the hard disk icon appears on the upper-right corner of the desktop, startup is complete.
NOTE: When the DataStream driver is in the System Folder, a file called "&&Tape Cache&&" will be created when you first insert a tape. If you do not have 650K of space on your hard disk, this file will not be created. Without this file, all operations to tape will be extremely slow. If the file is not created, either use a disk defragmenting program or delete some large files in order to provide enough space for the tape cache file.
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Your tape may or may not be formatted. If you insert an unformatted tape into the tape drive, DiskFit asks you if you would like to format it. If yes, DiskFit then formats the tape and automatically initializes it. Formatting completely erases a tape and prepares it to store information. This takes about 40 minutes.
If a new tape is already formatted, as are 3M GAMMAMAT tapes, DiskFit will ask if you want to initialize it. Initializing converts the tape into a Macintosh Finder-readable volume. Only formatted tapes can be initialized. Initialization takes about one minute.
NOTE: DiskFit 1.4 users should ignore instructions regarding DataForm found in 1.4 release notes. DataForm has been eliminated, and all tape formatting and initializing procedures have been integrated into the DataStream tape driver.
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If you insert an initialized tape in the tape unit and wait a minute or so, its icon will appear on the desktop. Because it takes much longer to access data from a tape than from a hard disk, avoid launching applications from the tape. Also, avoid copying files directly to the tape cartridge.
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Follow these steps to eject a tape:
1. Drag the tape icon into the Trash.
2. Wait a minute or two while the Macintosh prepares to eject the tape. The following message box appears near the bottom of the screen:
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3. Eject the tape according to the tape drive manufacturer╒s instructions.
NOTE: Selecting Shut Down or Restart when there is a tape in the tape unit will also initiate the eject sequence..i).Tapes:ejecting;
WARNING: Ejecting a tape before the message ╥Please eject the tape cartridge╙ appears may lead to data loss.
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Tape cartridges, like 3.5-inch disks, have a sliding tab that allows you to lock the tape.
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Write-protect tab in unlocked position
Unlock a tape by sliding the write-protect tab away from the center of the tape as shown in the diagram above. Lock a tape by sliding the write-protect tab toward the center of the tape.
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DiskFit allows you to quickly and easily back up your hard disk to one or more tapes. With DiskFit you can back up your entire hard disk, documents only, applications only or a single file. DiskFit is fast and automatic, and creates Finder-readable files. DiskFit╒s tape backup capability works under MultiFinder; however, when running DiskFit in the background, you will experience significant pauses in the foreground application. This results more from the way tape works than anything specific to DiskFit. We suggest that you leave DiskFit in the foreground when you copy to tape. Of course, you may always Pause the backup, send DiskFit to the background, and proceed later.
The first time you back up your hard disk, it will take about one minute per megabyte to copy files on your hard disk to tape. During the first backup, DiskFit copies all the files you╒ve told it to back up. Subsequent backups, called incremental backups, should take much less time, because DiskFit only backs up data that has been added or changed. DiskFit also removes from the tape any files you have removed from the hard disk. After an incremental backup, the contents of the tape exactly resemble the contents of your hard disk.
If your hard disk contains less than 35 megabytes of data, you can use the Duplicate command and copy the entire contents to one tape. If your hard disk contains more than 35 megabytes, or if you want to back up selected files, you need to create a SmartSet. A SmartSet is a collection of files on one or more tapes.
If your hard disk contains more than 35 megabytes of data, consider making two SmartSets: one SmartSet containing applications and system files, and another containing documents. Back up the documents SmartSet as often as necessary. Back up the application and system files SmartSet when you add a new program or change your system files.
The following sections show you the basic steps to back up and restore your hard disk. Complete documentation for all of DiskFit╒s features is available by choosing Help from the Windows menu after launching DiskFit.
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Follow these steps to back up your hard disk to tape. If you insert a new tape DiskFit will ask you if you want to format or initialize it.
1. Locate the icons labeled DiskFit and DiskFit Help on your hard disk. If they are not on your hard disk, copy them from the DiskFit disk.
2. Double-click on the DiskFit icon from your hard disk.
3. If your hard disk is not already highlighted, select it by clicking on it.
4. Click Backup.
5. Insert a tape into the tape drive.
6. When the tape icon appears in the volume list, click Proceed. The following dialog box should appear:
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Ñ If your hard disk has less than 35 megabytes on it and you want to back up the entire hard disk, follow these steps:
1. Click Duplicate.
A window giving you an opportunity to delay the start of the backup appears:
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2. Since the actual tape mechanism can generate noise during the backup process, an immediate backup might be inconvenient. The delay enables you to instruct DiskFit to begin the backup when the noise doesn╒t matter ╤ for example, at the end of the day after everybody╒s left the office. Type in a delay if you wish, and click OK.
DiskFit will scan your hard disk and copy files to the tape, and eventually ask you to eject the tape. Label each tape with the date and name.
3. When the message ╥Backup from Hard Disk was successful╙ appears, choose Quit from the File menu to return to the desktop.
Ñ If your hard disk has more than 35 megabytes of files on it, or you want to back up selected files, follow these steps:
1. Click Set to display the New SmartSet dialog box. (This dialog box will appear automatically if you have more than 38.5 megabytes of data on your hard disk.)
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2. Enter a new name for the SmartSet if you wish. Otherwise, the default name ╥SmartSet╙ will be used.
