Reviewing Handy Backup & 3 Full Licenced Copies Give Away

Your computer setup is a reflection of you. Sure, everyone has their documents folder, their pictures folder, their office applications – but that’s where most similarities end. Think about it, your Photoshop settings, IM tweaks, browser preferences… everything is set up just the way you like it. Wouldn’t it be great if you could keep a backup of everything?
Most backup software out there treats your data like big, faceless chunks of memory. They perform brute backups of your hard drive without regard to the fact that you did, really, truly, have things just the way you liked ‘em!.

This is where Handy Backup™ comes in to play. Handy Backup is a different kind of backup application. It’s fully extensible, featuring free plug-ins that are designed to completely backup not only data, but also the settings, playlists, skins, and other specifics of the individual applications that you’ve tweaked to perfection.
Handy Backup includes plug-ins for all of the popular programs (such as Outlook and Windows Mail), and if you don’t see what you need, you can actually create your own plug-in (as an XML specification) for that special app.

Get a Full Licenced copy of Handy Backup.

Novosoft LLC kindly provided to us a full version of Handy Backup for review. We also managed to get 3 more Handy Backup Professional licences for our readers. Winners also get free unlimited support. So, if you want to get a full registered copy of this awesome tool, you can post a comment on this article using this pattern (Follow this pattern to help us easily identify your participation. Every comment will be in the lottery):

“For Handy Backup Pro Licenced Copy”

Don’t forget to fill in a valid email in order to contact you if you are a winner. The winners will be announced at October 25 and the lottery will be held using the random number generator at www.random.org.

Features

Besides files, folders and HDD images, the program features plug-ins for backing up MS Exchange, MS SQL, DB2 databases and Lotus Notes/Domino data stored on the central server. Also, you can back up Oracle database and ODBC-compatible databases that can be located on both local server and remote workstations.

Data transferred to the central server can be stored on the widest range of backup media: you can backup to FTP, SFTP, Network, FireWire and USB hard/flash drives, CD, DVD, Blu-Ray, HD DVD and much more. Detailed online help is available.

Comprehensible user interface provides easy step-by-step adjustment of network backup, with options of compression, encryption and flexible task scheduling. E-mail notifications, command line interface and log file generation ease task management by system administrator.

Centralized workstation backup and an ability of fast system recovery distinguish Handy Backup Server from other network backup software. The utility proudly carries the “Certified for Windows Vista” and “Works with Windows Server 2008″ logos and is acknowledged as one of the best tools for backup and recovery of the entire office network or a local server.

Plugins Creation

Creating a plugin for Handy Backup requires only some basic XML knowledge. Say for example that you need to keep a backup of your custom application files and settings. Then, the best thing to do, is to create an XML file with your application’s path and special settings and you are ready to go. The best part of the process, is that if you submit the plugin to Novosoft and, it works correctly, you will get a full licence of “Handy Backup Full”. So in other words, you can win $199 by just creating a plugin!

So, lets see how you can create one. Each plug-in represents a well-formed XML document written according to XML 1.0 specification (http://www.w3.org/TR/xml). The plugin must contain the following essential parts – Prolog and only one root element (which looks like <root></root>). The root element must contain only one Description and several Backup elements. Prolog is the xml specification:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

The root part consists of two elements. These are:

• The Description element and,
• the Backup element.

The Description Element

The description element is used to provide information about the plugin. There are four child elements available:

• Name – application name, for which plug-in is created.
• Group – category name that contains this application.
• Version – compatible application versions, for which plug-in is created.
• Author – plug-in author name.

Here is an example Description element for an imaginary application:

<Description>
<Name>Fractals Creator Pro</Name>
<Group>Drawing</Group>
<Version>2.0.1</Version>
<Author>Joe Doe</Author>
</Description>

The Backup Element

This element contains the information about the data, that this plugin backups. There may be several elements. It is obligatory to indicate the attribute id, which identifies the element unambiguously, even if there is only 1 Backup element.This element also consists of child elements:

• Path
  It contains the information for determining full path to the folder, where the application which we backup is installed. This path may be used with the help of the expression “$PATH$” within the limits of the element. There may be several Path elements; the real application path is determined by the first correct element. Available child elements within the Path element include:
  • Type – the type of a search algorithm. The possible values 1,2,3 (The types are explained in detail later in this article)
  • KeyPath – the relative registry path.
  • KeyValue – the name of a registry value.
  • FileName – the name of a file.
  • IncludeSub – the registry search optimization parameter (to include subdirectories or not). The possible values are true and false and, can only be used if the type is set to 3.
• File – Contains the path to the file, which must be backed up.
• Folder – Contains the path to the folder, which must be backed up. All the subdirectories of the stated directory are always backed up.
• Registry – Contains the path to the registry key, which must be backed up. The subkeys of the stated key are always backed up.

