AISBackup F.A.Q.

If you cannot find what you want here please also see the How To section. The how to section contains a few examples of backup related functions that you may want to perform. Another good source for answers to problems with AISBackup is the product forum.

Table of Contents

1. How do I make a backup to one or more external drives? This tutorial covers local and networked connected external drives.
2. Windows Vista: Why does AISBackup say (Limited Account Restrictions Apply) when running under Windows Vista? or How to run AISBackup as an Administrator.
3. I do not understand Backup Sessions, are they the same as incremental and / or differential  backups? Tutorial here.
4. I do a full backup to a new Disc each day using the auto-run Clear Backup Contents File option. I keep the old discs for a time, and now I wish to restore from one of the older backups. AISBackup only remembers the last backup, how do I restore from an old backup
5. AISBackup did not backup some files because they were open and in-use by another application, how do I backup these files?
6. Is there an Emergency System Backup for Windows XP?
7. How do I get AISBackup to run a Full backup.
8. "The CD and DVD writers options are confusing. I chose CD (or DVD) and AISBackup insists on backing up to the Hard drive, why?"
9. What CD and DVD media are supported, and which write mechanism should I use?
10. AISBackup reports that a CD has not been created correctly, however, if I restart AISBackup the CD can be read, why?
11. How do I change the ASPI drivers used by the integrated CD & DVD writer?
    Use the above to correct problems with the integrated CD / DVD writer.
12. How do I get AISBackup to backup to CD?
13. How do I create a "ready to go" backup of Windows to a USB or FireWire connected disk.
    This option may also be used to transfer data from existing Disks to new IDE connected disks.
14. I have purchased AISBackup but have lost the key file.
15. Disaster Recovery Windows 2000 & XP.
16. How do I get AISBackup to close down the PC after a scheduled backup finishes at night.
17. Why does the backup keep failing at odd times when directed to CD or DVD?
18. AISBackup is asking for a Registration key before the end of the 30 day trial. 
19. I want to extend the trial period.
20. How do I backup Windows NT, Windows 2000 or Windows XP?
21. I want to restore from a CD or DVD created on another PC or a CD that was created on this PC but I can no longer find the backup job.
22. I am having excessive errors during the Test (Validation) phase of a backup when the backup is directed to CD.
23. How do I schedule a job to run the first time the PC is loaded each Monday?
24. How do I schedule a backup to run automatically using Microsoft Task Scheduler?
25. How do I get AISBackup to work with ZipMagic?

How do I get AISBackup to backup to CD?

AISBackup Integrated CD Writer

The Disc writer must be enabled via the Tools / Program Settings and Options / AISBackup CD Writer Enabled to get AISBackup to automatically scan for the CD / DVD writers click Troubleshoot CD/DVD Writer Faults.  For more information about troubleshooting CD writer faults click here.

The integrated AISBackup Disc Writer uses blank Disc's, i.e. they must not be pre-formatted.

The integrated Disc writer requires that the backup is first written to a Disc staging area, this must be of at least the capacity of the blank media.

Using a third party packet writing system

AISBackup uses a third party packet writing system to backup to your CD writer. The Packet Writing interface allows you to write files directly to a CD-Recordable (CD-R) or CD-ReWritable (CD-RW) disc in much the same way that you copy files to a floppy diskette or removable drive.

For AISBackup to be able to backup to CD you must format your CD-R or CD-RW to use this packet writing system.

If you have already installed a Packet Writing interface but your system is still failing to successfully backup to CD see here.

Please refer to your CD Packet Writing software documentation for details of how to format a CD. A few popular interfaces are described below:

• Roxio Direct CD™ (Formerly Adaptec DirectCD™)
• CeQuadrat PacketCD™
• Ahead InCD
• Drive Letter Access (also known as DLA).
• Roxio Drag-to-Disc.

Roxio DirectCD™ (Formerly Adaptec DirectCD™)

• Insert a blank CD-R or CD-RW.
• If Adaptec Create CD is running in the task bar, a menu will pop up asking how you want to create the CD. Choose Data, and then choose DirectCD. This will launch the Adaptec DirectCD Wizard.
• If the menu does not pop up, start the Adaptec DirectCD Wizard  by double clicking the CD icon on the Windows taskbar. If this icon is not on your task bar refer to your DirectCD instructions.
• On the Welcome screen click Next >
• On the Drive Information screen click Next >
• On the Format Disc screen click Next >
• On the Name your Disc screen enter a name that can easily identify the CD as part of a set, for example 'Backup001', 'Backup002'. Then Click Finish.

A CD-R will take about 15 seconds to format, a CD-RW will take in excess of 25 minutes.

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CeQuadrat PacketCD™

• Insert a blank CD-R or CD-RW
• If CD auto-notification has not been set you may have to re-mount the CD. From Windows explorer, right click the CD-R Drive, Select Re-Mount.
• PacketCd should detect that a blank CD has been inserted and automatically start the format program. If not select the PacketCD Formatter program from the task bar (Start / Programs / CeQuadrat / PacketCD Formatter).
• Select Format as Packet CD for CD-RW or CD-R as appropriate.
• Enter a name that can easily identify the CD as part of a set, for example 'Backup001', 'Backup002'. 
• Click Next >
• Do not select 'Compressed Volume' unless you are using AISBackup with no compression.
• Click Format
• Click Finish

A CD-R will take about 15 seconds to format, a CD-RW will take in excess of 25 minutes.

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Why does the backup keep failing at odd times when directed to CD or DVD?

Note:

PC Hardware and software has improved since this article was written. The content here, except for checking firmware and driver updates, may only apply to hardware manufactured prior to 2001.

This can happen for a number of reasons such as faulty CD media, but one reason that seems to occur quite often is the DMA setting on the CD Writer.

