After spending so much time entering QSO information into your log and making sure all the QSL and award information is correct wouldn't it be a shame if you had to do it over again?
Many people seem to trust their computers too much. Even when software is bug-free power failures can result in corrupted files, or worse yet, hard disk failures can result in an unreadable disk.
The most important files to back up are your log files. The files that contain your XMLog options settings are also candidates for being backed up, here's a complete file list:
*.log Log files mlog.ini General options settings dxcalls.ini Calls for View/Show Callsign List histinfo.ini Spots History Window settings spotinfo.ini Spots Map Window settings labels.ini Custom label page layouts layouts.mdb Custom label definitions memories.ini Rig and Rotor memories report.ini Display/Display Excel settings
XMLog provides several ways to create backups. Whichever method you use you should try to save your files in a location that is safe from XMLog uninstalls, system crashes, and hard disk failures.
1) Use a folder other than the XMLog install folder (the default location).
2) If your system has multiple hard drives use a folder on the other drive.
3) Use a networked drive on another machine if available.
4) If you backup to your local disk periodically copy the backups to some external location.
To make a backup of a currently open log file use the File/Copy Log to... menu item. This method does not have the option of backing up options files.
Another way to make a backup of the currently open log file is to use the File/Backup Log menu item. This will copy your log to a folder defined using the Options/Log Backup Options menu item. A default folder named Backups will be created in your XMLog install folder if no folder has been defined.
The file name used for this backup will be the same name as the original log file with the backup date added. For example if the log file is named mylog.log a backup made on 31-Jan-02 would be named mylog_20020131.log
Only one backup per day can be saved for each log file. If you choose File/Backup Log a second time in one day an error message will be displayed. A limit on the number of backups maintained for each log file can be defined by choosing Options/Log Backup Options.
By default the options files listed above (the *.ini files) will also be saved when you choose File/Backup Log . This feature can be disabled by choosing Options/Log Backup Options. Note that only the latest versions of options files are saved, the file names are not tagged with dates.
XMLog provides an automated backup feature that can be enabled by choosing Options/Log Backup Options and setting the following values:
Backups file names use the same name as the original log file with the backup date added. For example if your log file is named mylog.log a backup for 31-Jan-02 would be named mylog_20020131.log
Only one backup per day is saved. This means if you do several imports during one day with the Backup before log imports feature enabled the backup for that day will be the backup made before the first import.
When the Backup log periodically feature is enabled the backup for that day is made when the log file is initially opened.
When it comes time for a periodic backup and no records have been added or changed since your last backup no new backup will be made.