SLIMIMAGE USER GUIDE SlimWare Utilities 1 of 12

Transcription

1 SLIMIMAGE USER GUIDE SlimWare Utilities 1 of 12

2 SLIMIMAGE USER GUIDE SlimWare Utilities 2 of 12 CONTENTS Forward... 2 Getting Started: The SlimImage HOMESCREEN... 3 OPTIONS MENU... 4 Windows & Applications tab... 4 Documents & Files tab... 5 HomeGroup Sharing... 5 The Files & Documents Manager... 6 Backup Files & Documents... 6 How to Create a Backup... 7 Restore Files and Documents... 8 Restore an Entire Snapshot... 8 Restore Selected Folders... 9 Restore an Individual File... 9 Windows & Applications Manager Backup Windows & Applications How to Create a Backup Restore Windows & Applications Restore a Windows Backup FORWARD SlimImage is a simple and easy-to-use, multi-purpose backup manager for Windows 8. It allows users to make separate backup profiles for both personal files and the operating system itself. This separation allows the two backup systems to work independently, keeping your backups small and minimizing restoration time. Furthermore, this method allows you to restore files and folders without affecting the operating system and you can restore an operating system state (including installed applications) without affecting personal files and folders. This flexibility makes SlimImage stand out from other data-security programs and provides a unique platform from which any level of computer user can easily manage their system.

3 SLIMIMAGE USER GUIDE SlimWare Utilities 3 of 12 GETTING STARTED: THE SLIMIMAGE HOMESCREEN From the SlimImage HOMESCREEN, choose what you want to back up by clicking or tapping on the tile that reflects that describes your needs. You may choose from either Documents & Files or Windows & Applications. The first tile is the Documents & Files manager. It lets you control how you manage your personal documents. This includes any text or project file as well as media files like music, pictures and video. The second tile is the Windows & Applications manager. It lets you control how you manage your operating system and any of the programs that have been installed. Beneath each tile is a status monitor. It tells you up front whether or not automatic backups are configured. If they are configured, the status monitor will also tell you how often each manager is set to create a backup.

4 SLIMIMAGE USER GUIDE SlimWare Utilities 4 of 12 OPTIONS MENU You can control how SlimImage behaves using the OPTIONS menu. Go to the options menu by clicking the Gear icon in the top-right corner of the interface. This menu has two tabs that each reflect the two backup functions: Windows & Applications and Documents & Files. WINDOWS & APPLICATIONS TAB Here you can tell SlimImage whether or not you want it to make automatic backups of the state of Windows and the state of all installed applications. You may set specific parameters that define when automated backups are made and how many to keep at one time. To automatically record snapshots of the operating system and installed programs, check the box next to Automatically record new snapshots. If you re on a laptop, you can further specify to run backups even if you are running on battery power alone. You can also tell SlimImage how to store the backups. To conserve space, you may opt to have SlimImage delete older snapshots as new ones get made. To enable this option, check the box next to Automatically delete old snapshots. Adjust the ticker below this option to tell SlimImage how many snapshots it should keep before it begins to delete old backups. When you ve made your selections, click SAVE.

5 SLIMIMAGE USER GUIDE SlimWare Utilities 5 of 12 DOCUMENTS & FILES TAB Here you can adjust the scheduling parameters that govern how often SlimImage will make backups, what will be included in those backups, and how long backups should be kept. To tell SlimImage which files and folders to backup, use the Inclusion List. The Inclusion List accepts Libraries to be added. You can make a unique collection of files to backup by creating a special library for those files. To add a library to the inclusion list, click or tap Add Folder. The folder you select will be added to the unique SlimImage User Added Folders Library. If you select to enable file history, SlimImage will make snapshots of your files and folders automatically. Use the Backup Frequency selector to tell SlimImage how often you want it to make snapshots. Backups can be scheduled in increments of hours or days. You can also specify how many old backups you want SlimImage to keep on file. You can opt to have it save snapshots forever or you can select a time-frame that determines how long old snapshots are held. Additionally, you can configure SlimImage to only keep backups until space is needed. HOMEGROUP SHARING You can recommend the target drive of the computer you are using to other members of the HomeGroup. Click the Recommend button to make the target drive of the current computer available to other members of the HomeGroup.

6 SLIMIMAGE USER GUIDE SlimWare Utilities 6 of 12 THE FILES & DOCUMENTS MANAGER Files & Documents are backed up incrementally. This means that you will have a history of backups for any libraries included in the backup. You will retain a different version of all files included in the backup for each backup that is made. This means that you can restore an older version of a file that you have made changes to. This utility lets you selectively backup and restore any personal files that you want. When you click the Documents & Files tile on the HOMESCREEN, you re taken to the Documents & Files manager. BACKUP FILES & DOCUMENTS To create a backup, click on the blue tile labeled Backup SlimImage will then look for appropriate locations and space to store snapshots of your personal files and folders. When it finishes, it will display a list of appropriate storage targets. The targets selected are places that are not on your local computer. Due to the nature of File History, you can backup to any external or network storage, but not to the local hard disk that you are backing up from. By storing your personal data in a place removed from the local hard-drive, you ensure that any problem that affects the main computer will not threaten your personal data. Viable locations that SlimImage will select include: Removable Memory Space this includes thumb drives and external hard-drives Network Space this includes local area network shares and networked computers in a Windows HomeGroup.

