Understanding # of Registry Backups

[SA Jack]

Hi Shane:
I'm having a problem with the new feature on Registry Backup that will ensure that at least some backup(s) will be preserved if someone had stopped using a daily backup for a while.  However, in my case, I'm getting more backups remaining than I would like (108 MD ea.).  The attachment below shows my configuration.  Initially I wanted to remove all backups that were 4 days or older.  It's the "Keep Backups", that is currently set for 5 that is throwing me off.  I now have 8 backups run on consecutive days.  It looks like that I'm going to max out at 9 (4 +5), is that correct?  If I were to stop running the program for a few days, then came back, would the program zap my oldest 4 and keep the remaining 5?  To get my total backups down to a more manageable number, should I consider changing the 4 to a 2, and the keepers to 2 as well.  Or does the keepers must be at least 1 greater than the oldies?I figure if I'm away and the program is not running, no changes are occurring in my registry.  If I'm going to end up with 9 backups nearly all of the time, that's a GB of space.  Not a big deal with a 1TB drive, but I came from humble beginnings in the PC world (back with the original IBM PC in '81).  Drive space has always been precious, and I'm slowly adjusting to the new reality.

Thanks for your help Shane.  You and yours have a very happy new year in 2013, and keep up the excellent product development and enhancements.  -SA Jack

[Shane]

This is how this new feature works. It loads all the backups in a list sorted by the number of days old it is. So the newest backups are first in the list.

So example (days old - backup name)

001 - backup 1
004 - backup 2
007 - backup 3
006 - backup 4
011 - backup 5
012 - backup 6
013 - backup 7
017 - backup 8
019 - backup 9

The program will then skip down the list the total amount you have set to keep, so in this case 5. So the remove old backups only looks at backup 6 and everything under it, totally skipping the first 5 in the list.

Shane

[rpaz]

Hi,

I'm also trying to understand how the options X days and Keep Y works and find it confusing...

In my opinion the two options are exclusive because if we set the program to keep N backups then it doesn't matter how old the backups are we want o keep them or maybe I'm missing something?

It seems the program only deletes the backups if #backups > Y and also > X days.
Isn't more correct to sort by dates descending and keep the only the first Y backups?

Another situation is if you have several backups for the same day the Keep value isn't counting them so we end up with several backups, but I personally prefer this way to save the backups created on other days...

@SA Jack: In my understanding you have to set the days to 3 and Keep to 4 and decide if you want to have create several backups for a day or not by checking "Only do 1 Auto Backup Per Day" on the Advanced settings page.

[Shane]

As for the backups removing you have it set to only remove backups X days or older. Anything under that wont get deleted. The keep min backups is for the auto delete. Lets say you leave for a while and a backup isnt done for a long time, when you get back every backup is past the age to delete them. So when you do a backup they all get removed. With the min to keep it will delete all of them except the number you set there.

There have been a few people confused by this new setting. I need to word it differently. How do you think I should word it so you would better understand that setting?

Shane

[rpaz]

As for the backups removing you have it set to only remove backups X days or older. Anything under that wont get deleted. The keep min backups is for the auto delete. Lets say you leave for a while and a backup isnt done for a long time, when you get back every backup is past the age to delete them. So when you do a backup they all get removed. With the min to keep it will delete all of them except the number you set there.

There have been a few people confused by this new setting. I need to word it differently. How do you think I should word it so you would better understand that setting?

Shane

Hi Shane,

Thanks for the fast reply. If you don't want to make the X days and Y to Keep independent then maybe you should change the text to "Delete backups that are X days or older but keep at least Y backups" and to show the dependency of options when the box for days is empty the box for Keep should be locked.

___
Rui Paz

[Laurence]

As for the backups removing you have it set to only remove backups X days or older. Anything under that wont get deleted. The keep min backups is for the auto delete. Lets say you leave for a while and a backup isnt done for a long time, when you get back every backup is past the age to delete them. So when you do a backup they all get removed. With the min to keep it will delete all of them except the number you set there.

There have been a few people confused by this new setting. I need to word it differently. How do you think I should word it so you would better understand that setting?

Shane

How about:   Delete all backups that are x days or older except for the x most recent backups.
Or:   Delete all backups except for the x most recent backups.

Then again, there is a very good chance that I am still not rightly understanding it - wouldn't be the first time. 

regards,
Laurence

PS) In your next update, please remember to include the UI change. Thanks.

[Shane]

Thanks I have all of this in my notes

Shane