The LeaseyBackup and Restore Manager.

Introduction.

The LeaseyBackup and Restore Manager is extremely powerful. It not only allows you to backup and restore your JAWS settings but it also makes it possible for you always to keep your Leasey settings and configuration files safe. In respect of modern Leasey applications specific to version 11.5, it allows the data stored as part of those to be synchronised across devices. Finally, there are utilities which allow you to make a backup of folders which are not related to JAWS or Leasey.

Why Would I Want to Use the Backup and Restore Manager?

Here are some common situations why you would want to use this tool rather than relying on your computer's hard disk to preserve your settings.

If your computer's hard disk develops a fault, you've potentially lost everything you have previously customised.

• You can have access to all your configurations on multiple devices. This is ideal especially if you rely extensively on tools such as Leasey Texts for both work and home use.
• If Leasey needs to be re-installed at a later time, perhaps due to a repair of JAWS, files which Leasey needs to install as a consequence will not be overwritten.

All your JAWS settings (as well as those belonging to Leasey) can be stored in a safe location and can be used again, perhaps when you upgrade to a new version of the screen-reader, or if a repair is required. It can take some time to customise JAWS speech and Braille settings, so it makes sense to have them backed up safely.

Backing Up, Restoring and Synchronising Settings.

There are three parts to this process of backup and synchronisation and it is very important we explain the differences as to what each function does. Then we will go onto show you how to carry out each of them.

Data Synchronisation of Modern Leasey Applications.

Starting with Leasey version 11.5, there are some modern applications where the data can be synchronised between devices. Over the coming years, it is hoped this will apply to all Leasey applications and features. But for now, it applies to:

• Leasey Connect.
• Leasey Cuts.
• Leasey Database Manager.
• Leasey Diary.
• Leasey File Manager.
• Leasey Media Centre.
• Leasey Notes.
• Leasey Social.
• LeaseySpell Check.
• Leasey Word.

This is very useful. If you use Leasey on multiple devices, you can use a cloud storage service such as OneDrive or Dropbox to share the data to devices having access to them. That means for example that if you have configured Mastodon or Bluesky accounts with Leasey Social, that data will be available on other devices so you will not have to set them up again. If you have built a database using Leasey Database Manager, stored Notes using Leasey Notes, or set radio station presets with Leasey Social, those too will be available on the other devices.

Leasey and JAWS Settings.

Leasey contains many other features which have been in place for a long time. Unfortunately, those settings cannot be synchronised to other devices. What you can do however is to back them up from one device to a cloud storage location for safekeeping. They could always be restored at a later time if necessary. The same is true for JAWS settings.

Workflow for Synchronising Settings for Modern Leasey Applications.

If you would like to ensure your data is synchronised on multiple devices, follow these steps:

Step 1. Press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+B to access the Backup and Restore Manager.

Step 2. Select the first item: "Backup and Restore JAWS or Leasey Settings".

Step 3. Press Enter to launch the Leasey Data Manager.

• You are now in a dialog box containing a number of choices. Press the Tab key to move through each of the controls in the dialog box.
• The first option is an Edit Field labeled "Backup Location". If you know the full path of the folder name where you would like the data synchronised to, type it in full. For example, if you wanted the data synchronised to Dropbox, so it was readily accessible with other devices, you would type as an example: "c:\Users\John\Documents\Dropbox" You could also copy the full path using File Explorer or the Leasey File Manager and paste it into the Edit Field.
• Alternatively, press Tab to reach the next control. This is labeled "Browse" and is a Button. Activating this Button would allow you to browse to the desired location instead.
• The next Button is entitled "Use this location for modern Leasey applications". There are other controls in this dialog but that is the Button we are looking for. Press the Space Bar.
• You are asked if you would like to set the newly selected location as the default for storing data. The new location is confirmed provided to you to confirm this is correct. Type letter Y for Yes to confirm this.

Step 1. From this point forward, all Leasey modern applications will use this new location. Your existing data will be copied to the new location first so you will not lose anything.

• Should you wish to reverse this procedure, go back into the Leasey Data Manager, and this time, press Enter or the Space Bar on the Button entitled "Restore modern Leasey applications from this location to drive C".

