QB backup
5 messages in this thread
In using QuarterBack I am a little confused about setting the archive bits
on a backup. If I make a backup once a month of my hard disk partitions
and set the archive bit on it, will QB, the next time I do a backup,
automatically backup only those files that have changed? If so, how does
it write to the proper floppy in the backup set? What's the difference
between this and an incremental backup? Why would I, as the manual states,
need to keep an incremental set of floppies and a full backup set of
floppies? That's a lot of floppies. I would just like to make a backup of
my partitions once a month and only add the files that have changed to
save time. No need to backup every file is there?
RJ……….on AutoPilot
RJ,
I have QB 5.03. Archive bits work as you have described. I don't think QB
will write into the middle of an existing archive. In essence, the
incremental backups are new archives. If you are concerned with minimizing
the number of floppies used, they describe a procedure in the manual
whereby you always have only two archives: the master and the incremental.
After a point, if you can afford it, backup to tape is the only way to go!
QB has improved its support of tape backups recently.
Gary from rainy Fort Wayne, IN
– via Whap!
I don't understand what incremental backups are. Are they floppies
containing backup files of only those whose archive bit changed? If my
partition gets corrupted and I want to restore it, what good is an
incremental backup if it doesn't have all the files on it? It seems to me,
only a full backup can restore my partition. I would like to see a backup
that you can write to that just adds the changed files to the backup. That
way, it would just ask for the proper disk to be inserted that has the
file in question. As it now stands, I must use 22 disks to backup one
partition just so I can add those few files that have been changed.
RJ……….on AutoPilot
Here is the way I do it.
Backup everything to disks labeled FULL BACKUP and set the archive bits on
Sunday.
Every day after that for the next week do an incremental backup to disks
labeled INCREMENTAL BACKUP without setting the archive bits. Depending on
how much work you do this might only be a few disks worth of information.
This will backup everything that has been changed or added since your last
FULL BACKUP. You just keep writing over the INCREMENTAL BACKUP disks
every day.
If you need to restore something just stick in your INCREMENTAL BACKUP
disks and choose it from there. That is the lates version. If it is not
on the INCREMENTAL BACKUP disks then stick in your FULL BACKUP disks and
choose it from there instead.
If your partition gets corrupted, restore your FULL BACKUP disks. Then
restore your INCREMENTAL BACKUP disks. Then you will have everything.
This is all explained better in the manual but I thought I'd give it a go
anyway.
Thanks, it seems a little clearer now.
RJ……….on AutoPilot