Welcome

Welcome to the June newsletter from 2BrightSparks. In this issue, find out about how to get the latest updates to SyncBackPro and SyncBackSE, the SyncBack Management System, and OnClick Utilities. We've also written a technical article on SyncBackPro that helps you backup to a rotating device.

If you have any suggestions on what you might like to see in future issues of this newsletter, drop us a line with your suggestions.


SyncBackSE V6 and SyncBackPro V6
are Updated

SyncBackSE V6.1.1.22 and SyncBackPro V6.1.1.22 are now available. For those who already have V6 installed, do not uninstall/re-install, or you will lose your profiles and settings. Simply install 'over the top' of your current installation.

SyncBackPro V6 is a free upgrade for all customers who purchased a full or upgrade Pro license on or after 1st January 2011.

SyncBackSE V6 is free for all customers who purchased an SE license on or after 1st January 2010.

The following upgrade prices apply to those who purchased a license outside the qualifying periods. This may apply to you if you have paid for multiple licenses over a long period (volume discounts also apply):

SyncBackPro > SyncBackPro V6 = $15

SyncBackSE > SyncBackPro V6 = $20

SyncBackSE > SyncBackSE V6 = $10

Check whether you qualify for a Free Upgrade Today!

Download SyncBackSE V6

Download SyncBackPro V6

Note that this is not an upgrade to SyncBackSE and SyncBackPro from SyncBack freeware

Review the full list of changes for SyncBackSE & SyncBackPro

Why charge for the upgrade?

Can I use a V6 serial number with V5?

Yes, as long as you use the latest version of SyncBackPro/SE V5.

I am using V5 but would like to try V6. Can I?

Yes, but note that you cannot have V5 and V6 installed at the same time. When you install V6 it will upgrade your existing V5 installation (including its profiles and settings) and make a backup of your original V5 profiles and settings in case you later want to go back to using V5. You then have 30 days to trial V6.

After trying V6, if you decide not to upgrade, then you can uninstall V6 and install V5 (you must install the latest version of V5, which at this time is 5.20.0.0). When V5 is installed it will restore your original settings and profiles. Older versions of V5 (including V4 and V3) do not know anything about V6 and so will not know how to restore your original profiles and settings. This is why you must install the latest version of V5 to ensure your profiles and settings are restored.

Do I have to upgrade from V5 to V6?

No, you are free to continue to use version 5, the latest versions of which can be downloaded using the following links:

Download SyncBackSE V5 | Download SyncBackPro V5

SyncBackSE, SyncBackPro, and SyncBack Freeware

There are three versions of our backup program: "SyncBack" which is freeware, and "SyncBackSE" and "SyncBackPro" which are commercial programs.

Compare the freeware and commercial versions

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Windows 8 Survey

As you may be aware, Microsoft is updating its operating system to Windows 8 in the Autumn. You can read more about the Metro Interface and other new features by reading the Wikipedia Windows 8 Article.

We would like to know what you intend to do once Windows 8 is released (for example upgrade, or stay with your existing operating system). We've therefore created a short survey for you to participate in. The survey is on one page, and you'll get to see the overall results immediately on completion.

Take the 30 Second Windows 8 Survey

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SyncBack Management System Update

The SyncBack Management System, currently in its beta release, works with SyncBackPro V6 and provides valuable tools for system administrators to manage multiple profiles.

A new update to the SyncBack Management System (SBMS) has just been released.

The SBM Service and SBM Console have a rich feature set giving administrators control over SyncBackPro backups from a central location. The SBM Console allows system managers to review the history status of backup profiles, limit client machine access to the backup system, securely restrict user intervention of their backup profiles, and the automatic update of backup profiles.

The latest beta versions of the SyncBack Management Service and Console are available for download here:

Download the SBM Service

Download the SBM Console

For the beta version please use the following serial number:

SBMS1FL999-BETA-BETA-BETA-BETA-BETA

The SBM Service and Console have help files which introduce the SyncBack Management System.

We would like to hear what functionality you'd like to see implemented. If you find any bugs then please let us know.

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OnClick Utilities Updates

A suite of easy to use, powerful software utilities for Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/7 32 & 64 bit.