7 SLIMIMAGE USER GUIDE SlimWare Utilities 7 of 12 HOW TO CREATE A BACKUP Step 1 Select the Backup Target Step 2 Make any customizations to the backup process you wish. When you click Customize you are taken to the OPTIONS Menu, with the tab for Documents & Files already selected. See the above section on how to customize your backup processes. The automatic backup is the default state for SlimImage. It protects your files without your having to actively make backups. Step 3 To begin automated backups to the target drive, click the button labeled Backup Now to initiate a backup. SlimImage will continue to make snapshots of your files and folders as often as you specify in the options menu.

8 SLIMIMAGE USER GUIDE SlimWare Utilities 8 of 12 RESTORE FILES AND DOCUMENTS This utility lets you restore any backup of your personal files or folders. To restore a backup, click on the tile labeled Restore. 1. SlimImage will display a list of backups that have been recorded. Each backup will be identifiable by the backup date the User Name associated with the backup The computer name associated with the system that originally held the files The Documents & Files backup manager allows you restore an entire snapshot or selected files or folders. Restoring an entire snapshot puts all of the files back to the way they were when the snapshot was taken. Restoring individual files or folders only puts back those files you specify. 2. To do both, select the backup where the files you want to restore are located and click Restore. This opens the file viewer for that snapshot. This advanced tool looks and functions similarly to Windows Explorer. The first page you re taken to is the home page. It s indicated by the home notation in the navigational menu. RESTORE AN ENTIRE SNAPSHOT To restore an entire snapshot, leave the navigator on the home page and click the green restore button. The restore button works on a what you see is what you get basis. Whatever you are viewing in the navigator at the time is what will be restored when you click the green restore button.

9 SLIMIMAGE USER GUIDE SlimWare Utilities 9 of 12 RESTORE SELECTED FOLDERS To restore selected directories, use the file viewer to navigate through the folders held within the snapshot. If you decided to restore a whole directory, navigate to it and click the green restore button. The file viewer works on a what you see is what you get platform, so when you re on a given directory and you click the green restore button, SlimImage only restores that directory the one on the screen. If there are identically named files already in the directory you ve decided to back up, SlimImage will give you the option of whether you want to replace (overwrite) the existing files rename the new ones so that you can have both the current and backed-up files side by side, or skip a given file. This nullifies the backup process for that specific file, leaving the current version in place. RESTORE AN INDIVIDUAL FILE To restore an individual file, use the file viewer to navigate to it. Once you ve found it, right-click it. The right-click menu gives you options. You can opt to Preview the file view the file within SlimImage s file viewer Restore the file restore just that file to the way it was when the snapshot was taken, this includes both the file s original state and original location. If there is an identically-named file already in the directory, SlimImage will give you the options specified above, to replace (overwrite) the file, rename the file or skip the action. Restore to this allows you specify where you want the backed-up file to be restored. This option gives you the ability to put the backed-up version of a file in a place separate from where it is currently. This allows you to restore a file without overwriting an already existing file. It also allows you to organize your computer by creating special folders to hold selected files that you had opted to back up.

10 SLIMIMAGE USER GUIDE SlimWare Utilities 10 of 12 WINDOWS & APPLICATIONS MANAGER To access the Windows & Applications Manager, go to the SlimImage HOMESCREEN and select the Windows & Applications tile. BACKUP WINDOWS & APPLICATIONS This utility lets you backup your operating system and your installed applications. It creates a separate backup snapshot that does NOT include any personal files or documents. Because a Windows & Applications backup is created separately from Documents & Files, it allows you to preserve the state of personal files created or edited since the last time you created a Windows & Applications snapshot. Creating a Windows & Applications backup is a new way to completely re-install Windows and retain your applications and documents should you experience problems with our system in the future.

11 SLIMIMAGE USER GUIDE SlimWare Utilities 11 of 12 To create a backup, click on the tile labeled Backup SlimImage will then look for available space to store snapshots of your operating system. When it finishes, it will display a list of appropriate storage targets. The targets selected are places similar to those available for your personal files and documents. They include network shares and removable memory spaces, such as flash drives or removable hard-drives. The system backup however can also be made on a local hard-drive. We recommend making system and applications backups on a local hard-drive because of their size. The local availability of the space makes restoring a snapshot faster. HOW TO CREATE A BACKUP Step 1 Select the Backup Target Step 2 Specify any details about the snapshot you wish, including a relevant name and description. By default, SlimImage names the backup with the date it was made, but you can change this to anything you want. Step 3 To make a system backup, click Backup Now

12 SLIMIMAGE USER GUIDE SlimWare Utilities 12 of 12 RESTORE WINDOWS & APPLICATIONS This utility lets you restore a snapshot of system properties, including the state of the operating system and all of the applications installed at the time the snapshot was taken. It also allows you reset the whole system. RESTORE A WINDOWS BACKUP To restore a backup of windows alone, or a backup of windows and installed applications, choose from the following: SYSTEM RESET this option resets your computer to the way it was when Windows was installed. This means that it erases all programs that were put in after Windows. This is a more drastic restore. It effectually returns your computer to the way it was when it was new. But it does not affect any of your personal files and folders. They will be unchanged. SELECTIVE BACKUP the green tiles correspond to generated backups, there are backups made by you or by SlimImage automatically. Unlike the System Reset, restoring a selective backup will put back your computer system to the state it was in when the snapshot was taken. This includes both the state of Windows itself and all of the applications installed at the time. But it does not affect any of your personal files and folders. They will be unchanged. You can use the buttons in the Restore Manger to Edit the descriptions of backups Delete a generated backup Browse through the backups stored Restore a selected backup When you opt to restore, SlimImage will initiate the restore process. It will incrementally show you the restore steps as it goes through the process.