Date: Thursday, 23 Jul 1992 10:22:13 EDT
From: Jerry Bryan <BRYAN@wvnvm.wvnet.edu>
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc
Subject:    BACKUP and RESTORE of the Desktop

I do not consider the following test fully definitive, but it at least
strongly suggests that you *can* use BACKUP and RESTORE to backup your
desktop.  Here is what I did.

    1. Shutdown my system
    2. Bring up the standalone OS/2.  (Boot install disks to the point
       where you can ESCAPE out and get the command line prompt).
    3. Put blank formatted disk in A:
    4. Issued the following:

        C:                 (run from the C: disk.  I am not sure where
                            BACKUP and RESTORE are on the install disks.)

        CD \               (make sure I am at the root)

        BACKUP C:\  A:     (backup root files such as CONFIG.SYS.  Not
                            necessary for the test, but it is in line
                            with my long term plans for backing up
                            critical files.  One diskette will hold
                            everything I want, so why not go ahead and
                            get the root?)

        BACKUP C:\*.INI A:  /S/A  (backup all INI files.  Note that they
                                   are all closed at this point, so they
                                   can be backed up.  I want INI files
                                   and the desktop directory backed up
                                   at the same time.  The /A adds these
                                   backups to the same diskette as the
                                   first backup.  The /S makes sure I
                                   get them all.)

        CD "OS!2 2.0 Desktop"   (Point to the desktop in preparation for
                                 backing it up.  Note that the BACKUP
                                 command itself seems not to accept
                                 the desktop name. That is,
                                 BACKUP C:\"OS!2 2.0 Desktop" A: fails.

        BACKUP C:*.* A:  /A      This was an experiment to see if the EA
                                 of the empty directory would be backed up.
                                 It was not backed up.  Nothing happened.

        BACKUP C:*.* A:  /S/A    Cause the whole desktop to be backed up.
                                 I am still not 100% convinced that
                                 everything was backed up, but as we shall
                                 see, my *limited* experiment was a success.

        Remove the backup diskette and reboot my regular OS/2 system.

        Find a folder that is on the main desktop, open it, find a program
        object in the folder, make a shadow copy on the main desktop, and
        shutdown.

        Reboot the standalone OS/2 system and insert the backup diskette.

        Issue C: and CD \.

        RESTORE A: C: /M/S       (should cause any modified files to
                                  be restored.  The only thing restored
                                  is \WP ROOT. SF.)

        Remove the backup diskette and reboot my regular OS/2 system.

        The shadow I just added to the desktop is still there.  Shutdown
        in abject failure.

        Reboot the standalone OS/2 system and insert the backup diskette.

        RESTORE A: C: /S         (should cause all backed up files to
                                  be restored.  They seemed to be all
                                  restored.  I would be *much* happier
                                  using the /M switch, but with /M there
                                  was not enough stuff restored.)

        Remove the backup diskette and reboot my regular OS/2 system.

        The shadow I just added to the desktop is gone!  Success!!

As I said, I do not consider this test as definitive.  For example, if I
were really brave, I would format my C: disk, re-install OS/2, and then
restore from by backup diskette.  It appears that the /M switch to BACKUP
and RESTORE applies only to the data portion of a file, not to the EA.
I have numerous unanswered questions in my mind with respect to file access
dates (date created, last accessed, last modified, etc.) and whether any of
them apply to EA's.  For example, suppose the EA of a file is changed but
not the file itself.  Will an incremental backup backkup the file and its
EA?

I am somewhat mollified that I can now backup my desktop using standard
OS/2 facilities rather than Hobbes shareware or PDware.  However, I would
still love to see some definitive statements of direction from IBM about
the issue of desktop backup.
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc