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(Most of these questions are answered, often in more detail, in the Manual.)
GENERAL
Does Back in a Flash® work on a Mac®?
What versions of Windows® does it work with?
Generally, what size Back in a Flash® should I get?
Can I get a better estimate of what size to buy?
My computer's hard drive is like 200 GB. How can my files fit in a Back in a Flash®?
INSTALLATION
I just plug it into a USB port and click on the next screen? That's it?
A screen doesn't come up when I plug Back in a Flash® into a USB port.
When are the daily backups done?
Any other optional stuff I might want to do?
Any other recommendations?
BACKUPS
What files get backed-up?
Any options or settings that I can change?
On the daily backups, do I need to do anything? Burn CDs? Anything?
So each day's backup is preserved? A revision or error today won't write over yesterday's version?
What happens when Back in a Flash® gets filled up with backed-up files?
How long will Back in a Flash® last? When will it get full?
What about "ongoing backups", done several times per hour while working on a critical project?
What about SQL databases, can they be backed-up?
I have two computers, can I use my Back in a Flash® on both?
RECOVERY OF BACKED-UP FILES
If I lose a file or it becomes corrupted, how do I recover it from Back in a Flash®?
Using the file explorer, is there a preferred way of doing this?
Is there a preferred way of handling the recovered file?
RESUSCITATING YOUR COMPUTER
To do resuscitation, my computer has to boot off Back in a Flash®. Can my computer do that?
Will Back in a Flash® allow me to recover from any computer crash?
OK, what do you mean by "resuscitate"?
What do you mean that I will get "good functionality" and be able to use the computer “effectively"?
That's quite a lot. Give me an example of something I won't be able to do.
OK, I don't normally do specialized stuff, so how do I resuscitate my computer if it crashes?
Tell me more about the software suite.
You think I can resuscitate the computer after it crashes?
How long can I continue to operate in this resuscitated mode?
MANUAL
Where's the manual?
OTHER
What else can I do with Back in a Flash®?
What's the warranty?
Should I leave it plugged into my computer? Remove it at night? When I’m gone on vacation?
After removing it, do I need to do anything when I plug it back in if the computer is on?
I plug it back in my live computer and click to run the program. Does that change the backup time?
GENERAL
QUESTION: Does Back in a Flash® work on a Mac®?
ANSWER: No. We're working on it and hope to have one for the Mac® in the near future.
QUESTION: What versions of Windows® does it work with?
ANSWER: Windows® 7, Vista®, XP and 2000.
QUESTION: Generally, what size Back in a Flash® should I get?
ANSWER: Our smallest unit is for users with mostly "documents" (text and numerical files, and presentations) and only a limited number of media files (pictures, songs and videos). Our larger units can handle more media. The table below shows some examples. Each unit can handle all of the files shown (the documents, plus the pictures, plus the songs, plus the videos). The table assumes an average user, pictures coming half from a 3-4 Mexapixel camera and half from a cell phone, and videos of YouTube quality. (The capacities shown on this table differ somewhat from those shown on the "Purchase" page and on the chart referenced on the next answer because the assumptions regarding pictures are different.)
| Documents | Pictures | ®Songs® | 2-min Videos | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 GB Back in a Flash® | All* | 450 | 300 (15 hrs) | 30 | 7.5 GB Back in a Flash® | All* | 1,500 | 1,000 (50 hrs) | 60 | 15.5 GB Back in a Flash® | All* | 3,500 | 2,500 (125 hrs) | 120 | 31.5 GB Back in a Flash® | All* | 7,500 | 5,000 (250 hrs) | 240 | 63.5 GB Back in a Flash® | All* | 15,000 | 10,000 (500 hrs) | 480 |
| * Assumes that the 3.5 GB unit has 1,000 2-page letters/spreadsheets and 50 15-slide presentations with graphics, doubling for each larger unit, so the 63.5 GB unit has 16,000 such letters/spreadsheets and 800 such presentations. | ||||
Remember that these are only examples and your needs may differ significantly.®For instance, your camera may have 3 times as many pixels. So please read the next answer and the answer to the first Backup question.