Making a Backup of Your Leasey or JAWS Settings.

To reiterate, this would only be used if you wish to make a backup of your existing Leasey or JaWS settings to an external location for preservation and for possible restoring at a later date. For example, if you have purchased a new computer and you wish to have those settings available to the new machine. Provided the new machine has access to the same external or cloud storage location, you will be able to restore.

Step 1. Press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+B to access the Backup and Restore Manager.

Step 2. Select the first item: "Backup and Restore JAWS or Leasey Settings".

Step 3. Press Enter to launch the Leasey Data Manager.

• You are now in a dialog box containing a number of choices. Press the Tab key to move through each of the controls in the dialog box.
• The first option is an Edit Field labeled "Backup Location". If you know the full path of the folder name where you would like the data copied to, type it in full. For example, if you wanted the data copied to Dropbox, you would type as an example: "c:\Users\John\Documents\Dropbox" You could also copy the full path using File Explorer or the Leasey File Manager and paste it into the Edit Field.
• Alternatively, press Tab to reach the next control. This is labeled "Browse" and is a Button. Activating this Button would allow you to browse to the desired location instead.

Step 1. Press the Tab key repeatedly until you reach either "Make a Backup copy of your Leasey settings using this location" or "Make a Backup copy of your JAWS settings using this location".

Step 2. Press the Space Bar or Enter on one of those two Buttons. Leasey will ask if you would like to make a copy of the settings and will confirm the new location to you.

Step 3. Press the letter Y for Yes to proceed with the copying process.

Should you wish to restore your settings at any point, work through this procedure. This should only be necessary if you feel that you would like to restore from a previous backup or if you are wanting to copy settings to a new machine.

Step 1. Press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+B to access the Backup and Restore Manager.

Step 2. Select the first item: "Backup and Restore JAWS or Leasey Settings".

Step 3. Press Enter to launch the Leasey Data Manager.

• You are now in a dialog box containing a number of choices. Press the Tab key to move through each of the controls in the dialog box.
• The first option is an Edit Field labeled "Backup Location". If you know the full path of the folder name where you would like the data copied from, type it in full. For example, if you wanted the data copied from Dropbox, you would type as an example: "c:\Users\John\Documents\Dropbox" You could also copy the full path using File Explorer or the Leasey File Manager and paste it into the Edit Field.
• Alternatively, press Tab to reach the next control. This is labeled "Browse" and is a Button. Activating this Button would allow you to browse to the desired location instead.

Step 1. Press the Tab key repeatedly until you reach either "Restore a copy of your Leasey settings from this location to Drive C" or "Restore a copy of your JAWS settings from this location to Drive C".

Step 2. Press the Space Bar or Enter on one of those two Buttons. Leasey will ask if you would like to restore the settings and will confirm the new location to you.

Step 3. Press the letter Y for Yes to proceed with the copying process.

Leasey Personal Backup.

Leasey Personal Backup is a feature designed to provide users with a reliable and efficient way to protect important files and folders by creating backup copies that can be restored when needed. Whether safeguarding personal documents, work-related materials, or cherished media collections, this tool simplifies the backup and restore process, ensuring that your data remains secure and accessible.

Backing up files and folders is often an overlooked aspect of computer maintenance, yet it can prevent significant frustration and loss if something goes wrong. Accidental deletions, unexpected system failures, and hardware malfunctions can happen at any time, making it essential to have an up-to-date backup. Leasey Personal Backup offers a straightforward method for selecting which folders to back up, storing them in a designated location, and keeping them synchronized over time. The process is designed to be as effortless as possible, only backing up modified files after the initial backup, which drastically reduces time and system resource usage.

A key advantage of this feature is its flexibility. You can back up your folders to a location on your computer, an external USB drive, or a cloud-based service such as Dropbox or Google Drive. The ability to specify, edit, and change both the backup source and destination ensures that users retain full control over their backup strategy. Additionally, Leasey Personal Backup provides a Selective Restore option, allowing users to restore only specific folders rather than all backed-up data at once.

