The LeaseyBackup and Restore Manager.

Introduction.

The LeaseyBackup and Restore Manager is extremely powerful. It not only allows you to backup and restore your JAWS settings but it also makes it possible for you always to keep your Leasey settings and configuration files safe. Moreover, it always means that your settings can instantly become available on multiple machines you may have access to. If you use a number of computers with Leasey installed, all your preferences you may have customised in the program on one machine will be available to Leasey on the other devices. This includes any LeaseyTexts, LeaseyClips, browser favourites, LeaseySearch customisations, LeaseyCuts, audio bookmarks you may have created for VLC Media Player, LeaseyAlerts, LeaseyPoints, LeaseyDiary entries and so much more.

It is likely you will be synchronising files with a cloud storage service, such as Dropbox, OneDrive or Google Drive, although if you wish, you could use it in conjunction with another drive internal to your computer or a shared storage device. For this reason, we refer to this part of the Backup and Restore Manager as LeaseyCloud.

You may think that this section of the documentation does not apply to you. But it could do. If you really want to keep your settings and configurations secure so you can go back to them if the worst happens, it would be an advantage to you to go through this setup process now.

This chapter of the User Guide is comprehensive and we hope it covers most scenarios in terms of using this utility. It is likely that you will only carry out the below setup routines on a very occasional basis. We recommend that you follow the directions given in this User Guide as closely as you can to ensure that everything is configured correctly.

Please note: you do not need to use the utility described in this chapter at all if you do not wish to. Leasey will function as she always has in previous versions. It is not essential that you follow the guidance below.

Why Would I Want to Use the Backup and Restore Manager?

Here are some common situations why you would want to use this tool rather than relying on your computer's hard disk to preserve your settings.

Please note that this service works best using OneDrive and Dropbox. Using Google Drive or an alternative network source can be used but we recommend you discuss this with us first. JAWS can have difficulties when it is started as a service in terms of accessing the Leasey files; in other words, if it is set to start speaking after Windows logon. There is a way of managing this but some users may find the setup procedure complex.

Setting Up Leasey On Machine 1.

While the process for setting up Leasey to work with a cloud storage device is almost the same for each machine, for the avoidance of doubt we are giving you some examples of how you might go about using this tool on multiple devices.

  1. Using File Explorer, browse to a primary folder where the necessary Leasey folder structure is to be created. This could be the root of your Dropbox folder, or in the case of Google Drive, it would be Google Drive/My Drive.
  2. Ensure that you have pressed Enter so as to move inside this folder.
  3. Press the Leasey Key then ALT+S for Storage. Leasey will bring into view a Dialog Box containing an edit field. The edit field displays the full path of the folder where the Leasey files and sub-folders will live, such as d:\Dropbox (Joe Thompson), or G:\My Drive.
  4. Examine the content of this Edit Field carefully and be sure that the path to the folder is accurately reflected there. If it is, press Enter. If it is not, you can change it so that it is accurate. Please be careful if you are going to make such a change.
  5. When the Enter key is pressed, Leasey creates the necessary folders and then you will be asked for a Machine Name. There are two groups of files which are specific to the machine you are using and can not be shared between multiple devices. The first group is the LeaseyCuts pointing to files and folders. Because the paths the LeaseyCuts are pointing to can vary from one machine to another, it is important that these are computer specific. LeaseyCuts pointing to web pages are shared. The second group is the JAWS settings for the machine. Not only can JAWS preferences vary from one machine to another, but the JAWS serial number on each device may be different.
  6. Type a Machine Name, such as "Desktop", and press Enter. The name you give to the machine does not need to be your computer's official name. It can be whatever you want it to be.
  7. Leasey will confirm the name of the machine she is now using.
  8. Leasey completes the setup process and JAWS is restarted.
  9. Finally for this step, press ALT+F4 so as to close File Explorer. Then optionally, work through the procedure in the next section denoted with a level 2 heading entitled "Migrating Settings".

