Backing up certain files weekly

[rumba]

I run a script to back up each day and use selectors to avoid backing up certain files ie applications. I would like to backup my email 'Messages' folder every week rather than every day. Can you use a selector to do this?

[pfyfe]

I am not very experienced at this type of script step and haven't got the program with me, but expect something like -

 

 

 

Exclude:

 

Name (Filename/Folder)

 

Enclosing folder exactly matches xxx

 

AND

 

Date

 

Enclosing Folder

 

Backup date

 

is on or after

 

Current date minus 7 days -

 

 

 

will work. Maybe someone else can give a more accurate rendition.

[RandyB]

Sorry, but I don't think the last suggestion will work. If your email is like mine (Outlook Express, but they all keep similar files), the files are updated every day. So a selector that says the file has to be 7 days old will never find any email files.

 

 

 

There is a kludgey way that might work, depending on your version of Windows.

 

 

 

Set the "AT" command to run a batch file every Thursday that will copy your \Messages folder to a different folder (say "\Messages_Backup"). Set the time to something before Retrospect runs. Have Retrospect always exclude \Messages but always include \Messages_Backup.

 

 

 

Set a second "AT" command to run a batch file every Friday, again before Retrospect runs, that will delete the contents of \Messages_Backup.

 

 

 

I used the system above in WinNT 4 for years on a system that only used NT Backup. It worked fine. Now we have Retrospect Server and such a large tape drive that we don't care about filling up with email files. However, having said all the above, I might even want to use it myself on my home system with Retro Desktop and only a 2-gig dat drive.

 

 

 

Note: The one caveat is that you make sure your email message files can be copied while the email program is running. Outlook Express works ok this way. If not, you might have to include a command in your batch files to close the email program and then restart it after making the copy. Otherwise you'll get "file open" errors and the copy won't work.

[pfyfe]

RandyB: "So a selector that says the file has to be 7 days old will never find any email files. "

 

 

 

But the selector doesn't say that. It says that the *backup* has to be seven days old.

[RandyB]

Sounds like you may be right. I am continually learning about the confusing variations of selectors and hadn't understood using Backup Date. However, when I tried it, I couldn't get it to work.

 

 

 

First exclude:

 

Windows/Path - check File - match pattern - use (in my case) "d:\data\outlook express\randy\*.*"

 

This does get all my mail files excluded so I know that selector is working.

 

 

 

Next I add a sub-selection to the above exclude. However: I've tried every variation of Universal/Date/BackupDate, including checking File or Folder, using multiple offset dates. Whatever I put in results in all files being backed up.

 

 

 

If you have gotten this working, could you be more specific on what you checked, where? The main confusion I've seen is between Universal (Name syntax) and Windows (Path syntax) and whether to check File, Folder, or both.