Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!midway!msuinfo!frith!urban
From: urban@frith.uucp (Mark Urban-Lurain)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Re: Problem with FASTBACK PLUS and Windows
Keywords: fastback
Message-ID: <1991Mar12.215851.2700@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu>
Date: 12 Mar 91 21:58:51 GMT
References: <24003@hydra.gatech.EDU> <1025@pallas.athenanet.com> <1991Mar12.144740.29121@aio.jsc.nasa.gov>
Sender: news@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu
Organization: Michigan State University, College of Engineering, East Lansing
Lines: 40

In article <1991Mar12.144740.29121@aio.jsc.nasa.gov> aden@vf.jsc.nasa.gov writes:
>In article <1025@pallas.athenanet.com>, kabra437@pallas.athenanet.com (Ken Abrams) writes...
>>In article <24003@hydra.gatech.EDU> gt7865a@prism.gatech.EDU (COMER,MATTHEW BRIAN) writes:
>>>Whenever I try to run fastback plus in Windows, my system crashes
>>Don't run FASTBACK (or any other backup program) under Windows (or any other
>>multi-tasker).
>
>Exactly.  What you're seeing isn't ever going to change (to my knowledge).
>FASTBACK PLUS must run exclusively, without WINDOWS anywhere around.  Don't
>even try runnning it Full Screen and Exclusive, it won't work.  You simply 
>MUST exit Windows.  That's the way it works on all of our systems.


I've used FASTBACK on my 386 under windows in the following manner:

	1) In a DOS window run from a .PIF which has background checked.
	2) Backup or restore to/from a DOS PATH, not via DMA.  You must
		use previously formatted disks to do this.  Enable the
		advanced user mode in FB and select DOS PATH as the
		destination in backup mode or source in restore mode.
	3) Not backing up dirs/files in use under windows.

I use a CMS tape system to do my regular backups, but fastback to move
files between systems.  The above method has worked fine for me on
several occassions.  I do this while doing other tasks in other windows
(including DOS windows) switching to the FB window for disk changes.  

I agree with the above posters' advice about not trying to backup files
that may be in use when windows is running.  However, if you specify the
files to backup (or want to do a restore) in the above manner, you
should be pretty safe.

Disclaimer:  I'm not responsible for anything which happens to your
files.

--
Mark Urban-Lurain                        urban@cpswh.cps.msu.edu
Computer Science Dept.                   urbanluraimg@clvax1.cl.msu.edu
Michigan State University                (517) 353-0682   
A-714 Wells Hall, East Lansing, MI  48824