Merge Question...

I use DevonThink Pro and would like to back up my databases. I've read that it's not ideal to backup the contents of the database while the program is open (as with any backup program) so I set QRecall to backup my DevonThink Backups Folder. DevonThink makes a zip archive of the particular database and places it in the specified folder.

I have around 7 different zipped databases in my DT Backup folder. Some of them haven't been touched in months and some of them are updated often. So my question is if set a merge action in QRecall, could I lose some of the zipped files that haven't been touched in months? If I set it to merge the past (1) months worth of layers, could I lose a file that hasn't been recaptured in months?

I'm going to assume it won't, unless I delete the original zip file from the folder and a month passes...

I just want to make sure, though...

Also: I like your software!

Adam Horne wrote:So my question is if set a merge action in QRecall, could I lose some of the zipped files that haven't been touched in months? If I set it to merge the past (1) months worth of layers, could I lose a file that hasn't been recaptured in months?

No, not unless you've deleted those files from the file system and performed another capture.

A merge creates a composite of the merged layers and preserves the merged results as a new layer. Within those layers, it always preserves the most recent information about each item. It doesn't matter how long ago a file was last captured; if the file still exists in the most recent layer, then the last captured version of that file is the most current and the one that will be preserved. The only copies of the file that might be deleted are any older versions of that same file that exist in earlier layers.

A file is completely deleted from the archive only after you delete that item from the file system, capture again, and then merge that layer with the earlier ones. In this situation, the "most current version" of the file is the fact that it doesn't exist, so QRecall discards all older copies.

Well that's not the only way. The special Archive > Delete Item... command will purge all copies of any item you choose from an archive. (Just so you know.)