How to Back Up Your Data with Syncback and CD-RW Disc(s)

First, insert a blank CD-RW disc and format it by right clicking your CD Recordable drive in Windows Explorer or My Computer as shown below.

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2. Name your disc appropriately and then click start.  The CD-RW will then format, which can take from 5 to 25 minutes, depending on the speed of your drive.

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3. After you have completed formatting your CD-RW disc, run the SyncBack program for the first time and click Yes on the message pictured below.

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4. You will get a screen as pictured below.  Select the Backup profile option and then click OK.

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5. Name your Backup Profile appropriately so that it can be easily identified, as pictured below, and then click OK.

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6. As shown below, pick the folder that you want to have backed up under the Source section and choose the Destination location where you want the files to be saved (choose your CD Recordable Drive).  You should also have the “Backup the source directories files, including its subdirectories” highlighted in blue as shown below.  After this is done click on the OK button.

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7. A prompt will inquire whether you would like to run a simulation of your profile.  Click on No as shown below.

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8. After this you will be brought to the main screen of Syncback.  Click on the Schedule button as pictured below.

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9. You will receive a message regarding passwords.  Just click Ok to proceed.

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10. While in the Task tab put a check by the “Run only if logged in” option and make sure that your settings are the same as what is below.  Once this is set, click on the Schedule tab.

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11. Inside of the Schedule tab, you want to setup the way that you would like your backups to occur as shown below.  After this is complete click on the Ok button.

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12. You will be brought back to the main screen of Syncback.  Click on the Run button to start your backup task as pictured below.

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13. The last step is to click the Continue Run button as pictured below and your backup task will start!  While the task is running you can minimize the Syncback program and it will appear as a small icon near your Windows clock.

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Efficient Data Backup and Data Archiving

After formatting a CDRW disc, you will have 567MB of storage space available.  Use this space to backup files in current use.  Dont use your CDRW disc to archive/store data that you don't often use.  A better location for older files would be a CD Recordable disc.  Stroing older files to a CDR disc will free up hard drive space, decrease the amount of backup time and storage space necessary for Syncback to perform backups.

Troubleshooting Notes

It is important to install any DLA ("Drive Letter Access") capability features offered with any CD burning software that you may have installed on your computer.  Without this functionality, you will be unable to format any type of recordable discs, which will make you unable to burn backup CDs in Syncback.  If DLA is needed for your software but it isn’t installed, you will be unable to format recordable discs while following the steps above. If you are missing this formatting capability, uninstall and reinstall your CD burning software making sure to include any DLA or recordable disc formatting features.