The latest versions of OnClick Utilities are now available with over 20 essential updates and fixes. Highlights include streamlined installers, 64-bit updates to HashOnClick and DeleteOnClick, a new 64-bit version of PatchOnClick and ScrambleOnClick, and a new V3 format for PatchOnClick which has better compression and major performance improvements.

Download OnClick Utilities

Licensees only need to enter their serial number once to license all OnClick programs. You can find out more about each individual program in the OnClick Utilities suite by clicking one of the links below:

• FindOnClick performs lightning fast file searches.
• UndeleteOnClick recovers files after deleting.
• DeleteOnClick securely deletes data.
• HashOnClick helps guarantee files are identical.
• EncryptOnClick delivers military grade encryption.
• ScrambleOnClick encrypt/decrypt files & text.
• PatchOnClick easily updates large files.

Visit the following web page to view the OnClick Utilities help file:

www.2brightsparks.com/onclick/ocu-help.html

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Technical Support: Backup to Rotating Devices

Many people have multiple backup devices, and data they wish to be kept regularly - and frequently - backed up. Perhaps one or more full-sized USB disks (or NAS boxes) and one or more flash drives, whereby you can easily take one of the latter with you if you leave the building (assuming you can be confident it holds a quite-recent backup). Rotating which device you back up to (in a cycle) can achieve this, and can also give you a degree of roll-back if you realize that the most-recent backup has copied a recent error, but the one before it is probably 'good' (or similar).

The problem arises with trying to trigger multiple profiles to back up to multiple such devices in the background (Periodically). If you have a profile for each device, and you set them going at staggered intervals, that will only work until you close the program. If you do, and only re-open it after all the trigger intervals have elapsed, all the profiles will try to trigger at once (because all the 'wait periods' will have elapsed by then). Plus, they would all then be basing their trigger intervals on/since that simultaneous 'reset' (the re-start time of the program), so this would need to be corrected, by removing the Periodic settings and reinstating them at staggered intervals again (and so on).

Another way to do this would be to Schedule each profile at staggered intervals, but you then do not have the simple means of suspending all such activity by simply closing SE/Pro, which you can leverage if you use Periodical triggers. (You would need to delete or manually suspend all such Scheduled Tasks).

One solution would be to have a single profile that rotates which devices it uses as Destination each time it runs, based on some external factor. This profile could then be set to run every X and figure out for itself which device to use. This would solve the 'all profiles trigger at once' syndrome, because there would only be one profile. This can be achieved in the Pro version via installable scripting (note: only SyncBackPro supports this). The example we have provided is a simple installable script that creates a new custom Variable - that you can use in place of the drive letter - whose value is calculated differently depending when the profile runs /calls the script for a value (that is, asks which device to use). As delivered, it is designed to be run every 15 minutes, and to toggle between one of four values. It can be edited/adapted to deliver values based on the half-hour, the hour or even the day, etcetera. This script, called RotatingDriveLetter.vbs can be downloaded from our Scripting page:

www.2brightsparks.com/syncback/scripts/index.html

Bear in mind that 2BrightSparks do not routinely provide bespoke assistance in devising or editing installable scripts. We provide the scripting facility, the Scripting section in the Help, and the examples provided in the program folder and the Scripting page of the website (as per the above link). The rest is up to the user.

Note: if you have not already done so, you may wish to lock any drive letters used so that Windows always allocates the same letter to each device:

www.2brightsparks.com/help/index.php?action=kb&article=12

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Lucky Draw Winners

Every month, ten lucky winners who complete the SyncBackSE/Pro survey forms receive a free license for OnClick Utilities. The link to the survey is contained in the order confirmation email. We will even allow you to transfer your license to friends or family if you've already got a license. Good luck!

To date, 850 lucky people have already received free software from us just by simply completing the survey, so what are you waiting for?

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Until Next Time

Thanks for reading! Like/don't like this format? Let us know.

If you have any suggestions on what you might like to see in future issues of this newsletter, drop us a line with your suggestions.

The 2BrightSparks Team.
2BrightSparks Pte Ltd.
www.2brightsparks.com

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