This chapter describes the menus and shows how to customize EBR.
As installed by setup, the EBR programs reside in the EBR program group. Each time you run these programs, the software records your preferences, such as screen size or option settings, and stores these in various initialization files under your Windows directory.
Optionally, you may specify that setup place the EBRSCHED scheduled backup program in the Windows StartUp group. As installed by setup, it runs as a window rather than minimized, as an icon. To start EBR minimized, follow these steps:
1. In Program Manager, select (and open, if minimized) the StartUp group, and then select the Scheduled Backup icon.
2. Choose Properties from the File menu, or press [Alt]+[Enter] instead.
3. The Program Item Properties dialog box appears.
4. Check the Run Minimized box.
5. Click OK or press [Enter].
The next time you start Windows, Scheduled Backup starts minimized.
EBR provides you with pull-down menus, speed buttons, dialog boxes, browse windows, and message boxes to assist you with file backup and recovery. This section describes these menus.
The Help pull-down menu lists the following choices:
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Contents shows you the contents page of help topics available for EBR. This on-line information contains hypertext links to assist you in locating the information you need. Pressing [F1] has the same effect. See "Getting Help" later in this chapter for more information. ![]()
Search for Help On provides an index so you can find help on a particular topic. ![]()
How to Use Help describes the on-line help system for new users. ![]()
About EBR gives you information about the version of EBR you are running, and the amount of memory available on your machine.
The Tree, View, and Window menus are dimmed initially to indicate they are disabled. The Options menu will be discussed later in this chapter.
The following functions are available from the Operation menu:
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Backup allows you to back up selected files, directories, or disk volumes immediately. It is the same as the speedbar's Backup button. ![]()
Recover allows you to browse or recover files, directories, or disk volumes. It is the same as the speedbar's Recover button. ![]()
Archive allows you to safely back up old files, directories, or disk volumes to backup media, then remove them to free up disk space. It is the same as the speedbar's Archive button. ![]()
Verify Files confirms that the files you backed up match the ones actually on your local disk. It is the same as the speedbar's Verify button.
When you choose an operation, EBR enables other menu choices, so that you can conduct the operation more efficiently. For example, the Tree, View, and Window menus are disabled until you choose an operation. The speedbar also changes when EBR is performing an operation, as you discovered in Chapter 2.
The following sections describe menus as they behave during one of these operations.
Note: Your administrator may have configured the EBR service to allow access to some or all of the features described in the rest of this chapter. For example, at some sites, you can use EBR only for marking files and directories to be saved, and for recovering data from backups. At such sites, actual backups of workstation data will be handled by the EBRSCHED program on a schedule determined by your administrator. If a feature described here does not appear to operate correctly, see your administrator and ask about the local configuration of EBR.
Initially, the File pull-down menu contains only one choice, Exit, which closes EBR so that it is no longer active on your desktop.
During an EBR backup operation, the File menu changes as follows (other operations provide some different choices):
Mark and Unmark flag and unflag files to be backed up or recovered from storage media, just like the speedbar buttons.
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Special Handling brings up a dialog box that duplicates the function of the Protect, Encrypt, Compress, and Clear speedbar buttons. ![]()
Find provides a way to search for a file if you know its name, just like the Find speedbar button. It works with all operations. ![]()
Change Selection gives you a shortcut for changing the selected entry in the browse window; it has no speedbar equivalent. If your EBR service is configured to permit workstation backup of network drives, Change Selection allows you to select from the list of available network drives. ![]()
Close ends the operation in progress and closes all browse and status display windows. This is the same as double-clicking on the browse window's control-menu box. ![]()
Start Operation activates the operation in progress, just like the Start button on the speedbar. The Operation could be Backup, Recover, Archive, or Verify. ![]()
Even during an operation, Exit closes EBR so it is no longer an active application on your desktop.
