Helpful Info on Redux Backup Software

• About Redux
• Redux 2.6.2 help
• Redux
• Redux 2.6.2

The following emails were received in response to questions about the discontinued Redux backup program asked in More on Being Microsoft Free, Gatekeepers, Fighting Spam, Freezes, OCR, and Redux.

About Redux

From David Deckert

(For Michael:)

I have a 20 GB HD, and I need to be able to selectively indicate which files to update for the first run. When I run Redux 2.6.2, it attempts to read all my files but then stops when about 8,000 files have been read. How do I overcome this problem?

Take another peek at the manual. The .pdf manual shows how to selectively backup just a few files or folders. It will remember this for subsequent backups. It will also remember the target disk for next time, but you have to already have it mounted on the desktop. I don't know that it would prompt you for it.

The same manual also says that the default number of files it can handle is 8,000 but that you can increase it to something like 30,000.

It also talked about the scripting language "BackTalk", but when I go to the site it suggests, it fails.

I came across your site using Sherlock 2, and the site you recommend to find out more also fails.

The Redux Software website went dark a while ago. I understand Redux used to be payware like Dantz' Retrospect but was made available for free for a year or more until the end. It's interesting to me how little press it got in recent years.

Redux is perhaps the best and/or only free solution for someone who doesn't want to buy Retrospect. It's Appearance-Manager (OS 8) savvy but can run on System 6. I can report it's perfectly fine also with OS 9.1.

It can do backups to anything on the desktop, so that means over a network in either direction.

David

Redux 2.6.2 help

From Michael Davidson

Charles,

Until recently, I was using Redux 2.6.2 for quite some time. The 8,000 file limit, the scheduling features, and the scripting language that your reader is having trouble with are addressed in the well written documentation, which may not have come with the version he downloaded. In case you didn't know, development of Redux once again has been abandoned, and their website has shut down. Perhaps your reader is unable to find the docs.

The simple solution to the file limit is to select Edit/Preferences, choose the Backup popup and raise the limit to 30,000, which is the max number of files Redux 2.6.2 can handle. As far as the scheduling feature, it is somewhat convoluted insofar as its interface wasn't fully implemented, and of all it's features, scheduling was the only less-than-clear component of Redux's interface. It works fairly well, but occasionally has some problems when trying to backup across a network. With regard to the the scheduling features, the best thing for your reader to do is to read the documentation.

The scripting features are also covered in the Redux docs. It has always been a very powerful feature of Redux that advanced users could choose to take advantage of.

If your reader needs the docs, I have them; you may refer him to me via email and I will email them to him. There are both pdf and html versions.

Sincerely,
Michael Davidson

P.S. I enjoy your writing. Thanks! :)

Redux

From Alarik W. Skarstrom

Yes, Redux is quite effective and attractive. A bit retro, but that makes it seem all the more agreeable.

Your reader needs to look in Preferences, where you can up the number of files to 29,500, say (30,000 is the limit). Also, I'd urge increasing the memory greatly.

If you want to choose the files/folders to be backed-up, you have to check off (in Menu or in Prefs) Show check box, or whatever it's called.

The manual does explain all this.

Redux is actually clearer in this regard than the inexpensive version of Retrospect.

Be well.
Alarik

Redux 2.6.2

From L. G. Greeniaus

Michael was having trouble with Redux quitting after 8,000 files. All that is necessary is to increase the memory allotment - I had a similar problem and that seemed to cure it. I have backed up 17,000 files in my most recent BU.

L. G. Greeniaus