Acomdata M-PUSHBUTTON BACKUP User Manual
PUSHBUTTON
BACKUP
USER’S GUIDE
™
IMPORTANT
Before reading this guide, set up your AcomData
External Hard Drive according to the instructions
in your Hard Drive User’s Guide.
If you want to use your Drive for backups please
read this guide carefully; it contains important
information that will help you create the backup
strategy that best suits your needs.
If you do NOT want to use your PushButton™equipped AcomData Drive for backups, you do
not need to read this guide or install the supplied
software.
CONTENTS
AcomData Contact Information ...................................................................... 4
INTRODUCTION .........................................................................5
What is PushButton™ Backup? ...........................................................................................................5
How PushButton™ Backup Works .....................................................................................................5
Duplicates vs. Backups .......................................................................................................................... 5
PUSHBUTTON™ BACKUP FOR WINDOWS PCS ..................................7
System Requirements ...................................................................................... 7
Software Installation ........................................................................................ 7
Installing Retrospect® Express ............................................................................................................7
Installing AcomData PushButton™ Manager ................................................................................ 9
Setting up PushButton™ Backup ................................................................... 11
Customizing the Button Backup Script ......................................................... 14
PUSHBUTTON™ BACKUP FOR MAC ............................................ 19
System Requirements .................................................................................... 19
Software Installation ..................................................................................... 20
Installing Retrospect® Express ......................................................................................................... 20
Installing AcomData PushButton™ Manager ............................................................................. 22
Setting up the Button Backup Script ............................................................ 25
Customizing the Button Backup Script ......................................................... 28
Install Retrospect Express 5.1
(Mac OS 9 & pre-OS 10.1.5)
.................................. 34
APPENDIX ............................................................................ 35
Frequently Asked Questions ......................................................................... 35
Troubleshooting ............................................................................................. 37
Glossary ........................................................................................................... 38
One Year Limited Warranty ............................................................................ 40
Obtaining Service for Your AcomData Product ............................................ 40
Notices ............................................................................................................. 41
AcomData
Contact Information
Address:
3410 Pomona Blvd.
Pomona, CA 91768
Telephone:
(909) 348-0680
Fax:
(909) 598-8663
Web Site:
www.acomdata.com
Customer Service:
customerservice@acomdata.com
Technical Support:
techsupport@acomdata.com
Pre-Sales Questions:
sales@acomdata.com
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INTRODUCTION
What is PushButton™ Backup?
PushButton™ Backup is an easy and convenient way to routinely backup your important files simply by pressing the PushButton™ on the front of your Drive. Not only
does PushButton™ Backup make backups easier and more convenient, but since
you’re backing up your data to a hi-performance hard drive, as opposed to say, tape
or optical media, backups are also much faster.
How PushButton™ Backup Works
Along with special hardware and firmware components, (inside the Drive) PushButton™
Backup uses a special version of Retrospect Express and the AcomData PushButton™
Manager software (on the included CD) that work together to initiate and run backups
whenever you press the PushButton™.
Retrospect Express is the software that actually performs the data backup function.
The Retrospect Express software bundled with your AcomData Drive was specially
configured to work with PushButton™ Backup. The primary function of the AcomData
PushButton™ Manager is to enable the PushButton™ on the Drive to initiate a backup
when pressed.
The first time you use PushButton™ Backup, the Retrospect Button Backup wizard will
launch and help you quickly setup a Duplicate script that specifies the volume (drive)
you want to backup and the types of files you want to include in your routine backups.
After setup is complete, each subsequent time you press the PushButton™, Retrospect
Express will automatically launch and perform an incremental Duplicate, saving the
files to your AcomData Drive.
You only need to set up the script once. If you happen to delete the script, the next
time you initiate a PushButton™ Backup, Retrospect Express will run the Button Backup
wizard.
Duplicates vs. Backups
There are three types of backup operations available: Duplicates; Backups, and;
Archives. By default, PushButton™ Backup performs Duplicates. However, after you set
up PushButton™ Backup you can change the Button Backup script to perform Backups
or Archives instead. (The Archive operation is not discussed in this guide. For information
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on Archives see the Help menu in Retrospect Express.)
Duplicates and Backups are the most common operations used for data backup; they
are described below.
About Duplicates
The Duplicate operation is essentially a “smart” copying process. Files and folders
from the source volume (e.g. your computer’s internal hard drive) are copied to your
AcomData Drive. Duplicated files and folders can be viewed and utilized just like the
original source file because a duplicate is a straight copy of the source file.
The Duplicate process saves space by overwriting old versions of duplicated files with
the latest versions from the source volume. It also saves time by copying only files that
are new or that have been changed since the last backup.
If you erase a file or folder on the source volume, the duplicated file or folder on your
AcomData Drive will also be erased the next time you press the PushButton™. In this
way, the backup is always an exact duplicate of the source. You can restore duplicated
files simply by dragging and dropping them back onto your computer’s hard drive.
The Duplicate operation is best suited for users who need quick access to their backed
up files and who do not need to backup their operating system or application files.
About Backups
The Backup process “packages” backed up files into a Backup Set. Files in a Backup
Set are not accessible via the desktop. They are only accessible via the Retrospect
user interface. To retrieve a file in a Backup Set, you need to “restore” the file using
Retrospect’s Restore function.