QUESTION: Can I get a better estimate of what size to buy?
ANSWER: Yes, and you should, since the numbers above are merely examples. Plus, it's easy to do. Start by using this chart. You can also do it by determining the size of the files now in your computer and then adding an amount for the files you will create or alter over the next several years. For an even closer estimate, do it both ways. It only takes a few clicks. The directions and an example are here.
QUESTION: My computer's hard drive is like 200 GB. How can my files fit in a Back in a Flash®?
ANSWER: The operating system and software in your hard drive is typically many, many times greater in size than your files. Check the current size of your Documents, Pictures, Music and Videos as set forth in the answer above and you're likely to find that your files fit comfortably in one of the Back in a Flash® sizes. Also, remember that your files are compressed during the backup process, so they occupy less space inside Back in a Flash®.
INSTALLATION
QUESTION: I just plug it into a USB port and click on the next screen? That's it?
ANSWER: Yes, just click once to Install/Run Back in a Flash® and you're done.
QUESTION: A screen doesn't come up when I plug Back in a Flash® into a USB port.
ANSWER: Assuming you're working on a computer with Windows (Back in a Flash® doesn't work on a Mac), it may be because your computer settings have been changed (perhaps by your employer) to prevent USB devices from loading automatically. So you need to do it manually, but it's easy. Go to My Computer*, double-click on the Back in a Flash® drive, double-click on the BackinaFlash folder, and double-click on the BackinaFlash application. If you unplug Back in a Flash® from your computer, you'll need to do this again if you plug it back in when the computer is on.
QUESTION: When are the daily backups done?
ANSWER: They are done daily at the same time as your first backup. Therefore, the first backup should be done at a time when the computer will be typically on and you logged in, and when it is convenient for you. We give you a notice about this at installation, on the second screen, during a 15 second period before the first backup starts, and you can always go to Settings (see answer to next question) to reschedule the time for backups.
QUESTION: Any other optional stuff I might want to do?
ANSWER: A couple but you can do them at any time. If the security of your backup files is important, you should change the default password (BackinaFlash) to something uniquely yours. The password is used to open the encrypted backup files. The password -- and other settings -- can be accessed by going to the Menu (right-click on the Back in a Flash® icon in the system tray, on the right of the task bar), selecting "Settings" from the Menu screen, and changing and saving the password on the next screen. While you are there, notice that you can set it up to backup not only your files but also your settings (contacts, desktop, favorites, etc.) and the files (or files and settings) of other users of your computer (provided you have Administrator rights with access to their files). Also, look at the next two questions for other things you may wish to do.
QUESTION: Any other recommendations?
ANSWER: In the Resuscitation section below we suggest that it may be useful, after the first backup, to simulate a computer crash by booting-up from Back in a Flash® and using the applications software suite in Back in a Flash®. It's easier to become familiar with the process now rather than when you're under the pressure of a real computer crash.
BACKUPS
QUESTION: What files get backed-up?
ANSWER: Everything which is under the My Documents* folder (including My Pictures*, My Music* and My Videos* folders), or inside sub folders of these four folders. That's by default, without any user intervention. After Version 1.10.0 the user has the option of selecting what files or folders to backup. If you have a prior version and have important files elsewhere, move the files or folders (by dragging them) so they are under one of these four folders. Also, please note that very large files (typically raw videos, often high-definition) are not copied in some versions of Back in a Flash® to conserve space inside the unit; specifically, in the 3.5 GB, 7.5 GB and 15.5 GB units, files greater than 100 MB, 200 MB and 300 MB, respectively, are not copied. If you do a lot of video work, it's possible that the USB stick approach of Back in a Flash® is not an effective backup solution (an external hard disk might be more suitable) but could still serve you to recover from a crashed computer.