If you are using the Dropbox service for storage, there may be an additional step which needs to be taken. This depends upon your current Dropbox configuration. The Smart Sync service must be disabled for the LeaseyCloud folder.

With Dropbox Smart Sync, you can see and access every file in your account and every folder that’s been shared with you, directly from your desktop, without taking up your hard drive space. Normally, synced files are downloaded fully to your computer and they take up hard drive space. With Smart Sync, you can make files and folders "online only". Online-only files use a small amount of hard drive space to store information such as the file name, size and thumbnail, but the full contents of the files are stored securely in the Dropbox cloud. You’ll always see your online-only files on your computer, so when you need them, you can open them.

Leasey will not function if this feature is applied to the LeaseyCloud folder which has now been created as she is frequently checking for, and updating, configuration files.

  1. Using File Explorer, navigate to the point in your Dropbox folder structure where Leasey has created the folders for use. This is likely to be the root of your Dropbox folder you found in the previous set of steps.
  2. Locate the folder entitled "LeaseyCloud" but do not press Enter to open it.
  3. Activate the Context Menu by pressing the Applications Menu key or Shift+F10.
  4. Press Down Arrow until you reach the option "Smart Sync" and press Enter.
  5. This presents you with a sub-menu containing two options: "Local" and "Online Only". You can press the Down Arrow key to move to each choice.
  6. As you move through each option, JAWS will say which one is checked. Hopefully, JAWS is reporting that "Local" is checked rather than "Online Only". If "Local" is checked, you can press Escape to exit the menu, since the configuration is as we need it to be. However, if "Online Only" is checked, use the arrow keys to find "Local", and press Enter. The configuration is now complete.

Migrating Settings.

Next, we're going to bring over all your settings and customisations you may have carried out in respect of Leasey from a previous version. If you have not used Leasey before you can ignore this step.

  1. Press the Leasey key then Control+Shift+B so as to select the Backup and Restore Manager.
  2. Press the Down Arrow key repeatedly until the option "Migrate Old Leasey Settings to an External Drive, Folder or cloud source" is selected. Then press Enter.
  3. Leasey migrates the settings in a very short period of time and JAWS is restarted.

In summary, you have now set up the first machine and you have brought over any customisations from it. This does include LeaseyCuts pointing to files and folders you may have had on that machine.

Setting Up Leasey On Machine 2 and Subsequent Machines.

Assuming Leasey is installed on Machine 2, please work through the following procedure.

  1. Using File Explorer, browse to a primary folder where the necessary Leasey folder structure has been created. This could be the root of your Dropbox folder, or in the case of Google Drive, it would be Google Drive/My Drive. Note: It does not make any difference if the path of the cloud storage varies from one machine to another. For example, on the first machine, the contents of the Dropbox or other Cloud Storage may be on drive D. But on the new machine on which we are working now, it may be located on Drive C. What is important here is that you point Leasey on each machine to the same Dropbox account.
  2. Ensure that you have pressed Enter so as to move inside this folder.
  3. Press the Leasey Key then ALT+S for Storage. Leasey will bring into view a Dialog Box containing an edit field. The edit field displays the full path of the folder where the Leasey files and sub-folders will live, such as d:\Dropbox (Joe Thompson), or G:\My Drive.
  4. Examine the content of this Edit Field carefully and be sure that the path to the folder is accurately reflected there. If it is, press Enter. If it is not, you can change it so that it is accurate. Please be careful if you are going to make such a change.
  5. When the Enter key is pressed, Leasey creates the necessary folders and then you will be asked for the Machine Name described above.
  6. Type a Machine Name, such as "Laptop", and press Enter.
  7. Leasey will confirm the name of the machine she is now using.
  8. Leasey completes the setup process and JAWS is restarted.
  9. Finally for this step, press ALT+F4 so as to close File Explorer.

In terms of configuration, that should be all you need to do. You should not need to migrate settings from a previous version onto this machine as they are already in place and can be used. You would repeat the steps in example 2 for any subsequent machines you may have access to. The only exception to this would be if you wanted the LeaseyCuts you were using on the second machine to be available to you. If that is the case please follow these steps.

