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

[britechguy]

Has anyone ever had Fabs "get stuck" at the very outset when doing a restoration of data?

I had my first one today, and I want to make sure there's no user error involved. I did a Fabs backup as I've done before and it ran to completion and Fabs was gracefully closed.

I took the drive with the backup to the target machine, fired up Fabs, and chose Restore. I tried, twice, firing up fabs and choosing the backup configuration file in the folder where the backup was taken, and both times it just sat and sat and sat with no population of the fields on the opening restore screen. I checked Task Manager and Fabs was running and getting CPU time, but it just never populated.

I can easily do the backup and attempt restore again, but since this has never happened in the past to me, I thought I'd check to see if it might be a "once in a blue moon thing" that can happen or if it might be due to user (my) error.

 

[fabs]

Has anyone ever had Fabs "get stuck" at the very outset when doing a restoration of data?

I had my first one today, and I want to make sure there's no user error involved. I did a Fabs backup as I've done before and it ran to completion and Fabs was gracefully closed.

I took the drive with the backup to the target machine, fired up Fabs, and chose Restore. I tried, twice, firing up fabs and choosing the backup configuration file in the folder where the backup was taken, and both times it just sat and sat and sat with no population of the fields on the opening restore screen. I checked Task Manager and Fabs was running and getting CPU time, but it just never populated.

I can easily do the backup and attempt restore again, but since this has never happened in the past to me, I thought I'd check to see if it might be a "once in a blue moon thing" that can happen or if it might be due to user (my) error.

I have no idea why it's doing this.
Perhaps I could try to help figuring out what's wrong by remoting in?

 

[britechguy]

Perhaps I could try to help figuring out what's wrong by remoting in?

Fabrice,

If this is something you would like to do I could arrange for it when I am at the client site again next Tuesday. I understand wanting to know what may be going on here. Feel free to reach out to me via email or private message here.

I was using a version of Fabs that is just a couple of days "out of date" as I hadn't updated it on my thumb drive yet.

I can also just try doing the backup again and seeing if the restore will just work. It always has before, so this is an odd one. But I still have today's backup on the drive I use for this purpose.

 

[fabs]

I can also just try doing the backup again and seeing if the restore will just work. It always has before, so this is an odd one. But I still have today's backup on the drive I use for this purpose.

Sure you can still do this. Let me know how it performs. If it is still stuck like this on any machine, I want to figure out what's causing the problem and fix it if that's a Fab's thing.
Note: it's past 12 AM so, I may be asleep when you will get back here with the result

 

[DRPCNZ]

Both modes look GREAT. Nice work

 

[sapphirescales]

I guess it is not so bad is it ?

Very nice! Did you design it yourself or did you pay someone to do the design? How does branding work in version 8? It's not the end of the world if I can't add my logo anymore but it was kind of a nice feature even if it's just at the home screen. Speaking of which, what does the home screen look like? Or is the home screen the "backup data" screen? Any idea when the release date of version 8 will be?

 

[fabs]

Very nice! Did you design it yourself or did you pay someone to do the design? How does branding work in version 8? It's not the end of the world if I can't add my logo anymore but it was kind of a nice feature even if it's just at the home screen. Speaking of which, what does the home screen look like? Or is the home screen the "backup data" screen? Any idea when the release date of version 8 will be?

I've designed it myself, mostly based on Windows 11 build in icons and simple items such as regular buttons instead of colored panels. It makes the design simpler. I'm struggling a bit making the app DPI aware to make it still look good if pixel per inch value is different than 100%.
Detected items will be drawed on the fly so, only the ones that are effectively there will appear. The program will grab their icons on the drive. If it cannot do that for one reason or another, it will pick one in an internal icon bank.
Here's a sample of of how that looks on my system. I have also redesigned left menu icons as I did not have high PDI versions of them:


I'm experimenting a "jump to" menu so, even if all users and public items show on the same scroll box, it will be quick and easy to reach them.
I'm not done with designing this screen yet (there are some missing buttons). I'm also thinking about putting the items scroll box and "jump to" menu at a higher position one this screen so more items will be visible at one sight.