This utility is not designed to make a backup of your entire computer or to restore an entire machine back to a previous condition, nor is it designed to restore your JAWS for Windows settings.

Setting up Leasey Personal Backup is a simple process. You begin by specifying the target location where the backup files will be stored. Once this is set, you can choose the folders that should be included in the backup. The system ensures that no duplicate folders are added to the backup list, keeping everything organised. Running the backup is just as straightforward; after the initial backup, only changed or newly added files are copied, reducing the time required for future backups. If files are removed from their original location, they are also deleted from the backup to maintain consistency.

Restoring files is equally efficient, with two methods available. You can restore all backed-up folders to their original locations, or you can use Selective Restore to choose specific folders to recover. This flexibility ensures that you are not forced to restore unnecessary files, saving time and storage space.

Specifying the Target Location.

The first decision to be made is where to backup the folders and files. It could be a local drive or folder on your computer, but more likely, it will be a USB external drive or a cloud storage service such as Dropbox or Google Drive.

• Using File Explorer, browse to the folder where you wish to backup the folders and files. We call this the target.

Step 1. Press Enter to open up the folder or drive. This is an important step. You must be inside the folder or drive.

Step 2. Press the Leasey Key then Control+B for Backup.

• An Edit Field appears which contains the full path to the drive or folder, such as, e:\ or d:\Dropbox\John James.
• Using the Left and Right Arrow keys, examine the path character by character. If you do not see a full path such as that described above, you have not customised Windows correctly to display the full path in the window title of File Explorer and you should revisit the Installation section of this documentation. For example, if the Edit Field contains just the folder name and not the full path, Windows is not configured correctly.
• At this point you can adjust the path by editing the text in the field if you wish.

Step 3. When the full path to the potential Backup folder is correct, press Enter. This is saved permanently until you change it.

Specifying the Source Locations.

You can now decide which folders you would always like to be backed up to Leasey Personal Backup. The procedure for adding folders to the backup process is almost identical to that which we have been through for storing the target location.

• Using File Explorer, browse to each folder in turn.

Step 1. Press Enter to open up the folder.

Step 2. Press the Leasey Key followed by Alt+B.

• An Edit Field appears displaying the path to the folder. As before, you can edit this location if necessary.

Step 3. When the path is displayed correctly, press Enter. The folder is then added to your backup list and is stored permanently until you change it. If Leasey identifies that the folder already exists in the backup list, it is not added a second time.

Running Personal Backup for the First Time.

It is now time to backup your folders to Personal Backup. The copying process is very efficient. However, if you are backing up a large number of Gigabytes of data, this can take a minute or two. Future backups of the same folders will be much faster.

Step 1. Open up the Leasey Backup and Restore Manager by pressing the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+B.

Step 2. Press Down Arrow to select the option "Backup Folders Using Personal Backup".

Step 3. Press Enter and the backup will begin. You will be requested to "Please wait". A sound will play periodically to notify you that the backup is ongoing, however in many situations it will only play out once or twice as the backup is very fast!

Step 4. In time you will be advised that the backup is complete and the sound will no longer play.

Step 5. Finally, using File Explorer, browse to the folder containing the backup and verify all the content is present.

What Happens With Subsequent Backups?

It is highly likely that you will make regular backup copies of the same folders. When you run Personal Backup as directed above, Leasey will only copy files which have been modified since the last backup was run. In many cases, this means that the backup will take place in only a few seconds.

If you have removed some files from the original source locations, the removed files will also be removed from the backup.

Backing Up Selected Folders Only.

There may be situations where on a temporary basis you may only like to backup selected folders from your core source locations.

Step 1. Press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+B to enter the Leasey Backup and Restore Manager.

Step 2. Select the item "Select individual folders to copy to Personal Backup".

Step 3. Press Enter. An Edit Field is displayed containing a list of all the paths to folders which are currently in the Personal Backup. There is one path on each line. Using standard Windows editing techniques, remove all the folder paths you do not wish to be part of the backup process on this occasion. In short, the Edit Field should only contain a list of those folders you wish to be backed up this time.

Step 4. Press Enter and the backup process will begin.