  1. Press the Leasey key then Control+Shift+B so as to select the Backup and Restore Manager.
  2. Press the Down Arrow key repeatedly until the option "Migrate Old Leasey Settings to an External Drive, Folder or cloud source" is selected. Then press Enter.
  3. A Dialog Box will appear with the following prompt: "Migration Already Exists. Leasey has detected that you have already carried out migration of settings from one machine. Are you sure you wish to remove these and copy settings from this machine? Select No to just copy LeaseyCuts". Press the letter "N" and only the LeaseyCuts will be copied.

If you really did want to remove all the settings and use those from the second machine, you would press the letter "Y" for "Yes". But this would be in a very exceptional circumstance.

What To Do If Leasey Has Been Removed From Your Machine And Reinstalled.

Absolutely nothing. Provided the folder c:\LeaseyData has not been removed from your machine then everything should neatly fall into place. This can be checked by going to the Backup and Restore Manager. If the item "Run Development Report" is at the bottom of the list, then Leasey is linked to the cloud storage.

If you did not remove Leasey, and you just re-installed over the top of the existing version, you should not need to do anything further since she should still be linked to the external or cloud storage.

If you re-formatted your computer's hard drive however, you will need to link Leasey back to the original cloud storage drive and use the same machine name as before.

  1. Using File Explorer, browse to a primary folder where the necessary Leasey folder structure is to be created. This could be the root of your Dropbox folder, or in the case of Google Drive, it would be Google Drive/My Drive.
  2. Ensure that you have pressed Enter so as to move inside this folder.
  3. Press the Leasey Key then ALT+S for Storage. Leasey will bring into view a Dialog Box containing an edit field. The edit field displays the full path of the folder where the Leasey files and sub-folders will live, such as d:\Dropbox (Joe Thompson), or G:\My Drive.
  4. Examine the content of this Edit Field carefully and be sure that the path to the folder is accurately reflected there. If it is, press Enter. If it is not, you can change it so that it is accurate. Please be careful if you are going to make such a change.
  5. When the Enter key is pressed, you will be asked for a Machine Name.
  6. Type exactly the same machine name you used before. This is a critical step. If the machine name is different to that used previously, the linking mechanism will not work correctly.
  7. Leasey will confirm the name of the machine she is now using.
  8. Leasey completes the setup process and JAWS is restarted.
  9. Finally for this step, press ALT+F4 so as to close File Explorer.

Additional LeaseyCloud Options in the Backup and Restore Manager.

There are other options remaining in respect of Leasey settings directly.

Unlink External Drive, Folder or Cloud Storage From This Machine.

If you have previously linked your copy of Leasey on a machine to an external drive or cloud storage location, and it is not functioning as you expect, you can unlink it so as to cause Leasey to behave with the old configuration settings you were using before you went through this process. Press Enter on this option. JAWS will restart.

Run development report.

When you press Enter on this item, a report concerning information about the Machine Name, and various paths to folders, will be copied to the Windows Clipboard. You can send this to us if we ask for it by pasting the contents into an Email message.

Options Relating to Notifications and Alerts.

These options relate to the importing of our rules to abbreviate the output from JAWS when a Windows Notification or application alert is available. Please refer to the "Additional Utilities" Chapter for details.

Backing Up and Restoring JAWS Settings in the Cloud.

We will now discuss how to backup and restore your JAWS settings. Please note that these are not settings belonging to Leasey, such as those we have discussed up until now. These are all JAWS script files, configuration and dictionary files, voice profiles (such as those for various speech synthesisers), and rules for the JAWS Notification History feature.

It may sound obvious but we will spell it out anyway. You should only make a backup of your JAWS settings if it is working the way you want it to.

If Leasey is linked to an external drive or cloud storage location, press the Leasey Key followed by Control+Shift+B to enter the Backup and Restore utility. Select the option "Backup JAWS Settings" and press Enter. A copy of the settings is made, relative to the machine you are using. Leasey confirms that the JAWS settings are being backed up and the Machine Name you are working with. This means that, should the need arise, you can restore the settings specific to that machine.