I've not designed it with branding in mind to be honest. What is sure is that it will still be possible to brand the app name and the logo could be on the about window as there's no room for that anywhere else. Thinking about it, it may not be worth the hassle for anyone to crop and design a logo and have it only on the about screen. That would just be some kind of "polish" so, I may put it there anyway for the ones who want to use it.

The landing screen (aka home screen) IS the backup data screen. It will be quick to switch to restore and transfer mode using the menu on the left.

Finally, I don't have any idea about any release date as for now, I'm still working on design and items detection. I don't have started coding how they will be processed. There is still a LOT of work on this new version.

 

[sapphirescales]

@fabs Well I know you said that you weren't very good at design but when you try you can make something very pretty! I like the "jump to" dropdown but there's still a lot of scrolling required. You might want to make each field (ie "desktop" "desktop wallpaper" my documents" etc.) 50% of the viewable area so you can put them side by side. That will reduce the scrolling requirement by 50%. Most user's default path is quite short so I wouldn't worry about that text box being half as long as it currently is.

And I highly suggest creating a home screen where you can access basic functions without having to open the hamburger menu and where you an add your logo if you want to. The hamburger menu will still be very useful as a quick way to switch functions without having to hit the back button 20x to return to the home screen. The home screen should have a place for your logo and then the three options ("backup data" "restore data" "transfer data") just like the home screen in version 7 but you can use the modern design/icons to make them three square boxes side by side instead of rectangles that are stacked like Version 7.

If you want you can even add a bar at the bottom with links to the other functions like "settings" "check for updates" etc. Usability wise you did a good job with Version 7's home page. I don't like having to go through menus to find a function if it can be right there on the home page. Even though it's only one extra click when I go to restore data, I think it would be better to allow people to choose the function at startup just like you do now in Version 7.

I love the design. I just want to make sure it's efficient and easy to use too. Having to scroll through twice as much stuff just because it's taking up 100% of the width of the program for no reason is annoying. Having to go into a hamburger menu every time I want to select a function other than "backup data" is annoying.

I'm also thinking about putting the items scroll box and "jump to" menu at a higher position one this screen so more items will be visible at one sight.

Yeah that would be my suggestion. That's just wasted space up there.

 

[fabs]

@fabs Well I know you said that you weren't very good at design but when you try you can make something very pretty!

Thanks. I'm putting a lot of efforts in this as I'm tired to see comments like "it's ugly but at least it's functional"

I like the "jump to" dropdown but there's still a lot of scrolling required. You might want to make each field (ie "desktop" "desktop wallpaper" my documents" etc.) 50% of the viewable area so you can put them side by side. That will reduce the scrolling requirement by 50%. Most user's default path is quite short so I wouldn't worry about that text box being half as long as it currently is.

That would complicate a bit how visual items are dynamically generated. Then I would have to set item generation with a row handling switching between row 1 and row 2. That seems doable with a bit of work. I could also try to add some expand/collapse button to show or hide detected path so item boxes would be thinner.

And I highly suggest creating a home screen where you can access basic functions without having to open the hamburger menu and where you an add your logo if you want to. The hamburger menu will still be very useful as a quick way to switch functions without having to hit the back button 20x to return to the home screen. The home screen should have a place for your logo and then the three options ("backup data" "restore data" "transfer data") just like the home screen in version 7 but you can use the modern design/icons to make them three square boxes side by side instead of rectangles that are stacked like Version 7.

There's actually no need to open the hamburger menu to click on of the buttons.
That said, if a real home screen like the one in 7 is preferred, then I would remove the 3 options from side menu and replace them with a "home" button. Then I would put the 3 buttons onto a home screen where it would be possible to put a logo like in 7

Yeah that would be my suggestion. That's just wasted space up there.

Well, I just did as soon as I posted the message

 

[sapphirescales]

That seems doable with a bit of work. I could also try to add some expand/collapse button to show or hide detected path so item boxes would be thinner.

Yeah I think that's a great idea. The less scrolling the user has to do the better.