QUESTION: Any options or settings that I can change?
ANSWER: You might find the defaults acceptable, but in the answer to the fourth Installation question you can set it up to backup more than your files -- namely your settings and the files of other users. Also, you can set it up so that all backups are full rather than the default, where the first one is a full backup and the subsequent ones are incremental backups (the latter backs-up only files that have been created or modified since the last backup); for most people this only wastes storage inside Back in a Flash® without benefit.
QUESTION: On the daily backups, do I need to do anything? Burn CDs? Anything?
ANSWER: No, there is nothing for you to do. The backups are done automatically at the appointed hour every day (as long as the computer is on and you are logged in) and the files are backed-up into Back in a Flash®.
QUESTION: So each day's backup is preserved? A revision or error today won't write over yesterday's version?
ANSWER: That's right. A file that was backed-up yesterday will always be there, the way it existed yesterday. If you work with a file over a week's time, each daily version is preserved.
QUESTION: What happens when Back in a Flash® gets filled up with backed-up files?
ANSWER: Two things happen. First the Back in a Flash® icon in the system tray changes from green to red when the device becomes 75% full. Then, at every backup thereafter, a screen reminds you of the situation so that you can buy a new Back in a Flash®.
QUESTION: How long will Back in a Flash® last? When will it get full?
ANSWER: The device is re-writable over a million times, so, from that aspect, it should last a lifetime. The answer to when it gets full depends on several factors, including the size Back in a Flash® you bought, the size and quantity of files you had at the time of the initial backup, and the size and quantity of the files you modify or add daily. For the typical user, one Back in a Flash® should last many years. For others it may last less. You can get a rough idea of how long it will last by doing this after several backups have been done: a) click on My Computer*, right click on the Back in a Flash® drive, click on Properties on the pop-up screen, and note the amount of Free space; b) close the pop-up screen, double click on the Back in a Flash® drive, double-click on the Backups folder and look at the size of several recent Zip folders (folders with a Zipper) that have the words INCR in their name; and c) divide the Free space by the average size of these Zip folders to get an approximation of the number of days left before the unit is full.
QUESTION: What about "ongoing backups", done several times per hour while working on a critical project?
ANSWER: Back in a Flash® is set up to do this. It's in the Manual. Go to the Settings screen mentioned in the answer to the fourth Installation question, click on the Others tab to set the parameters and click Save to exit. Then right-click on the Back in a Flash® icon in the system tray and click on Ongoing Backups to commence them.
QUESTION: What about SQL databases, can they be backed-up?
ANSWER: Back in a Flash® is also set up to do this. It's in the Manual. Go to the Settings screen mentioned in the answer to the fourth Installation question and click on the SQL tab to set the parameters.
QUESTION: I have two computers, can I use my Back in a Flash® on both?
ANSWER: Back in a Flash® is designed to backup one computer. Its use on two or more computers may lead to errors and is not recommended. Also, the frequent plugging and unplugging of the unit adds risk (Back in a Flash® should be unplugged only when the computer is off or, although less safe, by clicking on Exit in the Back in a Flash® Menu and following the "safely-remove" procedure in your operating system).
RECOVERY OF BACKED-UP FILES
QUESTION: If I lose a file or it becomes corrupted, how do I recover it from Back in a Flash®?
ANSWER: In the newest version of Back in a Flash® a proprietary restore utility is provided which makes the process utterly simple. Basically, you select Restore from the Menu, enter the name (or portion of the name) of the file and your password, and Back in a Flash® finds it for you. In earlier versions it's nearly as easy and simple instructions are in the Manual. To a computer Back in a Flash® looks like any other drive (like drive F: or G:), so you simply use any file explorer (including My Computer*) to open the Back in a Flash® drive and then open the Backups folder to see the daily backup files. If you know the date when the file was last backed-up (which would be the date when you last edited that file, or the next day), find the Zip backup file for that date (each backup file has a naming convention showing the date), then double click on that Zip file to open it and decrypt the desired file with your password. But it's easy even if you don't know the backup date, because the last file in the Backups folder is a log of all backups; just double click to open it and use Edit/Find to locate your desired file and the last date it was backed-up. Again, full details are in the Manual.
