IMatch Backup

cthomas · May 20, 2017, 03:13:56 AM

I have used IMatch to backup IMatch. Now how can I use IMatch to rewstore IMatch to a full working copy of IMatch?

Mario · May 20, 2017, 07:35:46 AM

The Pack & Go utility has been designed to ease transferring IMatch databases and settings between multiple computers.
It is not a replacement for a real backup software or the built-in backup features in Windows.

Did you use Pack & Go to "backup" IMatch?
Did you read the help for Pack & Go, especially the section about how to use the "Restore" command?
What is your problem, exactly? What did you do so far, what do you want to restore?

The restore command enables you to restore a Pack & Go package to the original location.
If you have restored to another folder, you can restore individual files by copying them back manually in Windows Explorer.
As always, the help system has all the details.

cthomas · May 20, 2017, 06:02:56 PM

Quote from: Mario on May 20, 2017, 07:35:46 AM
The Pack & Go utility has been designed to ease transferring IMatch databases and settings between multiple computers.
It is not a replacement for a real backup software or the built-in backup features in Windows.

Did you use Pack & Go to "backup" IMatch?
Did you read the help for Pack & Go, especially the section about how to use the "Restore" command?
What is your problem, exactly? What did you do so far, what do you want to restore?

The restore command enables you to restore a Pack & Go package to the original location.
If you have restored to another folder, you can restore individual files by copying them back manually in Windows Explorer.
As always, the help system has all the details.

The backup I'm talking about is when you close IMatch sometimes you will get a message like this one: asking you if I want to backup my database. Other wise I use Acronis True Image to do a daily Full backup.

Mario · May 20, 2017, 07:42:38 PM

This is Pack & Go.

If you have a TI backiup, why not use it to restore the file in question?

cthomas · May 20, 2017, 11:04:59 PM

Quote from: Mario on May 20, 2017, 07:42:38 PM
This is Pack & Go.

If you have a TI backiup, why not use it to restore the file in question?

This is how I do my backups. Do you have any suggestions? Sense I backup like this is there any real reason to back up this way: when you close IMatch sometimes you will get a message like this one: asking you if I want to backup my database.

Jingo · May 20, 2017, 11:25:45 PM

This is how I do it but using Novastor instead. Photo drive is backed up fully each month and differentials are created daily (3 copies are maintained) with the oldest auto-purged prior to the backup. Imatch database and Preview cache folders are backed up the same way. IMA is backed up nightly (services stopped/folder sync on database done/services started). I get emails sent with a summary of each job so daily I can see that all ran overnight as it should have...

cthomas · May 21, 2017, 04:01:04 AM

Quote from: Jingo on May 20, 2017, 11:25:45 PM
This is how I do it but using Novastor instead. Photo drive is backed up fully each month and differentials are created daily (3 copies are maintained) with the oldest auto-purged prior to the backup. Imatch database and Preview cache folders are backed up the same way. IMA is backed up nightly (services stopped/folder sync on database done/services started). I get emails sent with a summary of each job so daily I can see that all ran overnight as it should have...

So do you use this or just or just Novastor?

Mario · May 21, 2017, 07:46:08 AM

If you do a daily backup of your system, you don't need the Pack & Go backup.

I've added this reminder because many, many people don't do backups at all. And then send me desperate emails because their disk died and they have lost everything, including their IMatch database, settings and presets.
Pack & Go was designed to help users to transfer IMatch databases between computers, e.g., when they travel or work on location. It is not a real backup software but can be used for that purpose and is better than nothing.

But I've explained all that in the IMatch help already.

Go go Edit > Preferences > Application: Settings => Backiup Reminder and turn it off. IMatch will then not prompt you to do a backup with Pack & Go.

Jingo · May 21, 2017, 03:54:59 PM

Quote from: cthomas on May 21, 2017, 04:01:04 AM
Quote from: Jingo on May 20, 2017, 11:25:45 PM
This is how I do it but using Novastor instead. Photo drive is backed up fully each month and differentials are created daily (3 copies are maintained) with the oldest auto-purged prior to the backup. Imatch database and Preview cache folders are backed up the same way. IMA is backed up nightly (services stopped/folder sync on database done/services started). I get emails sent with a summary of each job so daily I can see that all ran overnight as it should have...

So do you use this or just or just Novastor?

Just Novastor.. with daily backups, I never need to engage pack and go... Enjoy!

Mario · May 21, 2017, 04:19:43 PM

As I write in the help, Pack & Go is no substitute for daily backups. It just makes it easy to transfer IMatch databases and settings to another PC (that's its original purpose) or to versionize databases and settings.

wolftrap · June 09, 2017, 04:57:22 PM

I have just had a "severe Database Problems" tried running the Database diagnostic" multiple time to no avail. The instructions say if that fails I should restore the database from a backup. Well, that's all good and well, I do have a backup, BUT no place can I find out how to do a RESTORE!. I checked the help tab and found how to do a backup but not a restore. I searched the help database for the word "Restore" and found nothing, not one reference. I also check the user forum and found references to restore in "Pack and Go" but you mention the pack and should not be used as a backup. 1- update your help menu to include something about restore, and 2- how do I restore my database.

thrinn · June 09, 2017, 05:15:07 PM

I suppose you used Pack and Go for your Backup? Then there is simply a Restore Tab (see screenshot) where you can select your backup "package file".
If I press F1 in Pack and Go, I am directed to the help page for Pack & Go where there is also an chapter about Restore.

Art · June 10, 2017, 11:27:09 AM

If you do have a regular backup of your database, why don't you try copying the existing faulty one to have at least a backup of that and then copy the database from the regular backup over the faulty one and open that. You may have to redo some of the importing and categorising though. This assuming the faulty database has not yet overwritten a good copy in the regular backup.