Now we will learn how to restore the JAWS settings. You should only need to do this in the following situations:

If you have repaired JAWS, re-installed it, or you are upgrading from one JAWS version to another, follow these steps.

  1. Install JAWS and be sure that it is functioning correctly.
  2. Install Leasey and ensure it is activated.
  3. Using File Explorer, browse to a primary folder where the necessary Leasey folder structure has been created. This could be the root of your Dropbox folder, or in the case of Google Drive, it would be Google Drive/My Drive.
  4. Ensure that you have pressed Enter so as to move inside this folder.
  5. Press the Leasey Key then ALT+S for Storage. Leasey will bring into view a Dialog Box containing an edit field. The edit field displays the full path of the folder where the Leasey files and sub-folders will live, such as d:\Dropbox (Joe Thompson), or G:\My Drive.
  6. Examine the content of this Edit Field carefully and be sure that the path to the folder is accurately reflected there. If it is, press Enter. If it is not, you can change it so that it is accurate. Please be careful if you are going to make such a change.
  7. When the Enter key is pressed, you will be asked for a Machine Name.
  8. Type exactly the same machine name you used before. This is a critical step. If the machine name is different to that used previously, the linking mechanism will not work correctly and your JAWS settings will not be restored. Remember that the JAWS settings are linked to the individual machine name and cannot be shared among machines. So if you get this wrong, then you cannot restore them.
  9. Leasey will confirm the name of the machine she is now using.
  10. Leasey completes the setup process and JAWS is restarted.
  11. Press ALT+F4 so as to close File Explorer.
  12. Press the Leasey key then Control+Shift+B to enter the Backup and Restore Manager.
  13. Check the bottom of the list. If the item "Run Development Report" is present there, then Leasey is linked to the cloud.
  14. Select the option to Restore JAWS Settings and press Enter.
  15. The necessary files will be brought across from your copy of JAWS and the screen-reader will restart.

Backing Up and Restoring JAWS and Leasey Settings If Leasey is Not Linked to an External Drive or Cloud Storage Location.

In the event you have not linked Leasey to an external drive or cloud storage location, you can still enter the Backup and Restore Manager by pressing the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+B.

In respect of all of these options, you will be requested to type the drive letter or path where the backup will be made to, or the restoration will come from. This could be a drive letter such as D, then a colon, or it could be a folder on the drive such as D colon Backslash Test.

When the drive letter or path is entered, press Enter and the appropriate action will be performed.

Note that if you have linked Leasey to a Cloud Storage location, you cannot make a backup to a local drive or folder. That is why you cannot see the options for that in the Backup and Restore Manager.

If Leasey is Not Linked to the Cloud, How to Restore JAWS Back to a Previous Condition.

  1. Press the Leasey key then Control+Shift+B to move into the Backup and Restore Manager.
  2. Select the option "Backup JAWS Settings."
  3. Specify the location of the backup, such as, D colon.
  4. Press Enter.
  5. The JAWS settings are backed up correctly.
  6. Now, should you wish to restore your JAWS settings, do the following. You should only do this if it is experiencing a specific difficulty and for no other reason.
  7. Press the Leasey key then Control+Shift+B to move into the Backup and Restore Manager.
  8. Select the option "Restore JAWS Settings."
  9. Specify the location of the backup, such as, D colon. This must be exactly the same as before.
  10. Press Enter.
  11. When the Enter key is pressed, the JAWS settings will be restored and JAWS will be restarted.

If Leasey is Not Linked to the Cloud, How to Migrate From One JAWS Version To Another.