QUESTION: Using the file explorer, is there a preferred way of doing this?
ANSWER: The easiest way is simply to go to the Menu (right-click on the Back in a Flash® icon in the system tray, on the right of the task bar) and select "Explore Backup Folder". This takes you directly to the list of backed-up Zip files and (at the end) to the log file that allows you to find on what date a given file was backed-up. Other file explorers (including My Computer*) get you there, but not as quickly.
QUESTION: Is there a preferred way of handling the recovered file?
ANSWER: Yes, it's better to first Copy and Paste the recovered file to the desktop or to the hard drive before opening it or making any changes, to ensure that the original backup copy in Back in a Flash® remains unaltered.
RESUSCITATING YOUR COMPUTER
QUESTION: To do resuscitation, my computer has to boot off Back in a Flash®. Can my computer do that?
ANSWER: All newer computers (e.g., those that came with Windows® XP or later) can. Some older computers cannot boot from a USB, and for those we provide a bootable CD.
QUESTION: Will Back in a Flash® allow me to recover from any computer crash?
ANSWER: The term "computer crash" is intended to mean a failure of the operating system (perhaps due to a virus) or a failure of the hard disk. These represent the immense majority of the computer failures. Under those circumstances Back in a Flash® will allow you to "resuscitate" your computer, a term we explain in the answer to the next question. Back in a Flash® cannot resuscitate your computer if it failed for another reason, such as a broken motherboard or failed power supply.
QUESTION: OK, what do you mean by "resuscitate"?
ANSWER: We use the term to mean: a) restarting your computer, b) providing a software suite that provides good functionality, c) giving you access to your backed-up files, and d) providing a storage medium for you to save any files you create or modify. In short, getting you back to a point where you can continue to use the computer effectively, despite the fact that it's got no operating system and no hard drive (which in turn means that you've lost the software and files you had inside the computer).
QUESTION: What do you mean that I will get "good functionality" and be able to use the computer "effectively"?
ANSWER: After starting your computer off the bootable operating system in Back in a Flash®, you will be able to use the software suite inside Back in a Flash® to create new documents, spreadsheets and presentations, and also to open and edit those that were backed-up daily and are now stored inside Back in a Flash® (a "User Files" folder is provided in Back in a Flash® to save any files you create or modify). You will also be able to surf the Web, send and receive e-mail, do Instant Messaging, listen to music, play movies and more.
QUESTION: That's quite a lot. Give me an example of something I won't be able to do.
ANSWER: If you were working yesterday on an image with a professional image-handling software product (like Adobe Photoshop) and the computer crashes, you may not be able to use the resuscitated computer to complete your work, because you don't have the software. (Notice, however, that the file should have been saved in yesterday's backup, so you can send it by e-mail from the resuscitated computer to a colleague, or you can turn off the computer, unplug Back in a Flash® , plug it into another computer that has the professional image-handling software product, and extract the file so the work can be finished in the second computer.)
QUESTION: OK, I don't normally do specialized stuff, so how do I resuscitate my computer if it crashes?
ANSWER: The process is fairly straightforward and covered in detail in the Manual. Basically, there are two steps. The first one is to start the computer. Reboot (restart) the computer while pressing the Boot Menu Key continuously during the restart process. The Boot Menu Key (usually F12) is typically displayed on your screen during the start-up process and may be found in your computer's manual. A screen will eventually appear with booting options; select the option that boots from a USB. Once your computer starts, you're on to step 2, which is to access the application software suite built into Back in a Flash®. This is done by clicking on the desired program icon on the screen, or by clicking on the equivalent of the Start button to bring up the whole list of available programs. Also read the answers to the next two questions, especially the second one.
