Fab's AutoBackup 7 Pro - a must have tool for techs

[GTP]

but nowadays I PXE boot to WinPE and use the external utilities from a USB stick – better workflow for me.

This ^^
Its a pain trying to build and modify .iso images so I just run my PE from my IODD. I can then run any portable tools or apps from the Windblows partition of the IODD.

 

[Larry Sabo]

I usually run Fabs from a USB flash drive containing my favorite tools, which gets any Fabs updates when it's executed. If the patient system won't run Windows, I boot a Gandalf PE on it then run Fabs that's on the USB flash drive. Almost the same as what @NJW and @Barcelona do.

 

[Diggs]

If the patient system won't run Windows, I boot a Gandalf PE on it then run Fabs

Hmmm.... Never thought about it that way. If the patient won't run Windows I pull the drive and dock it. I may change my ways. Thanks @Larry Sabo

 

[timeshifter]

Now whether it boots or not is another adventure.

It doesn't really boot correctly. It looks like it's running my regular Windows 10 1909 ISO, like a regular install, and I tell it to install etc then it complains about missing driver. I've got a ways to go to get a working WinPE install.

 

[timeshifter]

Its a pain trying to build and modify .iso images so I just run my PE from my IODD. I can then run any portable tools or apps from the Windblows partition of the IODD.

Yeah, I'm putting the ISO I make on my iODD anyway. I did build a plain vanilla PE ISO using Microsoft tools. I only got a command window. When I navigated to the Fabs folder on the volume of the iODD it wouldn't run, something about it not being compatible with this version of Windows.

 

[timeshifter]

I'd still like to get this Win10XPE disk working. Had a little more luck downloading the ISO that the program linked to. It went through the entire process cleanly. When I clicked Create ISO I get this message again:

 

[timeshifter]

Seems obvious now, but I needed to simply click "create boot.wim and ISO" button.

 

[timeshifter]

PE Build successful. BUT, no Fabs

 

[fabs]

I'm trying to build a PE disk for Fab's. Following this guide https://forums.fpnet.fr/viewtopic.php?id=446

To get past Step 7 where you select the Windows 10 source files I had to extract an install.wim file from the install.esd. That seemed to resolve that. I'm using a 64 bit Windows 10 64 bit 1909 ISO I built using the Media Creation Tool a while back, the same ISO I've used on my iODD for lots of installs.

Anyway, later in the process, after I press Play it seems to build everything OK but I never find an ISO file in E:\WIN10XPE.

Not sure what I'm missing.

Windows Media Creation tool ISO usually does not give good results with the PE Builder. That's why I advise to use Windows ISO Downloader tool for that. All needed WIM files are in ISOs from this tool (and these ISOs are straight from Microsoft website).

Now, I think that "Create boot.wim and ISO" button only makes a basic PE and ignores any additional custom app. Just follow the tutorial and use the big "Play" (blue triangle) button on the upper-right corner of the builder.
Also, it may be a much better choice to build a bootable USB so you would not have to build a full PE again with each Fab's or Nirsoft update

 

[Larry Sabo]

I get "Processing Public - Imaging devices" displayed forever and there is no activity on the drives, even after back-up completed. In fact, this screen (below) displays during the back-up for quite a long time before the job finishes. Clicking Exit displays backup job cancelled by user (after the screenshot was taken) but the program does not end. I need to force it to close.

Also, it would be good if the option to back up drivers was on one of the screens at the beginning of the process.

 

[Larry Sabo]

Additional folders not backed up:

Another problem I have been meaning to report, is the back-up of additional folders. Often, if I select a folder to be included in the back-up, it simply isn't -- probably because I neglected to check one of the boxes further up the directory heirarchy, or even at the very top. It seems to me that if a higher-levl box is not checked, there should be some warning that the selected folders below will not be backed up, or they should self-select automatically.

 

[fabs]

I get "Processing Public - Imaging devices" displayed forever and there is no activity on the drives, even after back-up completed. In fact, this screen (below) displays during the back-up for quite a long time before the job finishes. Clicking Exit displays backup job cancelled by user (after the screenshot was taken) but the program does not end. I need to force it to close.

Also, it would be good if the option to back up drivers was on one of the screens at the beginning of the process.

Something like that has been resolved (at least in development builds). That should be better with next release

 

[fabs]

Additional folders not backed up:

Another problem I have been meaning to report, is the back-up of additional folders. Often, if I select a folder to be included in the back-up, it simply isn't -- probably because I neglected to check one of the boxes further up the directory heirarchy, or even at the very top. It seems to me that if a higher-levl box is not checked, there should be some warning that the selected folders below will not be backed up, or they should self-select automatically.

Humm. This deserves investigation. Let's go for some torture tests.

 

[fabs]

Additional folders not backed up:

Another problem I have been meaning to report, is the back-up of additional folders. Often, if I select a folder to be included in the back-up, it simply isn't -- probably because I neglected to check one of the boxes further up the directory heirarchy, or even at the very top. It seems to me that if a higher-levl box is not checked, there should be some warning that the selected folders below will not be backed up, or they should self-select automatically.

Could you post a screen shot as example please ?

 

[fabs]

Also, it would be good if the option to back up drivers was on one of the screens at the beginning of the process.

In next version, drivers will not be selected by default as it looks like most of the time, migration jobs are in fact PC to PC moves and not nuke and pave. It will be also possible to select them individually.

 

[Larry Sabo]

Could you post a screen shot as example please ?

I'll try to do that today; still playing catch-up right now.

 

[fabs]

I'll try to do that today; still playing catch-up right now.

I'll look at this for next release as I've just uploaded a new version. See next post.

 

[fabs]

Hello,
Fab's AutoBackup 7 Pro and Fab's AutoBackup 7 Home & Office V7.6.0.3532 have just been released.

Here is the change log for both versions:

Added:
- Support for Zoom data
- Support for MicroSIP softphone client settings
- Support for Swann HomeSave View settings
- Drivers can be selected individually
- "Drivers" check box is not selected by default.
- If "Drivers" check box is deselected in backup or transfer mode, the program will remember it for next job.
- Ability to add a custom wallpaper to welcome screen.

Fixed:
- The program used to hang at "Downloading DPInst" when restoring/transferring drivers while there was no Internet connection.
- Dropbox cache is now always excluded from file copy.
- Pro only: if program was set to shutdown the computer ant the end of backup and was running in WinPE, it did not do it and threw an error message instead.
- Admin account used to run the program at UAC prompt was still the restored/transferred files and folders owner even if they belonged to another user profile.

Grab it from your orders history's details on the shop's website at https://store.fpnet.fr/account.php?language=en or using the bundled updater tool (click the "Download Fab's AutoBackup 7.X" link within the program and get the updated files).

 

[GTP]

Ability to add a custom wallpaper to welcome screen.

Huuh?
@fabs This sounds good but how do I do it?

 

[fabs]

All you need to have to do in order to add your own wallpaper is to put a wallpaper.jpg file in the program's folder. To limit excessive RAM use, 1920x1080 pixels pictures are the maximum recommended.