1. Welcome to Automated Backups
Automated 'set it and forget it' backups with SyncBackSE
Everyone who uses a computer at some point in time loses files they really don't want to lose. It could be that your hard drive seizes up, perhaps some files have been corrupted, accidentally deleted, overwritten, or your computer is stolen. There are many ways to lose those all important files. Don't let this happen to you. You protect your home and belongings from theft, fire, and other misfortunes, and the same should go for your valuable data.
Many people don't backup their files simply because they think making a backup is a hassle.
With SyncBackSE it's simple, so there's no longer any reason not to protect yourself against data loss. This e-book shows you just how easy it is to set-up hibernation in Windows, and to create a scheduled profile with SyncBackSE. From that point on your files will be automatically saved without any further intervention from you.
Getting Started
Three Simple Steps to Automate your Backups
It's very easy to have your important files backed up, safe and secure, without you having to
remember to make a backup. The backup can be done automatically, every day, while you sleep. It can be done while you're on holiday or out of the office. Computers are designed to help automate tasks, so let yours automate your backups today.
There are three simple steps to follow:
Step 1
Configure Windows to hibernate instead of powering off. This let's us automatically switch on the PC to make your backup.
Step 2
Create a profile in SyncBackSE to backup your files.
Step 3
Schedule that profile to run when you want the backups to be made automatically.
Configuring Windows
Step 1:
Hibernation and Your Computer
Many people with desktop computers don't know that you can hibernate your computer, instead of powering off. You don't need to be using a notebook/laptop to use power-saving features.
When a computer is put into hibernation a record is kept of everything that is in the computers memory (RAM). This includes information like what programs are running, all the files that are currently open (perhaps you're working on a Word document), etc. A snapshot is taken of exactly what is happening on your computer, which is then saved to disk in a special file. After it's saved the computer is then switched off automatically. When you switch back on the computer that snapshot is read from disk and you are returned to exactly where you left off.
By default Windows is not configured to use the hibernation power saving features so we
must enable them before we can use them.
Note: You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of either the Administrators or Power Users group in order to complete this procedure. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings might also prevent you from completing this procedure.
You can follow Microsoft's own instructions here, or our instructions below:
- Click Start, click Control Panel,
- and then double-click the Power Options icon:
- Click the Hibernate tab (if the Hibernate tab is unavailable, your computer does not support this feature.),
- tick the Enable hibernation checkbox,
- and then click the Apply button:
If there is an APM tab then click the APM tab. Click Enable Advanced Power Management
support, and then click Apply.
Note that the APM tab is unavailable on ACPI–compliant computers. ACPI automatically enables Advanced Power Management, which disables the APM tab, so there's no need to do this.
Click the Advanced tab and select Hibernate from the drop-down list for When I press the power button on my computer: This means when you switch off your computer by pressing the power switch on the computer it will hibernate instead of switching off. If you switch off instead of hibernating then the computer cannot be automatically switched on to perform the backup at the scheduled time.
You may also want to configure your computer to automatically hibernate after it's been idle
for a certain amount of time. This is a good idea because it saves you money on your electricity bill. Click the Power Schemes tab, and then select a time period in System hibernates. Your computer hibernates after it has been idle for the specified amount of time:
Click the OK button. We've now configured your computer to hibernate instead of switching
off.
We'll now create a 'Profile' using SyncBackSE.
1.3 Create a Profile
Step 2 – Creating a Profile
This step assumes you've already installed SyncBackSE, which is very straight forward.
Create A Profile
Run SyncBackSE and click the New button (or press Ctrl-N, or select New from the Profiles menu). The following window will appear:A profile stores information about the folders or files you would like to backup or synchronize using SyncBackSE. Profiles can be very specific as to what, when, and how a given task is performed, but we are going to be concentrating on creating a simple backup profile.
The Profile Setup Wizard walks you though the process of setting up your profile. The default settings make setting up a Backup profile a very simple process.
