Variety of Restore Options

Backup for Workgroups makes it fast and easy to restore files in one click, including accidentally deleted files or previous versions of altered files. When total disaster strikes, you can perform a Disaster Recovery that will completely rebuild your computer in the event you have to replace your entire hard drive.

The screen shot above shows you the four (4) different restoration options that are available:

• Selected File Restore
• Undelete
• Roll Back
• Disaster Recovery

Selected File Restore

Use the Selected File Restore option to restore specific files that you select. This option is designed to help you restore files when you know exactly what it is you would like to restore. All you need to know is the the filename and folder location of the file and you can restore it. Backup for Workgroups will automatically select the more recent version of the file to restore, but you can choose from any version of the file from the revision history. Plus, you don't even have to restore the file back to the original location - restore it to a temp directory so you can make sure it really is the file you want back.

Undelete

Use the Undelete Option to restore backed up files that you have deleted since the last backup occurred. This feature is handy to use when you accidentally delete a file that you know has already been backed up, but you do not know either the the specific filename or the folder location of the file. (I know I was working on that file last Friday, but I deleted it because I thought I was done with it. I can't even remember what it was called!) Backup for Workgroups allows you to specify a timeframe from which to pick from and it provide you with a list of deleted files to choose from. As long as the deleted file was included in a backup, it can be restored.

Roll Back

Use the Roll Backup option to restore large groups or even all of the files on your computer back to a previous point in time. This is handy when changes have been made to your computer (perhaps from a software program's auto update), but you aren't sure what made the changes or why you are experiencing odd problems with your computer. Let's say you discover troubles with your computer on Tuesday morning - simply Roll Back your computer to how it was on Monday. Worried that you will lose a few emails in the process? After the Roll Back, use the Selected File restore to find and restore your Outlook.pst file to the point of the last backup.

Disaster Recovery

Use the Disaster Recovery option to completely restore all your backed up files when you experience a total system or equipment failure. Your computer will be restored to the state is was in at the time of your last backup. Our Disaster Recovery is user-involved, so you will need to have your Windows Operating System CD handy, as well as the Backup for Workgroups "bfwsetup.exe" file to re-install the software.

There are two options for Disaster Recovery: to the same hardware (same computer, new hard drive) or to different hardware (new computer replacing the old computer).

Be aware that if you are performing a Disaster Recovery to a different computer, the drivers from the old computer may cause interaction problems with the new computer.

When you perform a Disaster Recovery, the Windows Registry from the old computer will be restored to the new computer. When you choose the "same hardware" disaster Recovery, the original Windows Registry will be restored. When you choose the "different hardware" disaster recovery, a modified version of the original Windows Registry will be restored. This modified version will prioritize the drivers on the new computer over the drivers from the old computer, allowing the new computer to remain functional after the restore.

Although Backup for Workgroups tries to make corrections for hardware differences, there are some situations that Windows simply cannot deal with. Since the Registry holds information about applications and drivers, this can affect the performance of the new computer. The drivers that have the hardest time with cross-hardware restorations are drivers that affect the hard drive, such as RAID and chipset drivers. The hardware difference between the old and the new computers can affect the overall result of a Disaster Recovery.

General Disaster Recovery Steps

The following outlines the general steps that you need to follow when you need to recover from a disaster. Please note that more specific instructions are provided in the Backup for Workgroups User Guide (under Help > User Guide) and help text to cover certain recovery scenarios.

1. Replace equipment if your disaster resulted in lost, stolen or damaged equipment.
2. Go to the Data Repository Manager and generate your personalized Disaster Recovery report. You need this report so you can follow its instructions to: partition and format your hard drive(s), install the Operating System, and restore your data.
3. At the computer running the Data Repository software, press Start>Programs>Backup for Workgroups Data Repository Manager.
4. At the Data Repository Manager, click on the Clients button in the side panel.
5. A list of all the Clients/Users of this Data Repository appears on the left. Select the appropriate user name.
6. Press the Generate Disaster Recovery Report button.
7. Backup for Workgroups generates your Disaster Recovery report based on your computer configuration and the last Operating System you were using.
   
   When prompted, indicate if you would like the Disaster Recovery Report generated for the Operating System you were running at the time of your last backup OR if you need instructions for a different version than the one you were running.
   
   If you need instructions for a different Operating System, select the appropriate version from the list.
8. Backup for Workgroups launches the Internet browser on the computer running the Data Repository Manager and displays your Disaster Recovery report. Use the Browser’s Print function to make a hard copy of this report so you can follow along with the instructions.

Go you your computer and follow along with the instructions presented on the Disaster Recovery report in order to partition the hard drives, install the Operating System, and install the Backup for Workgroups Client software. Once you have completed these steps, you will be ready to login to the Data Repository and restore files from your last backup.