BACKUPSTART (BY TONETRAX) – VERSION 2.5.0
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Portable Windows application for complete, versioned folder backups using Robocopy.

USAGE

1. Copy BackupStart.exe to a writable folder and start it.
2. Select a source folder and a separate backup destination.
3. Choose between 1 and 10 versions to retain.
4. Optionally enable automatic backup at Windows startup.
5. Select START BACKUP NOW.

Backups are stored as Backup_YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM-SS. Robocopy uses /E, /COPY:DAT, /DCOPY:DAT, and /XJ. /MIR is deliberately not used. Exit codes 0 through 7 are treated as successful.

SAFETY

- The destination must not be identical to or inside the source folder.
- New backups are initially created in a unique .incomplete folder.
- A backup is finalized only after Robocopy succeeds.
- Every installation has a random backup-set ID.
- Only folders with a valid BackupStart marker and matching ID may be deleted automatically.
- Foreign folders and unmarked legacy v2.0 backups are retained.
- Directory junctions are excluded through /XJ.

Legacy v2.0 backups must be managed manually when necessary.

WINDOWS STARTUP

Windows startup uses --autobackup. The information dialog is always skipped so that unattended backups cannot be blocked.

THEMES AND LANGUAGE

DE and ENG switch the language directly. Nine colors are freely configurable and checked for WCAG AA contrast. Built-in presets: Tonetrax Standard, Dark, Light, and High Contrast. Custom presets can be saved, updated, renamed, deleted, imported, and exported.

INFORMATION AND STARTUP NOTICE

The Info tab explains operation, safety rules, and liability. The startup notice can be disabled and enabled again from the Info tab. Automatic backups never show it.

PORTABLE FILES

- BackupStart.settings.ini: settings and backup-set ID
- BackupStart.theme-presets.json: custom theme presets
- BackupStart.log: compact application log
- BackupStart_Logs\: complete Robocopy logs

NOTICE AND LIABILITY

VERIFY BACKUPS REGULARLY. Freeware without warranty; use at your own risk. Statutory liability remains unaffected.

CHANGELOG VERSION 2.5.0

- new tabbed Settings dialog
- theme presets with import and export
- Info tab and dismissible startup notice
- dynamic version display
- safe deletion authorization using backup-set ID and marker
- German and English documentation in MD and TXT formats