Instead of overwriting previously backed up files with the latest versions, with
Backups all previous versions of backed up files are saved, which allows you to restore
multiple versions of the same file as it has changed over time.
As well as backing up your files, Backups can also save other types of data, including
user settings, applications and their settings, and the operating system and its settings (including the registry). This information is invaluable if you need to perform
disaster recovery on a computer that has become unresponsive. Backup Sets can be
compressed to save space, and encrypted for added security.
The Backup operation is best suited for users who want to backup their entire startup
disk.
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PUSHBUTTON™ BACKUP
FOR WINDOWS PCS
System Requirements
The following system requirements are for PushButton™ Backup only. The system requirements for your specific AcomData Drive can be found in your Drive’s User’s Guide.
• Minimum 233 MHz processor (Pentium, Celeron, AMD, etc.)
• Windows 98SE, Me, 2000, or XP
• 128 MB of RAM
Software Installation
While we highly recommend backing up your files using the PushButton™ for its
ease and simplicity, it is possible to run backups, and any other Retrospect Express
operation, directly from the Retrospect Express user interface. If you want to run
backups without using the PushButton™ you do not need to install the AcomData
PushButton™ Manager. You only need to install Retrospect Express.
Installing Retrospect® Express
1. Save all work you are currently working on and
then restart your computer.
2. Insert the AcomData Software CD into your
CD drive. The CD will launch automatically
and you will see the Retrospect Express start
screen (Figure 1). If the CD is already in the
drive, locate the CD icon in My Computer.
Right-click the icon and select AutoPlay.
3. In the Retrospect Express start screen, select
“Install Retrospect Express.”
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FIGURE 1
4. In the Retrospect InstallShield Wizard (Figure 2), click Next.
FIGURE 2
5. Next you will see the License Agreement screen. If you accept the terms, select “I
accept the terms in the license agreement” and click Next.
6. Complete the Customer Information screen (optional) and click Next.
7. In the Setup Type screen (Figure 3), there are two options: “Recommended” and
“Custom.” If it’s not already selected, select “Recommended” and click Next.
FIGURE 3
8. In the Ready to Install the Program screen, click Install.
9. The Installing Retrospect screen will appear. Please wait while InstallShield Wizard
installs Retrospect.
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10. Once the InstallShield Wizard has successfully installed Retrospect, click Finish.
If you wish to install the AcomData PushButton™ Manager to run backups via the PushButton™, proceed to the next section: “Installing the AcomData PushButton™ Manager.” Otherwise, restart the computer and Retrospect Express will be ready to use. For
information on how to use Retrospect Express see the Help menu in Retrospect Express.
Installing AcomData PushButton™ Manager
If you have just installed Retrospect Express, the Retrospect Express start screen
should still be up. If you do not see the Retrospect Express start screen, but the CD
is still in the CD drive, go to My Computer and double-click on the CD drive icon. The
Retrospect Express start screen will appear. If the CD is not in the drive, insert it. The
CD will launch and the Retrospect Express start screen will appear automatically.
1. In the Retrospect Express start screen click on “Install AcomData PushButton™
Manager.”
2. The Welcome to the AcomData PushButton™ Manager Setup Wizard will appear
(Figure 4). Click Next.
FIGURE 4
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3. In the Select Installation Folder screen (Figure 5), select the destination folder. We
recommend using the default location shown in the Folder field. Click Next.
FIGURE 5
4. The Confirm Installation screen will appear. Click Next.
5. When the Installation Complete screen appears, click Close.
6. In the Retrospect Express start screen, click Quit.
7. Restart your computer. After the computer boots up, you should see the AcomData
PushButton™ Manager icon on your System Tray (Figure 6).
FIGURE 6
Proceed to the next section: “Setting up PushButton™ Backup.”
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Setting up PushButton™ Backup
When you set up PushButton™ Backup, the Button Backup script that is created is set to
run Duplicates by default. If you want run Backups instead of Duplicates, first complete
this section, then go to the next section: “Customizing the Button Backup Script.”
1. Press the PushButton™ on the Drive. Retrospect Express will launch. In the Welcome
to Retrospect! window (Figure 7) the license code field will display the correct
license code. You do not need to enter a license code. Click OK.
FIGURE 7
2. Next, the display will ask you to register your copy of Retrospect Express. To register, click Register Now and complete the Retrospect Express Registration form.
3. In the Retrospect Button Backup wizard click Next.
4. In Step 1 (Figure 8) you will be asked which volume you want to backup (for example, C drive). Click Next.
FIGURE 8
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5. In Step 2 (Figure 9) you will be asked what files you want to backup. Select Entire
volume to backup and entire disk, or select Documents only. Click Next.
FIGURE 9
6. In Step 3 (Figure 10) you will be asked where you want to save your backup. Select the
AcomData Drive and click Next.
FIGURE 10
7. In the next window (Figure 11) you will have the option to click Start Now or click
Finish to exit the wizard.
FIGURE 11
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If you wish to change the script in order to run Backups instead of Duplicates, click
Finish and proceed to the next section: “Customizing the Button Backup Script.”
If you wish to start running Duplicates now, click Start Now. The Duplicate operation
will run, and when it is complete Retrospect Express will quit. From then on, whenever you want to run a backup, simply press the PushButton™. Retrospect Express will
launch, automatically perform an incremental Duplicate operation, and then quit.
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