Delay options for auto-restart after backup True Image Home 2018
Closing the computer when a backup is complete is a great idea, good for the environment and a way of saving money.
However, it could be improved.
I have a computer with a backup that takes 7 hours, and then a further 5-7 hours to validate. I usually run the backup overnight and the validation completes during the day. This works well because when I need to make file changes it doesn't impact on the backup process because it is validating.
Unfortunately I sometimes forget to switch of the auto computer shutdown. This can result in lost data because a file I am working on is lost because the auto computer shutdown occurs whilst I am editing it.
Alternatively it can happen partway through a large file transfer 2.5GB or more and result in having to start the transfer from the beginning again (up to 12 hours to transfer this one file between the PC and the NAS.
A solution to this could be to offer a 15 minute delay with a popup. The popup could offer two choices:
- Proceed immediately
- Cancel
- If no choice is made it could continue after the delay period.
- It might also be useful to offer a custom delay period.
The first batch file above will wait for a user to interact, the modified batch file below will timeout after a 15 minute delay if the user doesn't interact and will then shutdown the computer immediately.
@ECHO OFF :: This batch file allows the user to choose to shutdown immediately, :: after a delay time or cancel and return to Windows :: CD\ CLS ECHO. :LOOP ECHO Would you like to shutdown immediately? ECHO. ECHO Y = SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATELY (WARNING!! Unsaved work will be lost) ECHO N = CANCEL and return to Windows ECHO D = DELAY 15 Minutes then shutdown ECHO. CHOICE /C:YND /T 900 /D Y /M "Type your choice" ECHO. IF ERRORLEVEL==3 GOTO Delay IF ERRORLEVEL==2 GOTO Leave IF ERRORLEVEL==1 GOTO ShutdownNow ECHO. GOTO End :ShutdownNow ECHO. shutdown /s /t 1 :Delay ECHO. shutdown /s /t 900 :Leave Exit :End pause
Hi Steve,
I clearly forgot to tick the "Notify me when new comments" option.
Thanks for your response. I understand the code you have written - not quite sure how to add it as a Post Command. I do all my backups manually.
I do a full weekly validated backup to a SATA HD on my PC
I create a daily unvalidated incremental backup to the same SATA HD
After the 6th incremental backup, I transfer all the files to my NAS which takes about 17 hours and finishes before the next backup cycle starts on the next evening. At this point I delete the copies on the SATA HD and start the next backup cycle.
Thanks,
Nigel
p.s. the reason the incremental backups are not validated is that the validation includes all backup files and so takes the same validation time as the full backup. The full backup file is in excess of 2.8TB. 7 hours backup + 6.5 hours validation.
Nigel, if you are performing other actions after the ATI backup task has completed, such as copying files etc, then using a Post Command would not help here, as this would run immediately after the backup ended and before your subsequent actions.
The other approach would be to code your copy actions into such a batch command script such that you effectively automate the process as far as possible and make a decision about shutting down dependent on the actions performed being finished.
The backup is run as a standalone task. If the PC is unattended then I would expect the batch file to run and then after the expected alert time allow the PC to shut down. The back and verification runs overnight and into the next day. Once the validation process has started I get most of the resources back and so I can carry on and use the PC for whichever tasks I need. If I forget to change the automatic shut down option, then i could be in the middle of a task that could end up with the computer shutting down without any warning and that work may simply be lost.