3. If you would like to back up your entire hard disk, make sure the Applications and Documents boxes are checked.
If you would like to back up applications only, documents only or a single file, check the appropriate box.
4. Click New. A window giving you an opportunity to delay the start of the backup appears.
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5. Type in a delay if you wish and click OK.
DiskFit will now scan your hard disk, copy files to the tape, and ask you to eject the tape. Insert additional tapes as requested. Label each tape with the SmartSet name and number.
6. When the message ╥Backup from Hard Disk was successful╙ appears, choose Quit from the File menu to return to the Finder.
Subsequent incremental backups work as described in the manual. When DiskFit asks for a destination volume, insert the tape that contains the Duplicate ╤ or insert the first SmartSet tape. If you have added files to your hard disk so that it now contains more than 35 megabytes of files ╤ which is more than your Duplicate tape can hold ╤ you will need to create an entirely new backup using DiskFit╒s SmartSet option. If your hard disk now contains more files than will fit on your SmartSet tapes, DiskFit will request an additional tape.
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DiskFit╒s Restore command lets you quickly and easily copy all the files from a single-tape Duplicate volume, or from a multiple-tape SmartSet, to your hard disk. If you need to restore only one or two files from a tape, just use the Finder to copy from a tape to your hard disk.
Before you restore all the files on a SmartSet to your hard disk, you should first initialize the hard disk. See the instructions in your hard disk manual to initialize it.
If you are restoring a document╒s SmartSet, or single-file SmartSet, you will need to copy a System Folder to your hard disk. Do this before you restore your files.
If you are restoring files on a tape containing a duplicate of your hard disk, or an applications and system files SmartSet, you need to start up from the DiskFit disk.
The following procedure will tell you how to restore files to your hard disk by starting up from the DiskFit disk.
1. Turn off your Macintosh and hard disk.
2. Insert the DiskFit disk in the internal disk drive. The DiskFit disk contains the following files: System, Finder, DiskFit and DiskFit Help.
3. Turn on your hard disk, wait 15 seconds, and then turn on your Macintosh. The icon for the 3.5-inch disk should appear in the upper-right corner of the desktop with the hard disk icon below it.
4. Double-click on the DiskFit icon on the 3.5-inch disk. The DiskFit control screen will be displayed.
5. Select the hard disk by clicking on its icon.
6. Click Restore.
7. Insert the tape containing your files. If you are restoring files from a multiple-tape SmartSet, insert the first tape in the SmartSet.
The tape icon will take about a minute to appear in the volume list.
8. Click Proceed. If you are restoring the files from a tape containing a duplicate of your hard disk, a dialog box to confirm the Restore command may appear. If so, click OK.
The time delay dialog box should now appear:
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9. Enter a time delay and click OK.
The rest of the restoration process will be automatic. If you are restoring with a multiple-tape SmartSet, DiskFit will request the sequential tapes as required.
When the restoration is complete, the message ╥Restore to Hard Disk was successful╙ will appear.
10. Click Quit to return to the desktop.
NOTE: Once you╒ve restored your hard disk, make sure it has only one System and Finder on it, and that the DataStream driver is in the System Folder. See ╥Verifying DataStream Driver Installation.╙
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Q: I╒ve been making incremental backups to the same tape(s) for a while. Lately it takes a long time. What can I do?
A: As the tape becomes nearly full, files may become ╥fragmented╙ on the tape. In other words, there isn╒t enough space left on the tape to write the file(s) in one continuous pass. The result is that pieces of files become scattered throughout the tape volume ╤ and the tape mechanism takes longer and longer to search the tape to locate the file fragments. The solution is to erase the tape and do a complete backup of the hard disk.
Q: What do I do when DiskFit says ╥The current date is before the last backup date╙?
A: Check to see if your Macintosh Clock and Calendar, under the Control Panel, are set to the correct date and time. If not, change them and proceed as normal. If they are correct, then they must have been incorrect the last time you backed up. Go to the Windows menu, select your SmartSet and delete it. Then backup and insert the first disk of your SmartSet. DiskFit will respond with ╥This is not a known SmartSet. Scan all disks?╙ Choose yes and DiskFit will rebuild the SmartSet.
Q: I would like to Archive? Can I use DiskFit for this?
A: Yes, absolutely. You can create a SmartSet of your hard disk at any time and label and store that set. That becomes a snapshot of your hard disk at that time and date. However, be careful that you do not use this SmartSet for future backups or any changes to your hard disk will be reflected. Also, if there is room on your Duplicate destination hard disk you can use the Exclude [Folders] option to archive specific folders on this duplicate volume. You cannot use Exclude [Folders] on SmartSet destination volumes. (Refer to previous Folder Exclusion section.)
Q: Can I restore just one file, not the whole set?
A: Since all SmartSets are Finder compatible, you simply drag the file icon from a SmartSet disk to your hard disk, instead of following the complete Restore procedure. You can locate your file by looking in the SmartSet report located in your System Folder.
If DiskFit had to split a file under multiple SmartSet disks because it was too large to fit on one SmartSet disk, it will have a split-file icon. Copy all fragments to your hard disk and use DiskFit╒s Join File command in the File menu.
If you still need help, call SuperMac Technical Support at (408) 245-0646 for assistance or you can call the SuperMac BBS at (408) 773-4500. You can also find technical assistance in the SuperMac RT on GEnie, the SuperMac section on MacNET, and/or in MACPRO on CompuServe.
