-------------------------------------------------------------- TASKZIP F.A.Q. -------------------------------------------------------------- QUESTIONS --------- 1. Why do backup jobs I scheduled never run, even if the scheduled time is just 5 minutes into the future and I sit watching? 2. Why do I get the "ERR#13 Type Mismatch" error? 3. Where can I get free compression libraries like TaskZip uses? 4. How can I get TaskZip to run as an NT Service? 5. Why do I get the "ERR#52 TaskZip - Bad file name or number" error? 6. Why won't the /RUN command line options work properly when I try to run TaskZip from my own scheduler? 7. Why do I get the "ERR#6 - Overflow" error? 8. Why won't TaskZip automatically run silently on startup even though I have the /SILENT switch on the shortcut? 9. Is there a work-around for accessing password protected folders with TaskZip? 10. Is TaskZip able to compress more than 2GB of data? 11. How is TaskZip affected by BIOS power saver settings? -------------------------------------------------------------- ANSWERS ------- 1. I schedule backup jobs, but they never run. Why? [a] TaskZip is designed to pause all scheduled backup jobs while the primary "Scheduled Backup Jobs" window is opened. This is done to prevent previously scheduled backup jobs from auto- matically executing, thereby interrupting the work that the user was doing. To get TaskZip running, just close down the main dialog box (or "Scheduled Backup Jobs") so that only the tray icon is visible. TaskZip will do its backups as long as that icon is running and no other TaskZip form is visible. [b] Be sure that your source and target servers do not have a screen saver running that might interefer with the automatic run. Also check BIOS power saver settings for hard-drive . -------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Why do I get the "13 Type Mismatch" error? One user found and emailed me the solution for this bug that some users experience after upgrading to build 19+ (thank you for emailing it to me as I could not reproduce it). He found that after uninstalling TaskZip, and then re- installing the newer build, the 13 Type Mismatch occurred. He checked the TaskZip directory and found remnants of the original installation (user backup job .tzp files in the Backup folder). He then deleted all existing backup jobs and reinstalled finding that everything works. This should not be the case; TaskZip should automatically work with existing backup jobs, but in some cases it does not. So, delete them and re-create them in the newer version to work-around the bug. -------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Where can I get free compression libraries like TaskZip uses? Here are a few different areas you can look into: - InfoZip has several wonderful freeware zip components. Their website is: http://www.cdrom.com/pub/infozip/ - Another good site is zlib. I haven't looked too much into it, but it is supposed to be good: http://www.cdrom.com/pub/infozip/zlib/ - A user emailed me with the following great links that I still have not delved into yet: http://www.cdrom.com/pub/infozip/ http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Network/2114/ -------------------------------------------------------------- 4. How can I get TaskZip to run as an NT Service? One aproach would be to try this application that converts a standard .exe into a service: http://www.istare.com/software/ntrunner/ -------------------------------------------------------------- 5. Why do I get the "ERR#52 TaskZip - Bad file name or number" error? Several instances were fixed with newer versions, they were bugs. However, if you attempt to access folders and files that are secured by a user name and password (such as Samba shares on a Linux server), then you will get this error and there is no current work-around other than to change around the security (not a good solution). Thank you Michal Fryska for pointing out this bug. -------------------------------------------------------------- 6. Why won't the /RUN command line options work properly when I try to run TaskZip from my own scheduler? You need to layout the command line as follows: /RUN "C:\Program Files\TaskZip\TaskZip.exe" /RUN BackupJob.tzp If you are having problems, try using a backup job name without spaces and if you must (Win95, etc.) use 8 char- acters or less in the filename. -------------------------------------------------------------- 7. Why do I get the "ERR#6 - Overflow" error? One or more of your .tzp files (probably existing from a very old build of TaskZip that was not properly upgraded) is missing 14 lines at the top of the file. The easiest fix is to move all the .tzp jobs to a temporary directory, then move them back to their original locations under the ..\TaskZip\BackupJobs\ folder, running TaskZip after each move, until you find the broken files. Rebuild the broken files manually is the easiest fix, unless you want to copy the missing lines from another working .tzp files and reconstruct the bad file with Notepad. -------------------------------------------------------------- 8. Why won't TaskZip automatically run silently on startup even though I have the /SILENT switch on the shortcut? [a] In rare circumstances, users upgrading from an old build to v2.07 encountered a bug whereby the "taskzip.txt" file had preferences for SaveFormSize set to 0 instead of -1 and the FormSize was set to nothing but should have been set to 1,-1,-1,-1,-1,251,229,772,538. This tip was sent in by Franck Charreire. [b] There was also a bug through build 2.04.07 where the File | Preferences setting (checkbox) for "Save Screen Size" set to yes would cause the bug, so fix was to set to No. -------------------------------------------------------------- 9. Is there a work-around for accessing password protected folders with TaskZip? There are two work-arounds, and neither is perfect. [a] Create a mapped drive that has the password included. Reference the mapped drive for TaskZip folder selection. [b] This is a temporary fix, but open the folder with MS Explorer one time, and subsequent opens by TaskZip will not require the password again (I did not test out this scenario, but a user reported that it works). -------------------------------------------------------------- 10. Is TaskZip able to compress more than 2GB of data? At present, the zip file protocol will handle either 2GB or 4GB depending on whom you ask (look at WinZip and other utilities, they have the same size limit for zip files). I would assume that TaskZip's max limit is 2GB (I have not tested larger than this, although I have had users say that they have exceeded 2GB). -------------------------------------------------------------- 11. How is TaskZip affected by BIOS power saver settings? [a] If it is a monitor power saver setting, then there is no problem, leave it as it is. [b] If the machine on which TaskZip runs has power-saver settings so that the hard-drive stops spinning, then that is no longer a problem as TaskZip will wait for the drive to startup. [c] If the machine with hard-drive power-saver shut-off is the target machine (where backup is placed), then ditto [b] above. [d] If the machine with hard-drive power-saver shut-off is the source file machine(s), then you have a problem and you need to either stop using the hard-drive power- down, or put TaskZip on that system so that option [a] above overrides the problem. --------------------------------------------------------------