Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Q: What is a "Mask"? How can I use it?

A: "Mask" (or pattern, or wildcard) is a file template. It can contain the '?' character, replacing any character, and '*' character , replacing any number (including 0) of characters. Unlike some other backup utilities, within Active Backup Expert you can select all files matching a wildcard, by one move. It is not only an interface improvement. When you create a new file, which matches a mask, it will be added to all following backups without any intervention of user.

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Q: My backup is broken. What can I do?

A: Unfortunately this version of Active Backup Expert has not the backup recovery feature. However, as Active Backup Expert backups are fully ZIP-compatible, you can use any ZIP recovery utility to try to restore files from the broken backup.

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Q: When I try to open my file I get the error message "Open error. Can't edit this file." What is wrong?

A: The file editing feature of Active Backup Expert is powered by default system editor. Active Backup Expert calls the default editor, registered for the file extension of the selected file. This message appears in case you not installed any App for this file extension.

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Q: When I add a new mask to my ABE project I can't find needed filter in the filters combo. What can I do?

A: First try to find the needed filter in the registry by clicking the "Filter Organizer->Registry" button in the Select mask window. If the filter has not been registered in the system registry, you can simply fill in the Custom mask field and possible save this filter for later use by clicking the Save As Filter button.

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Q: How can I create Active Backup Expert backups automatically?

A: The Professional edition of the ABE supports the automated backups creation via user interface. However within the Standard edition you can use the ABE Command-line support to create automated backups with any Automation utility, such as our Active Task Manager or Windows Task Scheduler. Open your favorite automation utility and add a task to start ABE executable abe.exe with the following command-line arguments:

/b "<ABE project for auto-backup>"

where <ABE project for auto-backup> is the name of ABE project you wish to start automatically. See you automation utility documentation to learn how to set a schedule for this task.

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Q: Can the Active Backup Expert back up to CD?

A: The ABE can write backups to compact discs in two ways:

(1) Since v.1.80 the ABE supports the internal capability to write CDs provided by MS Windows XP ™(IMAPI). You don't need any preparation or third-party software to do this way. Please note that IMAPI takes additional 11+Mb of CD space to close each writing session, so be prepared that each writing of a backup by this manner will take additional space of the CD.

(2) If you have some kind of packet-writing software (like Nero InCD or Roxio DirectCD) installed, and your CDs are formatted under UDF (Universal Disk Format), the ABE considers your CD Recorder as a floppy drive, and works with it in the same way. As a rule a CD-drive manufacturer ships a packet-writing software on the CD-RW setup disk. Please see your CDRW documentation for details.

Please see the Device Support section to check out if the ABE supports your recorder.

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Q: Does the ABE support the creation of backups on my <device-model-name> CD-R (CD-RW, ZIP, JAZ)?

A: To check out if the ABE supports your device, please search for it at Windows Hardware Compatibility List

Of course we can't test the ABE with all known models of the devices. However as there was no tested devices which the ABE couldn't work with, it must work with yours one as well. Just make a simple experiment: try to copy any file to your device by using the Windows Explorer. If you can, the ABE can as well. If you can't copy files or your device isn't presented as a drive in MyComputer folder consult the device manufacturer documentation to learn what drivers you need to install.

Anyway, you can download the 30-day trial copy of the ABE and try it with your device for free.

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Q: Does the ABE support my tape device?

A: No, the ABE doesn't support tape devices at all.

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Q: How can I span my backups through several disks?

A: The ABE spans large backups across removable disks automatically. You don't have to do any adjustment for it. Just select your removable device at the Storage Folder field (Project Properties->Folders).

Spanned (aka split) backups are completely transparent for you. You work with them as if it were a solid backup in terms of creating and restoring.

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Q: I have just purchased the ABE software, but my Registration key doesn't work. What is wrong?

A: A confirmation e-mail your received contains your Registration key. Start the ABE and press the Registration button in the About window. The Registration window appears. Enter your name into the User Name edit and your Registration key into the Registration key edit. To avoid typing mistakes we're strongly recommend to copy the key from the confirmation e-mail to the clipboard and to press the Paste button at the Registration window.

If for some reason you can't copy-paste the key, enter it manually according to the following rules:

• Pay attention to the case of characters;
• Do not mix up 'O' (the Latin letter) with '0' (the digit) and the 'I' (uppercase 'i') with 'l' (lowercase 'L'). In some e-mail clients these couples of characters look the same.

Close ABE and start it again.

If the Registration key still doesn't work and you see the "UNREGISTERED" word in the ABE caption, than you make a mistake entering your key.

We test every Registration key before sending it to our user.

Your Registration key will work with any future version of ABE as well.

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