Once you have set up backup tasks, you can start making backups. Backups can be created automatically if you have set up scheduling. But if you want, you can create backups manually at any time.
To start a backup task manually, select the task and click on the "Start Backup" button on the toolbar, or open the Tasks menu and do the selection there. When you click on the right part (small rectangle) of the toolbar button you can additionally select if you want to add a comment to your backup file or not. With default program settings it is also possible to start the backup by double clicking on the task.
Since the version 3.2 you can also make a shortcut to your desktop, for each task. You can do this by using the Edit menu. No matter if the program is closed or not, whenever you double click on the task icon, the backup is created for that task.
Backup can also be started by using the keyboard shortcuts. Press F9 to start creating a backup, and F10 if you want to add a comment for the backup file.
When the backup is in progress, source folders are scanned and the files included to the backup. The backup is then saved to the destination folder, and uploaded and/or burned, if set so.
Soon the backup task is started, you will also see the progress window with status about the backup, including the time elapsed and estimated time left to complete this backup job:
If you are using backup grouping then by opening the pop up menu of "Start Backup" button (the right part of the button) you can start the backups for all the tasks from current active backup group. Additionally, if the task type is incremental backup, you can select from that menu to make a full backup from this incremental backup task.
You should know, that backups are auto started based on the schedule only when the user is logged on. If the computer is turned off, hibernated, or the user is logged off, the program can't auto start backup tasks. To make backups at night, please disable auto log-off. For security reasons, you might want to enable also password protected screen saver that will prevent unauthorized access to your computer in case you are away for some time. In the Professional version, there is a Service Utility available, though, that can run your backup tasks even when nobody is logged on to the computer. You can read more about the Windows service support in the chapter "Utilities, Windows Service Manager".