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Everybody heeds the "backup now, backup often" warning. But nobody seems to have suggested version control software, not that I'm aware of anyway. Rather than do your CD backups, or 50 copies of 100Mb on different drive, why not just use something like QVCS which AFAICR is about US$25?Basically, this is the way it works: 1. You create your route and add all the files to the archive. 2. You check out the files you want to change (ie all of them for MSTS) 3. You do your changes and save. 4. You check in the files. 5. Repeat 2 to 5 ad nauseum.Advantages: - You can roll back to *any* version of *any* file - If a file hasn't changed, it doesn't get updated and stored as a new version unnecessarily - You can add comments like "Added pig #4658 to farm #347"And if MS were to integrate MSTS RE into Visual Studio, you could do it with SourceSafe as well! Talking of pigs...Geoff M.
I haven't tried it yet, but there's a backup batch file in the file library somewhere that I suspect copies only files modified since last backup.I generally copy the entire route folder to a backup, then rename that folder (portogden7_615, portogden7_616, etc.), and except for one master to avoid having to run EZstuff4.bat, I delete the envfiles, shapes, terrtex, and textures folders to save space. Unless I added new shapes/textures/whatever, in which case that one becomes the new "master backup".My advice is always "get a bigger hard disk, ya cheapskate, back up the whole smash!"
I back up to a Buslink portable hard drive. The USB2.0 works quite fast. I have three times restored everything on the older computer and transferred all data to the newer Gateway.I will also periodically burn a backup CD. This is also a good place to keep archival copies of uploads and downloads to Train-Sim.SRV Ron
See, that's what I find strange. What you achieve in six or more steps each with numerous clicks in several minutes, you can achieve with version control software with just three clicks and a couple of seconds. Yes, 3 clicks for the whole lot! Much faster, you don't worry about missing a file, and saves space. You're just making yourself work harder!As for the hard drive, I *do* have a large one. I just don't want to fill it up with MSTS stuff!Geoff M.