  1. Assuming Leasey is installed into the older JAWS version, press the Leasey key then Control+Shift+B to move into the Backup and Restore Manager.
  2. Select the option "Backup JAWS Settings."
  3. Specify the location of the backup, such as, D colon.
  4. Press Enter.
  5. The JAWS settings are backed up correctly.
  6. Now, install the new version of JAWS, install Leasey into the new version and ensure Leasey is activated.
  7. Press the Leasey key then Control+Shift+B to move into the Backup and Restore Manager.
  8. Select the option "Restore JAWS Settings."
  9. Specify the location of the backup, such as, D colon. This must be exactly the same as before.
  10. Press Enter.
  11. When the Enter key is pressed, the JAWS settings will be copied to the new version and JAWS will be restarted.

Leasey Personal Backup.

Leasey Personal Backup is a feature designed to provide users with a reliable and efficient way to protect important files and folders by creating backup copies that can be restored when needed. Whether safeguarding personal documents, work-related materials, or cherished media collections, this tool simplifies the backup and restore process, ensuring that your data remains secure and accessible.

Backing up files and folders is often an overlooked aspect of computer maintenance, yet it can prevent significant frustration and loss if something goes wrong. Accidental deletions, unexpected system failures, and hardware malfunctions can happen at any time, making it essential to have an up-to-date backup. Leasey Personal Backup offers a straightforward method for selecting which folders to back up, storing them in a designated location, and keeping them synchronized over time. The process is designed to be as effortless as possible, only backing up modified files after the initial backup, which drastically reduces time and system resource usage.

A key advantage of this feature is its flexibility. You can back up your folders to a location on your computer, an external USB drive, or a cloud-based service such as Dropbox or Google Drive. The ability to specify, edit, and change both the backup source and destination ensures that users retain full control over their backup strategy. Additionally, Leasey Personal Backup provides a Selective Restore option, allowing users to restore only specific folders rather than all backed-up data at once.

This utility is not designed to make a backup of your entire computer or to restore an entire machine back to a previous condition, nor is it designed to restore your JAWS for Windows settings.

Setting up Leasey Personal Backup is a simple process. You begin by specifying the target location where the backup files will be stored. Once this is set, you can choose the folders that should be included in the backup. The system ensures that no duplicate folders are added to the backup list, keeping everything organized. Running the backup is just as straightforward; after the initial backup, only changed or newly added files are copied, reducing the time required for future backups. If files are removed from their original location, they are also deleted from the backup to maintain consistency.

Restoring files is equally efficient, with two methods available. You can restore all backed-up folders to their original locations, or you can use Selective Restore to choose specific folders to recover. This flexibility ensures that you are not forced to restore unnecessary files, saving time and storage space.

Specifying the Target Location.

The first decision to be made is where to backup the folders and files. It could be a local drive or folder on your computer, but more likely, it will be a USB external drive or a cloud storage service such as Dropbox or Google Drive.

  1. Using File Explorer, browse to the folder where you wish to backup the folders and files. We call this the target.
  2. Press Enter to open up the folder or drive. This is an important step. You must be inside the folder or drive.
  3. Press the Leasey key then Control+B for Backup.
  4. An edit field appears which contains the full path to the drive or folder, such as, e:\ or d:\Dropbox\John James.
  5. Using the Left and Right Arrow keys, examine the path character by character. If you do not see a full path such as that described above, you have not customised Windows correctly to display the full path in the window title of File Explorer and you should revisit the Installation section of this documentation. For example, if the Edit Field contains just the folder name and not the full path, Windows is not configured correctly.
  6. At this point you can adjust the path by editing the text in the field if you wish.
  7. When the full path to the potential Backup folder is correct, press Enter. This is saved permanently until you change it.

Specifying the Source Locations.

You can now decide which folders you would always like to be backed up to Leasey Personal Backup. The procedure for adding folders to the backup process is almost identical to that which we have been through for storing the target location.

  1. Using File Explorer, browse to each folder in turn.
  2. Press Enter to open up the folder.
  3. Press the Leasey key followed by ALT+B.
  4. An Edit Field appears displaying the path to the folder. As before, you can edit this location if necessary.
  5. When the path is displayed correctly, press Enter. The folder is then added to your backup list and is stored permanently until you change it. If Leasey identifies that the folder already exists in the backup list, it is not added a second time.