Here is an example Backup element for an imaginary application:

<Backup id="Main">
<Path>
<Type>1</Type>
<FileName>fractalspro.exe</FileName>
<KeyPath>fractalspro.exe</KeyPath>
<KeyValue/>
</Path>
<Folder>$PATH$\</Folder>
<Folder>$APPDATA$\fractalspro\</Folder>
<Path>
<Type>3</Type>
<KeyPath>HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\fractals\fractalspro\</KeyPath>
<KeyValue/>
<FileName/>
<IncludeSub>TRUE</IncludeSub>
</Path>
<Folder>$PATH$\</Folder>
<Registry>HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\fractals\fractalspro\</Registry>
<IncludeSub>TRUE</IncludeSub>
</Backup>

So putting the two elements together we get the full plugin file:

<root>
<Description>
<Name>Fractals Creator Pro</Name>
<Group>Drawing</Group>
<Version>2.0.1</Version>
<Author>Joe Doe</Author>
</Description>
<Backup id="Main">
<Path>
<Type>1</Type>
<FileName>fractalspro.exe</FileName>
<KeyPath>fractalspro.exe</KeyPath>
<KeyValue/>
</Path>
<Folder>$PATH$\</Folder>
<Folder>$APPDATA$\fractalspro\</Folder>
<Path>
<Type>3</Type>
<KeyPath>HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\fractals\fractalspro\</KeyPath>
<KeyValue/>
<FileName/>
<IncludeSub>TRUE</IncludeSub>
</Path>
<Folder>$PATH$\</Folder>
<Registry>HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\fractals\fractalspro\</Registry>
<IncludeSub>TRUE</IncludeSub>
</Backup>
</root>

Enviromental Variables and Types

In the plugin’s creation process, you will need to know what types of search algorithms are available and which variables you can use to create it. The algorithm types are:

1. There is a key search in the path of the Registry “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\<KeyPath>”. If the key is found, we look for the variable <KeyValue> in this key. If there is the variable, we read it. There must be the path to the folder where the program is located. We look for the file <FileName> on this path. If this file exists, it means this is the needed path. Hence, the search is unzipped.
2. There is a search of the key, containing the information about the file extension associated with the program, in the path of the Registry “HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\<KeyPath>”. If the key is found, we look for the variable <KeyValue> in this key. If there is the variable, we read it. There must be the path to the folder, where it is the program, in the following format: <the path to the folred>, <identifier >. We look for file <FileName> on this path. If this file exists, it means that this is the needed path. Hence, the search is unzipped.
3. There is a key search in the path of the Registry “<KeyPath>”. If the key is found, we look for the variable <KeyValue> in this key. If there is the variable, we read it. There must be the path to the folder, where it is the program. We look for the file <FileName> on this path. If this file exists, it means this is the needed path. Hence, the search is unzipped. If the value<IncludeSub>=TRUE, then, if the search fails, there is the search of values of all keys included in <KeyPath>.

And some Windows enviromental variables:

• $PATH$ – path to the folder, where the program is installed. It is determined in the element <Path>.
• $ADMINTOOLS$ – File system directory that is used to store administrative tools for an individual user
• $ALTSTARTUP$ – File system directory that corresponds to the user’s nonlocalized Startup program group.
• $APPDATA$ – File system directory that serves as a common repository for application-specific data. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data
• $CDBURN_AREA$ – File system folder used to hold data for burning to a CD. Typically [User Profile Folder]\Local Settings\Applications Data\Microsoft\CD Burning.
• $COMMON_ADMINTOOLS$ – File system directory containing administrative tools for all users of the computer.
• $COMMON_ALTSTARTUP$ – File system directory that corresponds to the nonlocalized Startup program group for all users. Valid only for Windows NT® systems.
• $COMMON_APPDATA$ – Application data for all users. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data.
• $COMMON_DESKTOPDIRECTORY$ – File system directory that contains files and folders that appear on the desktop for all users. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop. Valid only for Windows NT® systems.
• $COMMON_DOCUMENTS$ – File system directory that contains documents that are common to all users. Typical paths are C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents.
• $COMMON_FAVORITES$ – File system directory that serves as a common repository for all users’ favorite items. Valid only for Windows NT® systems.
• $ COMMON_MUSIC$ – My Music folder for all users.
• $COMMON_PICTURES$ – My Pictures folder for all users.
• $COMMON_PROGRAMS$ – File system directory that contains the directories for the common program groups that appear in the Start Menu for all users. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs. Valid only for Windows NT systems.
• $COMMON_STARTMENU$ – File system directory that contains the programs and folders that appear on the Start Menu for all users. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu. Valid only for Windows NT systems.
• $COMMON_STARTUP$ – File system directory that contains the programs that appear in the Startup folder for all users. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup. Valid only for Windows NT systems.
• $DESKTOP$ – Windows desktop-virtual folder that is the root of the name space.
• $FAVORITES$ – File system directory that serves as a common repository for the user’s favorite items. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Favorites.
• $FONTS$ – Virtual folder that contains fonts. A typical path is C:\WINNT\Fonts.
• $HISTORY$ – File system directory that serves as a common repository for Internet history items.
• $INTERNET_CACHE$ – File system directory that serves as a common repository for temporary Internet files. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Temporary Internet Files.
• $LOCAL_APPDATA$ – File system directory that serves as a data repository for local (nonroaming) applications. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data.
• $MYMUSIC$ – File system directory that serves as a common repository for music files. A typical path is C:\My Music.
• $MYPICTURES$ – My Pictures folder. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Pictures.
• $MYVIDEO$ – File system directory that serves as a common repository for video files.
• $NETHOOD$ – A file system folder that contains the link objects that can exist in the My Network Places virtual folder. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\NetHood.
• $STARTMENU$ – File system directory that contains Start Menu items. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Start Menu.
• $STARTUP$ – File system directory that corresponds to the user’s Startup program group. The system starts these programs whenever any user logs onto Microsoft® Windows NT® or starts Microsoft® Windows® 98. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Start Menu\Programs\Startup.
• $SYSTEM$ – System folder. A typical path is C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32
• $WINDOWS$ – Windows directory or SYSROOT. This corresponds to the %windir% or %SYSTEMROOT% environment variables. A typical path is C:\WINNT.

If you want to test Handy Backup, you can download a full-featured 30-days trial and share your impressions with us.

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