Every operation activates the Tree menu. A description follows:
Figure 3-4. Tree Menu
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Expand One Level displays another level of a collapsed branch in the directory tree. This command is the same as typing [+], or double-clicking the mouse on a directory in the browse window. ![]()
Expand Branch displays all hidden levels of a collapsed branch in the directory tree. This command is the same as typing [*]. There is no mouse equivalent for this or Expand All. ![]()
Expand All displays all branches in the entire directory tree of all your disk volumes. This command is the same as typing [Ctrl][*], where [*] must be the asterisk on your numeric keypad. ![]()
Collapse Branch hides (or collapses) all branches beneath the selected directory. This command is the same as typing [-], or double-clicking the mouse again on that directory in the browse window.
See Chapter 4 for information on using the Tree menu to navigate browse windows.
The View menu also appears during an operation, to help you control the look of the browse window:
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Split allows you to move the vertical divider separating the two panels in a browse window, using the arrow keys. This operation can also be done with the mouse, by moving the arrow pointer to the divider, and dragging it while pressing the mouse button. ![]()
Name Only instructs the browse window to show only file names, while Name and Details tells it to show file size, date, time, and the DOS file attributes (plus backup date and time for Recover).
The Options menu is always active, even before you start an operation:
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Password sets an EBR file protection password for use in subsequent backups when Protect and Encrypt modes are in effect. ![]()
Local Directives sets up directives for scheduled backups of your system, and some directives for manual backups. ![]()
Recover Options allows you to relocate recovered data, and to set the method for duplicate filename resolution. This item is enabled only during a recover operation. ![]()
Font allows you to set the display font in directory tree browse windows and in operation status windows. ![]()
Speedbar is a toggle that alternately removes and restores the panel containing graphical buttons such as Backup and Recover. ![]()
Status line is a toggle that alternately removes and restores the area containing the server name, client name, and brief help messages.
The Window menu is standard in many Windows applications:
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Cascade arranges open windows one behind another. Though windows may overlap, all are partly or fully visible. ![]()
Tile resizes and arranges open windows so that they all fit on the screen, and they all are visible. ![]()
Arrange Icons positions icons so that they are evenly spaced in the EBR window. This command has an effect only when either a browse window or a status window is minimized. ![]()
Close All ends any operation in progress and closes all browse and display windows.
If you are experimenting and wish to start all over again, choose Close All from the Window menu, or double-click on the operation window's control-menu box.
By convention, keyboard shortcuts appear as underlined letters in the pull-down menus and speedbar buttons. These shortcuts work together with the [Alt] key. For example, to initiate a backup, type either [Alt] [b] as a shortcut for the Backup speedbar button, or else [Alt] [p] [b] as a shortcut for choosing Backup from the Operation menu. To initiate a recovery, type either [Alt] [r] as a shortcut for the Recover speedbar button, or else [Alt] [p] [r] as a shortcut for choosing Recover from the Operation menu.
Mouse shortcuts are available as well. While browsing volumes, directories and files, you may double-click on a directory to expand it one level, and double-click again to collapse a branch. In addition, you may click the secondary mouse button (usually on the right) to mark a file, and click it again to unmark a file. To close a browse or status window, or even the main EBR window, you may double-click on its control-menu box.
Inside a dialog box, such as the Naming Conflict and Rename windows described in Chapter 2, you can press the [Tab] key to move between fields, and the [Enter] key instead of clicking the OK button in the dialog box.
The four graphical buttons that appear initially on the speedbar are shortcuts for commands available in the Operation pull-down menus, described in the section "Operation Menu," earlier in this chapter. After you choose an operation, the speedbar buttons changes to look like this:
Mark and Unmark flag and unflag files to be backed up or recovered from storage media, just like menu choices Mark and Unmark.
Protect designates currently selected files as password protected. Encrypt designates selected files to be protected and encrypted. Compress designates files to be compressed on the storage media. Clear removes any protect, encrypt, or compress designation you have made.