Running Personal Backup for the First Time.

It is now time to backup your folders to Personal Backup. The copying process is very efficient. However, if you are backing up a large number of Gigabytes of data, this can take a minute or two. Future backups of the same folders will be much faster.

  1. Open up the Leasey Backup and Restore Manager by pressing the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+B.
  2. Press Down Arrow to select the option "Backup Folders Using Personal Backup".
  3. Press Enter and the backup will begin. You will be requested to "Please wait". A sound will play periodically to notify you that the backup is ongoing, however in many situations it will only play out once or twice as the backup is very fast!
  4. In time you will be advised that the backup is complete and the sound will no longer play.
  5. Finally, using File Explorer, browse to the folder containing the backup and verify all the content is present.

What Happens With Subsequent Backups?

It is highly likely that you will make regular backup copies of the same folders. When you run Personal Backup as directed above, Leasey will only copy files which have been modified since the last backup was run. In many cases, this means that the backup will take place in only a few seconds.

If you have removed some files from the original source locations, the removed files will also be removed from the backup.

Backing Up Selected Folders Only.

There may be situations where on a temporary basis you may only like to backup selected folders from your core source locations.

  1. Press the Leasey key then Control+Shift+B to enter the Leasey Backup and Restore Manager.
  2. Select the item "Select individual folders to copy to Personal Backup".
  3. Press Enter. An Edit Field is displayed containing a list of all the paths to folders which are currently in the Personal Backup. There is one path on each line. Using standard Windows editing techniques, remove all the folder paths you do not wish to be part of the backup process on this occasion. In short, the edit field should only contain a list of those folders you wish to be backed up this time.
  4. Press Enter and the backup process will begin.

Note that the selection of sources in the list is temporary. The next time you repeat the above steps for a selected backup, all the sources originally set for Personal Backup are displayed.

Restoring Folders.

The reason why we are making a backup of folders is that there could be a need to restore them at a later time. There are two methods for doing this. You can either restore all folders back to the point where they were last backed up or you can use what we call Selected Restore.

To restore all folders from the target back to the original sources:

  1. Press the Leasey key then Control+Shift+B to move into the Leasey Backup and Restore Manager.
  2. Select the option "Restore all folders from Personal Backup".
  3. Press Enter and the restoration process will begin. A sound will play periodically as the restore is taking place. How long the restoration takes will depend upon a number of factors including the speed of the drive where the folders are stored and the size of the folders.
  4. When the process is complete you will be advised of this and the sound will no longer play.
  5. You should now revisit the original source folders to check everything is in place.

We will now describe the process for restoring specific folders from the backup only:

  1. Press the Leasey key then Control+Shift+B to enter the Leasey Backup and Restore Manager.
  2. Select the item "Restore individual folders from Personal Backup".
  3. Press Enter. An Edit Field is displayed containing a list of all the paths to folders which are currently in the Personal Backup. There is one path on each line. Using standard Windows editing techniques, remove all the folder paths you do not wish to be part of the restore process. In short, the edit field should only contain a list of those folders you wish to be restored.
  4. Press Enter and the restoration process will begin.

Note that the selection of sources in the list is temporary. The next time you repeat the above steps for a selected restore, all the sources originally set for Personal Backup are displayed.

Changing the Target Location.

If you wish to change the target location for the Personal Backup, you can:

  1. Browse to a new folder for the Personal Backup.
  2. Press Enter.
  3. Press the Leasey Key then Control+B.
  4. Check the new target location in the edit field.
  5. Press Enter. The new target will be used for future backups.

Alternatively:

  1. Press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+B to move into the Leasey Backup and Restore Manager.
  2. Select the item Edit Personal Backup Target Storage Location".
  3. Press Enter.
  4. An edit field will appear containing the current path to the target location. If you are just using this as a mechanism to remind yourself of the target location, read the content of the edit field and press Escape. However, you can change this if you know the path to the new target location.
  5. Press Enter to save.

Points to Bare In Mind When Backing Up and Restoring Folders.