QUESTION: Tell me more about the software suite.
ANSWER: It includes software compatible with Microsoft® Word®, Excel®, Access® and Power Point® Presentation. It also includes a powerful Web Browser that, in addition to providing access to the Internet, doubles as a very useful file-management tool. An e-mail program is also provided, as well as Music and Movie player, Disk Burner, Chatting and Instant Messaging.
QUESTION: You think I can resuscitate the computer after it crashes?
ANSWER: Some computer users should be able to do it even without instructions, albeit with some thrashing around. With the instructions in the Manual, every computer user should be able to do it. And to make that happen, the first image on your screen once you boot off Back in a Flash® is that part of the Manual dealing with resuscitation. And remember that a full copy of the Manual is inside Back in a Flash®, and the screen with the abbreviated instructions tells you how to get to it. We recommend, however, that you do a computer-crash simulation by booting-up from Back in a Flash® and using the applications software suite in Back in a Flash®. You'll be working with a new operating system (one that is based on Linux, but chosen because its look and feel is remarkably similar to that of Windows®) and with a new software suite, and it's easier to become familiar with the process now rather than when you're under the pressure of a real computer crash. Moreover, there may be passwords or settings that you have stored in your daily software, but have now forgotten, that may be needed when using the software suite in Back in a Flash® (for instance, do you still remember your e-mail password, or is it stored in your e-mail software?). If you don't have time to do a simulation, you can see a rough (read: non-professional) video of the process here.
QUESTION: How long can I continue to operate in this resuscitated mode?
ANSWER: Perhaps weeks or months, but why would you want to? Before crashing, your computer offered a rich tapestry of features, many of which are not found in Back in a Flash®. We think most users would be well served by getting their computers repaired or replaced promptly, using Back in a Flash® for several days until the repairs are done.
MANUAL
QUESTION: Where's the manual?
ANSWER: In addition to the printed guide that came with your unit, you can find a detailed Instruction Manual in two (2) places: there's one embedded in your Back in a Flash® and there's another one online available here. During normal operations the Manual embedded in your unit is accessed by right-clicking on the Back in a Flash® icon which is in the system tray. During "resuscitated" operations there is an abbreviated Manual (dealing only with resuscitation) right on the desktop, and it has directions for accessing the full Manual embedded in your unit.
OTHER
QUESTION: What else can I do with Back in a Flash®?
ANSWER: As mentioned earlier, to a computer Back in a Flash® looks like any other drive, so you can use it like a conventional flash drive to transfer files between computers or for temporary storage of files. The "User Files" folder mentioned earlier may be used for this. You should delete the files in this folder after they are no longer needed (typically after the daily backup) so as not to decrease the capacity in Back in a Flash® for your backup files.
QUESTION: What's the warranty?
ANSWER: Two years from the date of purchase. For details please see our warranty page.
QUESTION: Should I leave it plugged into my computer? Remove it at night? When I'm gone on vacation?
ANSWER: Every user's security needs are different. You should assess risk and determine what's best for you. It seems prudent, if your computer will be unattended over an extended period of time, to remove Back in a Flash® from your computer and store it at a remote location.
QUESTION: After removing it, do I need to do anything when I plug it back in if the computer is on?
ANSWER: Do exactly what you did when you first got it: click once to Install/Run Back in a Flash® and you're done.
QUESTION: I plug it back in my live computer and click to run the program. Does that change the backup time?
ANSWER: No, backups will run daily at the time of the initial backup (or the time set in Settings, if you re-scheduled them), not at the time you plugged it back in. If a daily backup was missed when Back in a Flash® was disconnected, a backup will be done immediately after your click, but subsequent backups will be done at the time of the initial backup.
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* In Windows® 7 and Vista® "My" is not used, so "My Computer" is simply "Computer",
"My Documents" is just "Documents", etc.
All brand names are registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Copyright © 2008, 2009 Back in a Flash LLC
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