Backup4all 4.8.286 [Minor Update]

As we get closer to the Windows 8 release, Backup4all gets more intense testing not solely from us but from users too. The last two build releases practically contain only fixes for problems found when using it on Windows 8. If you plan to switch to Windows 8 as soon as it’s available (something we don’t recommend, usually we upgrade our own systems when at least a service pack gets released), we highly recommend you to update your Backup4all installation to the latest one (version 4.8, build 286). This way if you upgrade your OS Backup4all will be fully functional.

So what did we fix in these builds? Well below is a short description of the fixes (most of them):

1. Built-in scheduler was not created on Windows 8. This was occurring when creating first a scheduled task using Windows scheduler (the brand new one Windows 8 has), followed by adding a new task using the built-in scheduler. When trying to save the second task, not only it wasn’t saved but the previous one got deleted. Bummer. We fixed that and everything is working correctly now.
2. Backup open files was not working correctly. This happened only in certain circumstances, and it’s something that was triggered only in Backup4all 4.8 build 284 and build 282. On certain systems (both on 32 and 64 bits), when using the Outlook backup plugin, if Outlook was not closed and the option to back-up open files checked, the saved .pst files had size 0. Initially we corrected this only on x64 systems as it seemed no effect was on 32-bits, but later discovered a situation where those using 32-bits were affected too.

A bit about our bug fixing method

There are companies that only release fixes and updates only when a new version comes out. One of our core values is offering excellent support, this is why we release a new build as fast as possible if it’s something that affects even a very small number of users. We understand it might be frustrating some time to stumble on a bug and it’s our way of apologizing. No software is perfect but it’s important to compensate by offering great support.

Regarding the technical part, we have in Backup4all a component that helps us by locating bugs (madExcept). So when a crash happens, it will automatically analyze it and collect information about the bug, giving the end-user the option of submitting that bug information to us. It’s a simple process, the screenshot below shows how it looks when a crash happened:

When that crash happens if you want to help us you can submit the bug by doing this:

1. Click on “send bug report”
2. A small window with “Send Assistant” wizard will pop-up. You can enter your email in there and click “Continue”.
3. Second step is optional, it’s a field where you can provide additional details. Click on Skip to go to the next one.
4. That’s it, clicking on “Send” will attach to your email a text file with information about the bug. We’ll reply as soon as possible.

As you can see in the screenshot above there’s no personal details being sent, it’s just technical information that helps us reproduce the bug and fix it. Submitting a bug report helps us improve Backup4all, so even if the probability of encountering a bug is very little, if you do catch one send it or way.