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Testing a backup?
 
#1
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I am using version 4.2.44.2  and I have occasionally had issues when restoring from a full backup file wh ere TB! is unable to read part or all of it. Is there a way to test a backup before storing it on a CD without risking damaging a working TB! installation? I believe this issue stems from backups of a corrupted main mail folder, as if I go into the maintenance center and opt for checking integrity and repairing, quite often this main mail folder with about 33,000 messages in it, shows as damaged and a *.bin file is created. Once this *.bin file contained thousands of copies of the same e-mail message, and a couple of times it just contained hieroglyphic like characters. I would like to have a monthly back up to CD / DVD that I *KNEW* was 100% working. Thanks.
Edited: Chris Wilson - 19 July 2012 17:09:47
 
 
 
#2
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If you want to test a backup, you can do that by making a complete copy of your mail directory.
And afterwards restore your backup.
If it works then it's okay. If it doesn't then you restore your mail directory from the copy you made (do that with TB shut down).
__________________________________
I'm just a user of The Bat! I don't work for Ritlabs.
 
 
 
#3
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Sorry if I am being dense, but do you mean after I make a copy of the whole TB! mail directory somewhere safe, I should then delete the mail directory in the TB! main directory and then test the backup file by trying to recreate from the backup? Or do you mean I should test the backuo file by overwriting the (none deleted) existing TB! mail directory? Thanks for the fast reply, appreciated Roelof.
 
 
 
#4
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What I meant was: Let it overwrite the not deleted mail directory.
However, you might alse move the mail directory instead of copying it and restore the backup to the original location. For testing the quality of the backup the result should be the same.
__________________________________
I'm just a user of The Bat! I don't work for Ritlabs.
 
 
 
#5
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Roelof - is there any advantage/disadvantave to saving the registry key in the data direcoty then backing the entire folder structure up OUTSIDE of the Bat?
Thanks in advance
 
 
 
#6
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Advantage: You know for sure that you copy everything in the mail directory (Therefore you know for sure that it works.). I used to have a text file with taglines (cookies) in my mail directory. Switching to another computer (or another reason to restore a TB-backup) made me lose that file. (No big deal, I still had it.)


Disadvantage: During the years, TB collects a lot of old files: configuration files etc for old versions. It tends to keep them when the new file is generated. A backup and restore will get rid of that stuff. TB's address book doesn't compact after deleting entries, a backup/restore cyclus will compact it. (That's why every now and then I create a backup of my address book and restore it.)
TB's backup is smaller, though that can be remedied with winrar or winzip.
TB's backup can select to backup your mail folders without the messages.

Both procedures work best when restoring to the same TB version.
In some older versions TB's backup/restore was flawed and you never know when a new bug is introduced.
__________________________________
I'm just a user of The Bat! I don't work for Ritlabs.
 
 
 
#7
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Thanks Roelof - I have been afraid of depending on it because of stories that I heard from others. I will give it a try
 
 
 
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