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

[fabs]

This is

We do backups and restores over the network all the time, but I have never tried a transfer over the network. Is this possible? If so, do I "pull" or "push" the transfer, and do I have to share the windows and/or user folder of whichever end of the chain is not the computer where Fabs is running? Something like that?

This is no how it works.
There's no way to make transfers like that across the network.
If you don't have something like a NAS or a shared folder on a server, then you'll need to backup from the old machine to a shared folder on the new one. Once completed, go to the new rig, start Fab's in restore mode, select backup in shared folder (which is local here) and restore the files.

 

[HCHTech]

This is no how it works.
There's no way to make transfers like that across the network.

Ok, thanks - I've got a replacement coming up where there is a ton of data (bigger than any external I have) and the machine going away has a RAID0 setup, so I can't pull the drive(s). Just looking at options to avoid moving the data twice. Honestly, I think I'll just transfer it folder-by-folder over the network.

 

[JoelM]

I recently tried using Fabs to only move the email and email accounts for a client. I use Fabs regularly with most everything selected. In this case the customer only wanted the email.
I unselected everything and then selected all the pst files. I thought this would also grab the email accounts. When I opened outlook on the new machine after running the Fabs restore none of the accounts were there. I wound up manually recreating all 4 email accounts and then choosing to connect them to the existing pst files manually.
If I ever need to do this again is there something else I should have selected in the Fabs backup interface to have it copy the email accounts in addition to the pst files?

 

[fabs]

I recently tried using Fabs to only move the email and email accounts for a client. I use Fabs regularly with most everything selected. In this case the customer only wanted the email.
I unselected everything and then selected all the pst files. I thought this would also grab the email accounts. When I opened outlook on the new machine after running the Fabs restore none of the accounts were there. I wound up manually recreating all 4 email accounts and then choosing to connect them to the existing pst files manually.
If I ever need to do this again is there something else I should have selected in the Fabs backup interface to have it copy the email accounts in addition to the pst files?

Beware of preinstalled office 365 apps that come with windows 10. They do not work the same way and do not migrate restored stuff. To prevent this, always uninstall those apps from win 10 system and use installer got from office 365 website.

 

[JoelM]

Beware of preinstalled office 365 apps that come with windows 10. They do not work the same way and do not migrate restored stuff. To prevent this, always uninstall those apps from win 10 system and use installer got from office 365 website.

I believe they were the full install. However doing it the way I did should the accounts have come over also or is there something specific I need to be sure I select to get the accounts in addition to the pst files?

 

[Sky-Knight]

Using the downloaded 365 is a waste of time, use the deployment kit!

 

[fabs]

I believe they were the full install. However doing it the way I did should the accounts have come over also or is there something specific I need to be sure I select to get the accounts in addition to the pst files?

As soon as the OST/OST are linked to an account, account is exported too. To ensure that accounts were exported, then look for registry files within outlookpst\mapi folder in the backup.
Were you moving from outlook 2010? I've noticed that newest outlook versions do not migrate accounts from it too.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Ouch yes, I didn't think about that. Outlook 2010 lost ALL support last month. You can still migrate I think, but you have to use the ODK and deploy an older version of M365 services.

I just did some Outlook 2010s, but I'm using the ODK and deploying semi-annual 32bit, which hasn't changed since spring... but will soon. Current 64bit is an entirely different mess and it wouldn't shock me if MS dropped support for 2010.

 

[fincoder]

As soon as the OST/OST are linked to an account, account is exported too.

I've wondered about the outlook account transfer myself, no option in Fabs to select/deselect it, it just magically seems to work most of the time. Does your code explicitly look for account settings that are linked to the discovered PST/OST files?

I've often wondered why OST files are transferred at all considering they only hold temporary data, but if the OST files are not selected the account settings wouldn't be transferred?

I would like the option to transfer all Outlook account settings and only PST files. Would save data and time.

 

[fabs]

I've wondered about the outlook account transfer myself, no option in Fabs to select/deselect it, it just magically seems to work most of the time. Does your code explicitly look for account settings that are linked to the discovered PST/OST files?