There's actually no need to open the hamburger menu to click on of the buttons.

Oh really? I didn't realize that. Still, you have to click the hamburger menu for the icon labels to show. I think it would be better/more intuitive to have a home screen like in Version 7.

if a real home screen like the one in 7 is preferred, then I would remove the 3 options from side menu and replace them with a "home" button. Then I would put the 3 buttons onto a home screen where it would be possible to put a logo like in 7

Yeah I think that would be really nice!

 

[fabs]

Oh really? I didn't realize that. Still, you have to click the hamburger menu for the icon labels to show.

In fact, the label appears in a baloon on mouse over when menu is collapsed.

I think it would be better/more intuitive to have a home screen like in Version 7.

Gotcha

 

[fincoder]

I think it would be better/more intuitive to have a home screen like in Version 7.

I don't really agree. It's a change that we'd need to get used to but it's more efficient without the home screen. There could be a 'simple' mode with a home screen, and 'advanced' mode that skips that.

 

[sapphirescales]

A home screen allows for branding and an easy way to select which mode you want to be in at every start. I don't like the software just kicking me into the "back up data" screen at startup when I'm trying to restore data on a client's PC. It makes no sense.

 

[fincoder]

A home screen allows for branding

That doesn't bother me personally. I only use it internally. The only branding I would bother with is in the reports.

It makes no sense.

I see your point, but my point is also valid: efficiency, and it would be easy to get used to.

 

[sapphirescales]

I only use it internally

So do I but I'd prefer to have my logo on the program if a client sees it. It seems more professional to have branded software. I've custom branded other software that I use as well.

efficiency

How is it efficient to have a software automatically throw you into a mode you don't want to use? That would be like Windows automatically launching Edge at startup with no way to turn it off. Maybe I don't want to use Edge the first thing I do when I start Windows (or ever hopefully). Yeah you can just close it but why do that in the first place? Windows starts at the desktop for a reason.

 

[britechguy]

A home screen allows for branding

Why is this an issue? To my knowledge, this is not a tool that has ever allowed such, nor would I think it should.

We're not buying this to hand out to clients, or at least I have not heard anyone saying they've done so in the past. It's a tech tool and the brand is Fabs, and only Fabs.

 

[britechguy]

I'd prefer to have my logo on the program if a client sees it. It seems more professional to have branded software. I've custom branded other software that I use as well.

If Fabrice wants to support this, I certainly have no objection. But I have not seen anyone, save you, bring it up before. It's certainly not a need I have, but that's not what dictates what any developer should use as their sole metric of what they'll do (or not do).

 

[sapphirescales]

To my knowledge, this is not a tool that has ever allowed such, nor would I think it should.

Then apparently you never read the manual. Branding has been available for as long as I've owned the program. Most programs aimed at professional service providers are brandable. My mechanic's shop's software is branded as is my vacuum service and sales store.

 

[britechguy]

Branding has been available for as long as I've owned the program.

Then you appear to be asking for something that already exists. Unless it's that it doesn't allow a logo placement.

In the end, this would likely be very, very far down the priority list.

I doubt that your clients pay the least attention to whether or not your logo and name appear on the tools you use. I certainly don't when I use other service providers. Stuff and nonsense.

 

[GTP]

I doubt that your clients pay the least attention to whether or not your logo and name appear on the tools you use

You would be surprised at how "nosey" some clients can be. If they think they can get the tools you use, then they could fix it themselves for free.
I have experienced this very thing and found various "free" versions of programs that I regularly use that require a technician license, on client machines.
Those home visits when the client is seated beside you and they "pretend" like they're not looking. They are.

Not all end users are the same, some will seize any opportunity if it means they can save a few dollars.

Unless it's that it doesn't allow a logo placement.

I use my business name/logo on Fabs and have done since I've owned it as well.

Although I'm now retired I still use Fabs Autobackup occasionally.

@fabs Thank you for all the years of trouble free client data backup/restoration. The time savings and peace of mind using Fabs Autobackup was more than worth the license fees.