The Protect, Encrypt, Compress, and Clear buttons are active for Backup and Archive, but dimmed for Recover and Verify operations.
Notice that protect, encrypt, and compress are mutually exclusive options - you can choose only one at a time (though encryption includes password protection).
Find provides a way to search for a file when you know its name, or part of its name. It is just like choosing Find from the File menu. Pattern matching with the wildcards * and ? is available; see Chapter 4 for details.
Start activates the operation in progress (backup, recover, archive, or verify), just like choosing Start Operation from the File menu.
Tip: The underline in each button label shows the letter to use for the [Alt] key shortcut. For example, [Alt]+s means Start.
You can learn a lot about EBR by using its Help facility. To see the table of contents for on-line help topics, either choose Contents from the Help menu, or press [F1]. While you are using dialog boxes, you can get context-sensitive help by clicking the Help button within the dialog box (if that button is present).
Here are some examples of the help facilities provided:
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If a menu is selected, look on the right side of the status line for a brief help message concerning the selection. ![]()
When the Main window is active, press [F1], or select Contents from the Help menu, to bring up a Help window showing you a list of help topics. ![]()
To read on-line help from beginning to end, click repeatedly on the [ >> ] button within the Help window. ![]()
In the Help window, when the cursor changes from an arrow to a hand with index finger raised, you may click the mouse to traverse the hypertext link underneath. If you need help on a particular topic, select Search for Help On from the Help menu, or click the Search button from inside the Help window, and then select a topic from the list. ![]()
If you do not understand how to use the Help window, which provides hypertext links in green type and in graphics, select How to Use Help from the Help menu.
To return to the EBR Main window without exiting help, click the mouse inside EBR to make it active.
To exit the Help window, double-click on its control menu box, or select Exit from its File menu. This will not exit EBR.
You may use the Program Manager's Program Item Properties dialog box to set or change the servername startup option. It specifies the name of the EBR service that EBR and EBRSCHED initially tries to connect with. The EBR SETUP program prompts you to supply this name during setup if you know it. The servername startup option is required for EBRSCHED, and is highly recommended for EBR as well.
Follow these step to set or change this option:
1. In Program Manager, select the EBR program group.
2. Select the EBR or Scheduled Backup icon.
3. Choose Properties from the File menu, or type [Alt]+[Enter] instead.The Program Item Properties dialog box appears.
4. At the end of the Command Line text box, type a space (required), then "-s" and the name of a server you wish to designate. For example:
ebr.exe -s servername
5. Click OK or press [Enter].
You and your system administrator must agree on the name of the service that backs up your workstation, and the administrator must assign your workstation to the service you specify using EBR options.
Two tasks you may want to complete now that you are familiar with EBR are setting your file protection password and choosing local directives for your system's backup. Choices you make will remain in effect until you change them.
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Choose Password from the Options menu to enter your file protection password. If you choose to password-protect your files during backups, EBR uses this password. When you try to recover files that are password-protected, you will have to provide this password. ![]()
Choose Local Directives from the Options menu to give special instructions to the EBR server for backing up your files during scheduled backups.
Setting the Password and Local Directives is completely optional.
By default, EBR does not password-protect files on your system during a backup. However, you may set up your system so that you can protect your files with an EBR password during backups or archives. To recover a protected file in the future, you must provide that password. Password protection is more fully explained in Chapter 5.
Important: If you change your EBR file protection password, EBR does not change the file protection for files previously password-protected. To recover a password-protected file you must be able to provide the specific password in effect at the time you backed up that particular version of the file. Therefore, you should be very conservative about changing your EBR file protection password.
If you want the option of password-protecting your files, choose Password from the Options pull-down menu. The Password dialog box appears:
Type your password into the Password field, press [Tab] to move to the next field, type your password again into the Retype Password field, then click on the OK button, or press [Enter]. EBR displays asterisks as you type your password.
Important: Your password cannot be longer than 20 characters.