Note that the selection of sources in the list is temporary. The next time you repeat the above steps for a selected backup, all the sources originally set for Personal Backup are displayed.

Restoring Folders.

The reason why we are making a backup of folders is that there could be a need to restore them at a later time. There are two methods for doing this. You can either restore all folders back to the point where they were last backed up or you can use what we call Selected Restore.

To restore all folders from the target back to the original sources:

Step 1. Press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+B to move into the Leasey Backup and Restore Manager.

Step 2. Select the option "Restore all folders from Personal Backup".

Step 3. Press Enter and the restoration process will begin. A sound will play periodically as the restore is taking place. How long the restoration takes will depend upon a number of factors including the speed of the drive where the folders are stored and the size of the folders.

Step 4. When the process is complete you will be advised of this and the sound will no longer play.

• You should now revisit the original source folders to check everything is in place.

We will now describe the process for restoring specific folders from the backup only:

Step 1. Press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+B to enter the Leasey Backup and Restore Manager.

Step 2. Select the item "Restore individual folders from Personal Backup".

Step 3. Press Enter. An Edit Field is displayed containing a list of all the paths to folders which are currently in the Personal Backup. There is one path on each line. Using standard Windows editing techniques, remove all the folder paths you do not wish to be part of the restore process. In short, the Edit Field should only contain a list of those folders you wish to be restored.

Step 4. Press Enter and the restoration process will begin.

Note that the selection of sources in the list is temporary. The next time you repeat the above steps for a selected restore, all the sources originally set for Personal Backup are displayed.

Changing the Target Location.

If you wish to change the target location for the Personal Backup, you can:

Step 1. Browse to a new folder for the Personal Backup.

Step 2. Press Enter.

Step 3. Press the Leasey Key then Control+B.

Step 4. Check the new target location in the Edit Field.

Step 5. Press Enter. The new target will be used for future backups.

Alternatively:

Step 1. Press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+B to move into the Leasey Backup and Restore Manager.

Step 2. Select the item Edit Personal Backup Target Storage Location".

Step 3. Press Enter.

• An Edit Field will appear containing the current path to the target location. If you are just using this as a mechanism to remind yourself of the target location, read the content of the Edit Field and press Escape. However, you can change this if you know the path to the new target location.

Step 1. Press Enter to save.

Points to Bare In Mind When Backing Up and Restoring Folders.

• We do not recommend backing up Windows system folders or those internal to core applications your computer is using, such as those used by Microsoft Office programs. JAWS Settings folders can be part of your backup if you wish.
• Be mindful of program or system updates which may be occurring at the time you wish to make the backup. It would be sensible not to backup or restore folders if events were taking place keeping the computer busy.
• This next point bears repeating. If you work through the process of adding a folder to the backup list, and you do not see a full path to the folder, such as "c:\Users\Joe\Documents", the backup will not be able to take place.

If you wish to backup your Downloads folder, there is possibly an important consideration if you are using Microsoft OneDrive. If Microsoft OneDrive is enabled, Windows might redirect C:\Users\XXX\Downloads to C:\Users\XXX\OneDrive\Downloads. The first thing to consider if this occurs is this: should you be backing up the Downloads folder anyway? Downloads is meant to be a temporary storage area. When you download a file, the hope is that you are then going to do something with that file, such as move it to a more permanent location. If you receive Email messages, hopefully if they are important, you file them away in folders for the purpose. The same is true of files you download. If you still wish to pursue this however,open up the Downloads folder. If the folder referenced in the title or address bar refers to OneDrive, then the true Downloads folder is now in OneDrive. You should specify the OneDrive/Downloads path in the Backup.

• Hartgen Consultancy is not responsible for any loss of data caused by misuse or incorrectly specifying paths to source or target folders.

Keystroke Summary.

Leasey Key then Control+Shift+B: Opens the Leasey Backup and Restore Manager.

Leasey Key then Control+B: Adds or confirms a folder as the Personal Backup target location when used in the context described.

Enter: Activates the selected backup or restore option, saves paths, or begins the backup or restore process.

Escape: Leaves the Edit Field or dialog without changing the Personal Backup target location where described.