For PC's manufactured prior to about 2001: Removing the DMA setting from the CD may improve the ability of AISBackup to write to CD, the non DMA mode on Windows 2000 and XP is called PIO mode. This problem only seems to affect PC's using a VIA chipset.

It is advisable to try and get the drive running with DMA set because the performance of modern drives will be severely affected, here are a few tips:

• Install the most up-to-date patches to the Windows Operating system.

• Install the latest Motherboard drivers, The VIA 4 in 1 drivers, these may be obtained from here.

• Check with the manufacturer of your CD writer for the latest firmware for your drive.

• Check the CD writer's ability to write a full CD using the software that came with the CD writer.

For details of how to set or remove the DMA setting on Windows 2000 or XP click here.

The following applies to Windows 95, 98 & ME when using 'closed' packet written (UDF) CD's using older versions of Adaptec / Roxio DirectCD.

It has also been reported that setting the optimise access pattern for: to 'No read-ahead' can improve writing to CD-R, indeed some CD writers do not read 'closed' CD-R's very well (less than 1X speed). For Windows 95, 98 & ME the read ahead setting can be found in:

• Right click My Computer and choose Properties.
• Click the Performance tab then the File System button.
• Click the CD-ROM tab.

Other things that may improve writing to CD:

• Check that you have the latest version of your chosen Packet Writing software.

• Check that you have the latest version of the CD writer firmware. Most CD writer manufacturers make available new firmware on their internet web-site. Please read the firmware installation instruction carefully as applying an incorrect firmware or installing the firmware incorrectly may render the CD writer unusable.

• Check that you have the latest drivers installed for your motherboard chipset, for example, users of the VIA chipset may need to install the latest 4 in 1 drivers.

• If your CD writer is still in it's guarantee period contact your CD Writer support desk for the latest information relating to your CD writer.

Thank you to Guy Verhaegen and Elvis Barnhart for confirming that removing the DMA setting works.

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AIS Backup is asking for a Registration key before the end of the 30 day trial.

If you have uninstalled and re-installed AISBackup you will need to apply for a new key to resume the trial period. 

To replace AISBackup with an updated version, simply re-install the program, the changed files will be replaced.

To move the program from one drive to another, either:

• Drag the program to it's new location using Windows Explorer, then manually update the shortcuts.
• Install the program to the new location, do not launch the program after installation, then manually copy AISBackup.lic from the old program folder to the new. Then manually delete the old program folder.
• De-Install, Re-Install, wait for the program to ask for a new 'registration key' and follow the procedure here. Moving AISBackup this way may take a couple of days and is not recommended.

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I want to extend the trial period.

To extend the trial period of AISBackup:

• Select the menu option 'Registration'
• Click Re-Trial.
• Enter your e-mail address, then if using MAPI e-mail system click Send or click Copy To Clipboard then manually paste the e-mail details to your e-mail system.
• Send this e-mail to AISBackup@aiscl.co.uk
• Wait for the re-registration key and instructions for applying it. The number of day's allocated for the re-trial is up to the discretion of Aquarius I. S. Consultancy Limited. 

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I want to backup Windows NT, Windows 2000 or Windows XP Operating System.

• Folder System Volume Information.
• File QMGR1.DAT and QMGR2.DAT.
• Some data files used by the Indexing Service, if indexing is active.

Restore from a CD or DVD created on another PC.

The problem with restoring files from another PC or restoring files from a backup that has been deleted from the current PC is the re-introduction of the Backup Job and Backup Contents File.

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I am having excessive errors during the Test (Validation) phase of a backup when the backup is directed to CD.

The following notes are not really applicable to modern CD writers and CD Packet Writing software.

Some CD packet writing software, such as Roxio Direct CD, incorrectly detect the speed of the inserted media e.g. an 8 speed CD-R may be loaded as a 12 speed CD-R, if you subsequently write the CD at 12 speed you may receive excessive read failures during the on-the-fly test phase of the backup. 

Some media that is compatible with a 12 speed drive may not perform too well with your own CD-writer, try dropping the speed here as well.

You can set the write speed of the CD-R by using the packet CD options function.  When backing up to CD we recommend that you always enable on-the-fly testing - this is now the default for backing up to CD. The wrong speed detection may also cause failures in other applications that write to CD.

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Is there an Emergency System Backup for Windows XP?

There is no Emergency System Backup for Windows XP as Windows XP cannot be restored from DOS. Windows XP must be restored using a compatible Windows XP system. There is a free third party solution, called BartPE, which creates a bootable Windows XP (or Server 2003) CD which may be used to restore an AISBackup, see here for details.

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Windows Vista

Vista: Increased Security

To get AISBackup running all your backup jobs, right click and choose 'Run as administrator'.

Why?

Note: Version 2.4 of AISBackup will automatically ask to run as an administrator when required.

The default mode for the Windows Vista operating system uses a feature called User Account Control (UAC), this feature does not allow any program to run at the highest privilege level without user confirmation. AISBackup must be run at the highest privilege if operating system components, files belonging to another user and files that are currently in-use are to be backed up, the highest privilege mode is called Administrator. AISBackup may be started in Administrator mode by right clicking the shortcut and choosing Run as administrator. Alternatively, if AISBackup is already running at the normal privilege level it may be elevated to administrator mode by selecting the normally hidden Run as administrator button if a backup or restore operation is to be run on a backup job which requires Administrator mode. When creating backup jobs with New Job or Quick Job Administrator mode may be selected by clicking Yes when requested.

If you prefer to always run AISBackup as an administrator the AISBackup shortcut may be edited as follows: Right click the AISBackup shortcut and choose Properties / Click the Compatibility tab / check Run this program as an administrator / click OK.