If you typed the same password both times, EBR accepts it as your password. Otherwise, an error message box appears, and EBR asks you to try again.
After you set your password using the Password dialog box, your password remains in effect whenever you specify that files should be backed up password-protected or encrypted.
Note: The Password and Retype Password fields always appear blank when you bring up this dialog box, even if you have an existing password.
To remove an existing password, make sure both the Password and the Retype Password fields are blank, then click OK or press [Enter].
Ordinarily EBR does not password-protect or compress data copied from your local disk during backup. You can use the Local Directives option to control which files are backed up, and whether you want them password-protected or compressed.
Choose Local Directives from the Options menu. The speedbar changes to include the same buttons that appear for Manual Backup, and a Local Directives browse window appears:
Notice the check mark appears next to the slash above your disk volumes in the Local Directives window. By default, all your disk volumes, directories, and files are marked for backup.
If there are any disk volumes, directories, or files that you do not want saved as part of the scheduled backup, follow these steps:
1. Choose Expand All from the Tree menu to expand all your directory branches so that you can see everything on your disk volumes.
2. Use the scroll bars to browse all your directories and files.
3. Select the file(s) you do not want backed up, and click the Unmark speedbar button to unmark them.
Important: If you unmark any directories or files in the Local Directives window, they will not be backed up by EBR during scheduled backups. You should never unmark items unless you really do not want them backed up.
To use password protection, you must have already set your password, or you will see an error message. See the section "Setting Your Password" earlier in this chapter.
To password-protect or compress the files on a disk volume or in a directory, follow these steps:
1. Use the scroll bars to locate the directories or files you want to password-protect or compress.
2. Select a file and click the Protect speedbar button to password-protect it, the Encrypt button to encrypt and password-protect it, or the Compress button to compress it.
Note: You can either encrypt or password-protect a file, or compress it, but you cannot do more than one. See Chapter 5 for more information on these features.
Files marked for password-protection will have a lock displayed next to their names, files marked for encryption will have a bird (to represent hieroglyphics) next to their names, and files marked for compression will have a C-clamp next to their names.
If you password-protect or compress the files on a disk volume or directory, all its subdirectories and files automatically inherits that password-protection or compression.
To turn off password-protection or compression, click the Clear speedbar button, which appears to the right of the Protect, Encrypt, and Compress speedbar buttons.
Choose Save Directive from the File menu. You may also double-click on the control-menu bar of the Local Directives browse window. EBR prompts you to save your changes. If you say No, the changes you just made will be lost.
Note: The files you designate for password-protection, encryption, or compression in the Local Directives window apply not only to scheduled backups, but to manual backups and archives as well.
For example, if you password-protect a file in the Local Directives window and then bring up the Backup window, the file automatically appears with the same password protection as for scheduled backups. In addition, if you have a directory in the Local Directives window compressed, any new files you create in that directory will automatically be compressed on backup volumes.
By contrast, changes made for a manual backup do not affect Local Directives or scheduled backups.
Besides Password and Local Directives, the Options menu contains other choices to control the display of your EBR window.
To set the font EBR uses in browse and status display windows, choose Font from the Options menu. The Font dialog box appears:
You can set the typeface using the Font scrolling list, the weight and angle using the Font Style list, and the point size using the Size scrolling list. The font you are selecting appears inside the Sample window.
To have your font settings take effect, click OK or press [Enter].
By default, EBR displays the speedbar and the status line.The principal reason for disabling the speedbar and status line is to provide more work space on you workstation desktop. To disable the speedbar, choose Speedbar from the Options menu. The speedbar disappears. The next time you bring up the Options menu, the check mark beside Speedbar is not visible. To enable the speedbar, choose the Speedbar item again.
To disable the status line, choose Status Line from the Options menu. The status line disappears. The next time you select the Options menu, the check mark beside Status Line is not visible. To enable the status line, choose the Status Line item again.
The next time you start EBR, your settings for font, speedbar, and status line are still in effect.