How To Restore From Version Files

Author: Swapna Naraharisetty, 2BrightSparks Pte. Ltd.

Restoring a backup is a process of recovering your files when a disaster happens. With SyncBackPro and SyncBackSE, you can restore files to an earlier point in time by selecting the versions prior to the disaster. This article describes the procedure to recover your files from version files using SyncBackPro/SE V9.

For restoring from a backup, refer to our Restoring from a Backup article. We also have an article on Special Restore Cases.

Restore From Version Files

First, we'll show how to use the Restore option to restore selected files (or a small set of files) from version files.

1. Launch SyncBackPro/SE, select the Backup/Mirror profile you want to restore from, and click the Restore button at the bottom-right of SyncBack main-window:

2. The Restore wizard will appear where you can change the Restore From, Restore To and Advanced settings (if needed) or click on the Restore Now button to start the restore process:

SyncBack V10: In SyncBack V10 a new button is available: Choose sub-directories and files. If you click this button then you can choose which files and directories you want to restore. The Differences window will still be displayed later in the restore process, so you can further refine your restore selections or decide not to restore anything.

3. The Differences window appears showing the list of files with their versions. Click the Version button (next to the filename) to see the available versions for each file with their Versioned Date, Modified Date and Created Date:

4. Select the version then click the Select button to restore the source/destination file from the selected version:

5. If the file Action on the Differences window is set to Restoring Version then only destination file is restored. If you want to restore the selected file on both source and destination, change the Action to Copy to Source from the dropdown menu:

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the set of files you want to restore. To start the restore process, click the Continue Run. The selected files on the Source/Destination will then be restored from the version files.

Rollback Using Version Files

Next, we'll show how to use the Restore option to restore to an earlier point in time.

1. Launch SyncBackPro/SE, select the Backup/Mirror profile you want to rollback from, and click the Restore button at the bottom-right of SyncBack main-window:

2. The Restore wizard will appear. To set the rollback date/time, you can either click the Rollback to a date... button or select a date/time from a previous run of the profile from the dropdown menu.

When a rollback date/time is set manually: SyncBack compares rollback date/time with the modified date/time stamps of the version files and picks the version file that was last modified closest to rollback date/time for restoring.

When a previous profile run date/time is selected: SyncBack compares the profile run date/time with the modified date/time stamps of the version files and picks the version file that was last modified closest to profile run date/time for restoring.

After entering a rollback date/time, click the OK button followed by the ‘Restore Now’ button to start the restart process.

3. The Differences window will appear showing the list of version files selected for restore, along with their versioned date. If a file is modified after the rollback date/time, then no version file is selected, and its Action is set to Skip:

4. Now you have the option to Rollback all/selected Destination files or Rollback all/selected Source files. You can select the relevant option from Rollback tab on the Differences window.

Rollback all/selected Destination files: All/selected files are rolled back on Destination. The files will have their Action changed to Restoring Version.

Rollback all/selected Source files: All/selected files are rolled back on Source and Destination. The files will have their Action changed to Copy to Source.

5. Click the Continue Run button to start the rollback process. The selected files on Source/Destination will then be rolled back from the version files.

For additional details on rollback or restore, see the Using SyncBack > Runtime Help > Differences Window > Restoring Versions and Rollback section in the help file.

Conclusion

SyncBack’s backup and restore procedures allow you to recover quickly from disasters and reduce the chance of data loss. Backup your data frequently and check the integrity of backups to ensure you have a reliable backup ready for recovery.