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Configuration LifeGuard Help File Page, Topic FAQ

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Excerpt from Configuration LifeGuard Help file
topic "Frequently Asked Questions"

Q.: Why Configuration LifeGuard? Why not some other configuration backup and restore program?

A.: Ultimately, it is always the end-user who decides which application suits the particular needs most. On this note, Configuration LifeGuard is a universal and compact tool that can boast of conceptual approach, purposeful integrity, easy-to-handle and practical features and smooth performance. It DOES what some others DO NOT, and it DOES NOT what some others DO. Judge for yourselves:

  • some other programs can be operated in Windows 95/98 only, which turn them useless if you cannot load Windows 95/98 at all
  • some other programs compress and rename their backup files, which often prevents unskilled users to easily reach them manually in MS-DOS mode if they are unfamiliar with all the cryptic and complex decompression program's switches and commands
  • some other programs allow you to make several different backups. This can be perhaps useful for some specific testing purposes but has little practical use as restoring any of the configuration backups made BEFORE the last backup renders the latest changes to the system's configuration useless as they are automatically discarded
  • some other programs allow you to restore the backup in MS-DOS mode only, not allowing the convenience to restore in Windows 95/98 (an exception is the Windows 95/98 Registry, which, for reasons of increased safety, should be preferably restored in MS-DOS mode)
  • some other programs do not allow you to undo the restore, once your configuration has been restored
  • some other programs do not recognize absence of some of the configuration files on the system and do not inform the user that a particular file has actually not been accessed and handled
  • some other programs may get stuck and do not work properly unless all configuration files are at their default locations, not giving the user any hint or feedback why they do not operate and what has actually happened. The users have to figure out themselves what went wrong
  • some other programs treat configuration files as one package not allowing the user to selectively handle individual files, thus making a backup or restore of a group of files only
  • some other programs always ask you for the location of the backup even though you would prefer to have it always at the same place (without the risk that another user would change it and then you would fail to find it...) and would prefer simply not to be bothered with this and other further questions and confirmations, etc.

We, at Visual Fantasy, have tried to learn from some other programs by developing (and fine-tuning) a simple-to-use yet powerful and sophisticated application that - in spite of its inconspicuous look - goes beyond all this and even further and serves you as easily and reliably as only possible. If you feel that the above features of some other programs do not really appeal to you very much and that you would actually welcome quite the opposite - you are on the right track and you have chosen well. Configuration LifeGuard was born on the imperfections, bugs and not very convincing and practical features of some other programs. Its emphasis has been put on reliability, speed, ultimate automation and thus maximum simplicity in its operation but at the same time on not compromising in individual approach and allowing the user to make distinctively selective decisions. Let's sum up what has already been said before:

Configuration LifeGuard is unambiguously straightforward - it takes a single mouse-click or a key-press and only a few seconds to make an automatic backup, restore or undo restore and it enables you to selectively choose up to 10 crucial and critical configuration and system files. To access the backup from MS-DOS mode (i.e., if you cannot load or restart Windows 95/98 at all or as well at any other time you prefer it), an efficient MS-DOS mode AutoRestore component of this program is provided as the bottom safe line. Configuration LifeGuard does not compress its backup, does not merge it and does not rename the backed up files. This arrangement is quite intentional - it enables to access the backed up files manually and to copy them individually, should the user choose so.

When backing up, restoring or undoing the restore with Configuration LifeGuard, this program will first check for the existence and availability of the files to be dealt with and if it does not find them or cannot access them at the moment (e.g., because of being updated by the system) an individual dialog box will be displayed informing the user that the particular file was not accessed and will not be handled. The respective selection will then be unchecked automatically. After the operation is completed, the checked selections will inform the user which files were duly processed. There is a lot of background work and checking and double-checking the program does, which the user may never notice when everything goes well. This ensures that chances for an error are brought down as much as possible.

So, why Configuration LifeGuard? Said in a nutshell - because it goes to great lengths to make the system configuration backup and restore REALLY work.


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