How to perform a TBU backup

These instructions tell how to back up the files on your hard disk if you have a Colorado Memory Systems Tape Backup Unit (TBU) as part of your system.

  1. Power up your computer (and exit Windows if necessary). You can see the DOS prompt. It should look like this: C:\>. If the first letter is not a C, type c: and press Enter. If it looks like this but has more letters in it, type cd\ and press Enter. The C:\> prompt means you are in the root directory (the directory from which all the other directories spring), on the C: drive, the hard drive on which we installed the backup software.

  2. Type

    cd tape

    and press Enter. This changes you to the TAPE subdirectory, which contains the backup software. The prompt should look like this: C:\TAPE>

  3. Type

    tape

    and press Enter. This starts the backup software. A line appears in the center of the screen asking you for the correct date. Since the date is correct , press Enter. Then it asks you for the time. Press Enter. The Main Menu appears.

  4. Insert a tape into the drive. You should hear whirring sounds as the drive finds the beginning of the tape.

  5. If the tape you inserted is unformatted, or if you need to erase it, press F3 to enter the utilities section. In the utilities, press F2 and follow the directions to format the tape. If your tape is already formatted, you can skip this step. It takes about an hour to format a tape. If you donít know whether the tape is formatted, assume that it is. (If it isnít, a message will appear when you attempt the backup telling you to format the tape. Then follow this step.)

  6. At the main menu (If the tape has been formatted) press F1. Another menu appears. Choose F2, total backup. This is for backing up everything on the drive. (However, feel free to experiment with partial backup. The keys to press are shown at the bottom of the screen.) When you press F2, the screen prompts you for the drive to back up. Drive C: is already chosen.

  7. Type a drive letter if you want to back a drive other than drive C:. Press Enter. The software counts the files on the drive, then asks you to type a name for the backup file, called the Volume title.

  8. Type any suitable name that fits on the line. You can use spaces and capital letters, but donít press Enter yet. Read the next step.

  9. After you type the volume title, you have a choice. If you press F1, the backup begins. If you press Enter, the highlight moves to the next item on the screen, Software data compression type, and a three-compartment box appears at the bottom of the screen. We recommend you press Enter.

  10. If you pressed Enter to highlight Software data compression type, press the right arrow once to highlight Optimize Space.

  11. Press F1 to begin the backup. (If the tape is not formatted, an error message appears at the bottom of the screen. Press F10 to back out to the main menu. Go to step 5.) You can press Enter to move to the password item and error file name item the same way you choose a volume title and compression method, however it is not necessary to do so, and if you forget the password, NOBODY can recover your data. We recommend you store the tape in a secure place rather than use a password.


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