Click the "New" button located on the lower left of the program window:
Alternatively, choose "New" from the Profile menu:
The Profile Wizard window will appear. Enter a name for your new Profile:
Click "Next" located at the lower right of the window.
For this example we are creating a backup profile which is the default option:
The wizard will ask whether you wish to use FTP (File Transfer Protocol). FTP is used if you
are backing up over the Internet. As the default "No FTP" option is selected by default, you
need only click the "Next" button.
The wizard will now ask whether you wish to compress your files into a zip. Once again, the
default option is being used in our walk through.
The "No Zip Files" option has been
selected:
Click the "Next" button on the lower right. The wizard will now request you enter a name for
the source (where you are copying your files from), and that you select the location of the
source by clicking the folder icon button.
With Windows XP your documents, pictures, music, etc. are usually all stored in a special
folder called My Documents. In the example below we are browsing to a folder where
business files are located.
When you click the folder icon a "Browse For Folder" window will appear in which you will
locate your source. Click OK:
The folder selection field will now show the full path to your source.
Click the "Next" button. The choose Destination window will open.
Enter a name and select the location for where you wish to make a backup of your files to
(the destination) in the new screen:
Click the Next button.
The choose Destination window will open in the wizard. You now need to say where you want your backup files to be stored, which is known as the Destination. In this example we are assuming they are on another drive labeled "LACIE (L) (which could for example be an external drive connected via USB or Firewire).
When you click the folder icon a "Browse For folder window will appear in which you will
locate your destination. Click OK:
After clicking the "Next" button on the destination screen you will be asked whether you wish
to make a Fast Backup. Choose the "No Fast Backup" default option:
Click the "Done" button:
You have now setup your backup profile. A small informational window will appear informing
you that the main Profile Setup Window will open:
The Profile Setup Window allows you to check your choices.
Click the My Documents folder then click the OK button. You now need to say where you
want your backup files to be stored, which is the Destination. In this example we're
assuming they're on another drive (which could be an external drive connected via USB or
Firewire). Click the folder button next to Destination and select where you want your backup
files to be stored. Click the OK button.
The following dialog box will appear:
Click No, but if you wish you could click Yes to test your profile. This will make a simulated
run to check to see if everything is working correctly. No files are actually copied. Your
profile has now been created and is ready to be scheduled so that backups are made
automatically without you needing to be anywhere near the computer.
Now we'll take the final step to schedule your profile
1.4 Schedule Your Profile
Step 3 - Scheduling the Backup
If you're evaluating SyncBackSE (i.e. you haven't purchased it yet) then this step isn't going
to work for you. The evaluation version of SyncBackSE always prompts you whenever a
profile is run, even if it is run from a schedule. This means you'll need to click the Evaluate
button on the nag screen for the profile to run even if a schedule is defined.
If you haven't purchased a license for SyncBackSE and you're happy with the many features
it has to offer, Buy SyncBackSE to unlock scheduling now.
SyncBackSE Licensed Users
If you've purchased SyncBackSE then you're ready to go. Follow these simple steps:
In the main window of SyncBackSE click on the profile you want to be scheduled to backup
automatically: Then click the Schedule button in the toolbar at the bottom: Click the Yes button.
The dialog box (above) is a warning to make sure you enter your Windows login password
on the following window. What is your Windows login password? It's the password you enter
when you start Windows. If you don't have a login password then you can ignore the
warning and there's no need to enter a password. Click OK to continue:
If you have a Windows login password then click the Set password…button and enter it.
By default your profile will run at 9am every day. If you want to change this then click the
Schedule tab and make the changes required.
Click the OK button:
The window above will now appear giving you a summary of what the schedule is. Click the
OK button.
Congratulations! Your important files are now being backed up daily, and without you even
needing to be anywhere near the computer for it to happen. It will all be done automatically:
every morning your computer will switch itself on and SyncBackSE will make a backup of
your files.
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