User's Manual

8.4.1.2. Pre/post commands

You can specify commands or batch files to be executed automatically before and/or after the backup

procedure. For example, you may want to remove some temporary (.tmp) files from the disk before

starting backup or configure a third-party antivirus product to be used each time for scanning the files

to be backed up before the backup starts. Click Edit to open the Edit Command window where you

can easily input the command, its arguments and working directory or browse folders to find a batch

file.

Please do not try to execute interactive commands, i.e. commands that require user input (for

example, "pause"). These are not supported.

Unselecting the Do not perform operations until the command's execution is complete box,

selected by default, will permit the backup process to run concurrently with your command

execution.

If you want the backup to be performed even if your command fails, unselect the Abort the

operation if the user command fails box (selected by default).

You can test execution of the command you created by clicking Test command.

8.4.1.3. Compression level

The preset is Normal.

Let's consider such an example - you need to backup to a USB stick some files with a total size

comparable to or exceeding the USB stick's capacity and want to make sure that the stick

accommodates all the files. In this case use the Maximum compression for the files to be backed up.

However, you should take into account that the data compression ratio depends on the type of files

stored in the archive, for example, even the Maximum compression will not significantly reduce the

backup size if it contains files with already compressed data like .jpg, .pdf or .mp3. It does not make

any sense to select the Maximum compression for such files because in this case the backup

operation will take significantly longer and you will not get an appreciable reduction of backup size. If

you are not sure about the compression ratio of a file type, try to back up a couple of files and

compare the sizes of the original files and backup archive file. A couple of additional tips: generally,

you can use the Normal compression level, because in most cases it provides an optimal balance

between backup file size and backup duration. If you select None, the data will be copied without any

compression, which may significantly increase the backup file size, while making the fastest backup.

8.4.1.4. Archive protection

The preset is no password.

Suppose you have some files with sensitive information, for example, your tax return, which you need

to back up. Acronis True Image Home 2010 Netbook Edition can help you protect your sensitive

information from getting into the wrong hands. The simplest (and the least secure) way is protecting

your backup with a password. Let's remind you that to make a password more difficult to guess, it

should consist of at least eight symbols and contain both letters (upper and lower case, preferably)

and numbers. If you think that a password will not give you sufficient security, use encryption for

your backup. Acronis True Image Home 2010 Netbook Edition allows encrypting backup files with the

industry-standard AES cryptographic algorithm. A 128-bit encryption key is sufficient for most

applications. The longer the key, the more secure your data. However, the 192 and 256-bit long keys