Yes, it looks for account settings and list PST/OST directly linked to them. Then, it also looks in default locations for other files that have not been listed yet.

I've often wondered why OST files are transferred at all considering they only hold temporary data, but if the OST files are not selected the account settings wouldn't be transferred?

Said like this, it does not seem to make any sense. That what I thought either before I finally added it. The reason: slow connections! These files take lots of GBs and it take a while for Outlook to rebuild them, struggling with low bandwidth.

 

[fincoder]

it looks for account settings and list PST/OST directly linked to them. Then, it also looks in default locations for other files that have not been listed yet.

So are account settings backed up even if the associated OST file is not selected?

 

[fabs]

So are account settings backed up even if the associated OST file is not selected?

No. To get backed up, associated OST must be selected

 

[fincoder]

Maybe we need a new option that controls whether account settings are backed up, regardless of what outlook data files are selected. It would be good to be able to get account settings but not OST files, or to get PST files but not account settings (e.g. if converting to IMAP).

 

[fabs]

Not sure how to implement this without making a messy interface.
So it would need several configurations:
1- default behavior like it is now
2- backup only accounts
3- backup accounts and only PSTs
4- backup only PSTs
Maybe there are more that I've not thought about yet...

 

[fincoder]

I thought it could be as simple as a checkbox for 'Outlook account settings' which determines whether account settings are saved (regardless of any selected data files). The OST/PST files could be de-selected manually if desired as we can now.

Another optional enhancement to make it easier to use, there could be a couple of extra checkboxes above the data files list, to select/deselect all PST and select/deselect all OST.

 

[fabs]

I thought it could be as simple as a checkbox for 'Outlook account settings' which determines whether account settings are saved (regardless of any selected data files). The OST/PST files could be de-selected manually if desired as we can now.

Another optional enhancement to make it easier to use, there could be a couple of extra checkboxes above the data files list, to select/deselect all PST and select/deselect all OST.

I like the idea.
Then I'll have to experiment how outlook reacts if only account have been saved. Hope it will not be too twisted.
Also, there's some other big stuff on the table: since newest Outlook 2019/365 do not migrate settings from 2010 anymore, I also have to try if I can find out how to make Fab's do that!

 

[CaliZ]

I'm not sure how difficult it would be, but there have been multiple times that a customer has asked for their desktop to be setup with their icons as previous. Can even just a screenshot of the desktop screen(s) be done by script?

 

[fabs]

I'm not sure how difficult it would be, but there have been multiple times that a customer has asked for their desktop to be setup with their icons as previous. Can even just a screenshot of the desktop screen(s) be done by script?

I know that. Transferring desktop icons layout has been asked so many times...
There are several problems for that :
- If it could take a screen shot of current desktop, that would be only for current user (indeed!).
- Fab's needs admin rights to run so, if you're dealing with a non admin account, the program will be loaded with admin account credentials and would then not be able to screen shot user's desktop.
- Same thing for hooked drives : impossible to get this since it would be offline.

Another way that's been told : using a third party tool like DesktopOK. This option looks seductive but in fact, it's not that handy for the same reasons. There's also another problem : if resolution is different between source and target system, Windows just rearrange icons and will not keep its layout.

 

[JoelM]

I'm not sure how difficult it would be, but there have been multiple times that a customer has asked for their desktop to be setup with their icons as previous. Can even just a screenshot of the desktop screen(s) be done by script?

Whenever a customer has asked for this I just take a picture with my phone & move everything around.

 

[glricht]

Whenever a customer has asked for this I just take a picture with my phone & move everything around.

I used to try this when doing a N&P of a customer PC, but the amount of work involved (especially when dealing with multiple IDs) was simply too much. I now simply create a folder on the desktop called "Saved Desk Top Items" and copy into it the desktop icons saved by Fabs. (Both the userid's Desktop folder and also the Public desktop folder.) I then tell the customer that all his desktop icons are in that folder and he can move them to wherever he wants. Often, the customer will find that many icons are no longer needed.