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From: singhal@homxb.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Comments on FASTBACK disk backup utility?
Message-ID: <2405@homxb.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 20-Feb-87 17:38:08 EST
Article-I.D.: homxb.2405
Posted: Fri Feb 20 17:38:08 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 21-Feb-87 17:23:30 EST
References: <4394@curly.ucla-cs.UCLA.EDU> <436@kaiser.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel
Lines: 47
Summary: FASTBACK is good but...

Yes FASTBACK is very good and fast but....

1) There is no way to tell FASTBACK which files or directories NOT to backup.
It allows you to specify which files or directories *should* be backed up but
that is not the same thing. It implies that whenever I create a new directory,
I need to explicitly tell FASTBACK to back it up. There is no way of saying
that "Backup all directories except C:\TMP and all files except *.BAK".
Consequently you end up backing more files than you want to and this
compromises the speed advantage.

2) It does not recognize AT&T PC6300+ as an AT. Therefore you can store
only 720K data on a flooppy, and not 1.2 Meg. FASTBACK is fussy about the
hardware so make sure that it can work in the "fast" mode on your computer.

3) The documentation is extremely half hearted. It is more of a "Reference
Manual" rather than a "Users Guide".

4) If you like to use the  file  catalog feature  (FASTBACK  creates a file on
your hard disk which lists all the files that have been backed up, which  disk
the file is on and other useful information) then you are forced to create the
directory \FASTBACK. I am fussy about the organization of my hard disk and  do
not like to be bullied like this.

5) It keeps the floppy disk motor running all the time. This precludes you
from doing a relaxed backup. Sometimes I prefer to backup my hard disk in
stages. Backup 20 floppys (takes 10 mins but feels like eternity), go for
coffee, and then backup the remaining 20. I wonder whether it is safe to keep
the floppy motor running for extended periods of time.

6) It does not tell you in advance how many floppys will be needed. If you
guess too few, God help you. When you use a floppy for the first time,
FASTBACK has to format it and this consumes precious time. DOS formatted
floppys are no good.

7) If you want to restore a specific file and you do not use the catalog
feature (see item 4 above) then you have to search for that file on every
floppy. Even if you do use the catalog feature, in case of a hard disk failure
it is no good since the catalog file is kept on your hard disk. There is no
easy way of generating the catalog file from the floppys. And please don't
suggest that I should backup my catalog file on a separate floppy !

Need I say more. I tried FASTBACK for a few days, and am now happily using
another product (DSBACKUP) which may not be as fast but is a whole lot better
AND cheaper.


---Sharad Singhal