Safrove User Guide

Setup Wizard

On first launch with no configured repository, the setup wizard appears automatically with three steps:

1. Choose a repository path (new or existing restic repo)
2. Set an encryption password (cannot be recovered if lost)
3. Select the first folder to back up (add more later in Settings)

Choose a repository path (new or existing restic repo)

Set an encryption password (cannot be recovered if lost)

Select the first folder to back up (add more later in Settings)

After clicking Finish, the wizard validates the path: empty or new → initialize repository with password; existing restic repo → enter the correct password to continue using it (all history is preserved); non-repo → prompt to choose an empty folder. Configuration is saved to Settings automatically and the main interface opens.

Quick Start

If you completed the Setup Wizard, Settings is already pre-filled with your repository path, password, and first backup source. Use this page to adjust backup frequency, Prune retention policy, and add more backup source folders.

Settings reference (auto-filled by wizard)

1. Set Location (the backup repository)

Location identifies the backup repository that stores all historical backups. The repository contains encrypted data blobs, snapshot records, indexes, and configuration. If it is damaged or lost, historical versions may no longer be readable, mountable, or recoverable.

• Prefer a dedicated disk, external drive, or a folder with ample capacity. Do not use a temporary system directory.
• Available capacity should at least cover the current total size of all source folders. As a starting estimate, reserve 1.5 to 2 times that amount; frequent changes and longer retention require more space.
• Safrove automatically excludes the repository during backup to prevent recursive backup. Keeping it outside all source folders is still recommended.

2. Set the Encryption Password

The password cannot be recovered or bypassed. This password decrypts the entire repository. An existing repository must be opened with the password used when it was created. If that password is lost, Safrove cannot read, mount, or restore the data. Store it securely in a password manager or another trusted location.

3. Add or remove folders to back up

• Add: Select the blank row at the bottom of the table and click the “...” shown on its right to choose a folder. You can also double-click the blank row and enter a full path.
• Edit: Double-click an existing path to edit it, or select the row and use the “...” action to choose another folder.
• Delete: Right-click the row and choose Delete. This removes the folder from the backup configuration; it does not delete the original files from disk.
• Repository exclusion: If a source folder overlaps the repository, Safrove excludes the repository before each backup. A source folder located inside the repository is not backed up.

4. Choose Backup Frequency

This dropdown controls the automatic backup interval: Manual, Every 1/2/4/8/12 hours, or Daily.

• Manual: no automatic snapshots; back up only by clicking Backup Now on Status.
• Every N hours / Daily: triggers a backup and creates a snapshot at the configured interval. Duplicate data blobs are deduplicated and do not consume the same amount of space again.
• Use 1 to 4 hours for actively edited work. Use 8 or 12 hours, or Daily, for larger or less frequently changed data.

5. Choose Prune (retention policy)

Prune controls which historical snapshots are retained. All retention rules are evaluated together, and one snapshot may satisfy the recent, daily, and weekly rules at the same time, so their counts are not additive.

6. Save and complete the first backup

1. Choose whether to start with Windows, then click Save. After the completion message, open Status and click Backup Now.
2. Wait for completion, then verify that Last backup, Snapshots, Files, and the task log have updated.

License & Activation

Safrove uses an offline license.lic file bound to the current Machine ID. The license term controls repository write access; after a valid license expires normally, existing backups remain available in read-only mode.

Obtain and import a license file

1. Open License... from the tray menu and confirm the Machine ID. Buy Now opens safrove.com/buy with the current machine ID prefilled.
2. Trial: choose 14-Day Trial, enter your email, accept the agreement, generate the license, and download license.lic.
3. Purchase: when paid licensing is available, choose the one-time edition on the same page, complete payment, and download the license.lic issued for that Machine ID.
4. Return to License, click Import License..., and select the file. Safrove copies and verifies it immediately; it is active when the dialog shows Activated.

Troubleshooting steps

• Open License... to check the license status and expiration date.
• Verify that license.lic in the program directory is the license file for the current machine.
• If a machine ID mismatch is reported, re-activate using the current machine code.

Backup Settings

Settings combines the repository location, encryption password, source folders, backup schedule, retention policy, and maintenance actions on one page.

Repository and Password

• Location — The repository path where snapshots, indexes, and data blobs are stored.
• Encryption Password — Encryption Password — the repository encryption password. If lost, historical backups cannot be read. Keep it safe.
• Save — Click Save to validate the repository password and store all settings. A completion message confirms success.

Select folders to back up

Each row in the table represents a source folder to back up. You can add multiple folders; if a source overlaps the repository, Safrove automatically excludes the repository during backup.

Backup Frequency and Retention

Backup Frequency controls the automatic backup interval. Prune selects the snapshot retention policy, with the exact retention counts shown beside the dropdown.

Maintenance

Run Check performs a quick metadata and index check, Clean Unused Data removes unreferenced data, and Unlock Locks clears confirmed stale repository locks. Do not run a backup while performing maintenance.

Current Settings page: repository and source folders above, schedule and retention below, and Save in the lower-right corner.

Status Page

Status displays the repository overview, statistics, and task logs, and provides Backup Now and Quick check actions.

Repository, runtime state, last backup, and statistics appear above; task logs are listed newest first below.

Search Across Every Historical Version

Search Files searches all indexed historical snapshots, not just the current folder or a single snapshot. Results first identify matching file paths; selecting a path then shows every indexed version of that file.

Matching rules and examples

• Normal input performs a case-insensitive substring match against the full path, treating “\” and “/” as the same separator. For example, report matches /work/Report.xlsx.
• Extensions and path fragments work too: .png finds paths containing .png, while project/settings matches files under a path containing that fragment.
• Queries containing * or ? use wildcards: * matches any number of characters and ? matches one character. For example, *.py matches Python files and report?.docx matches report1.docx.
• Use the status menu to filter Deleted, Changed, Stable, or Size anomaly results. At most the first 500 matches are displayed.

One search box covers every snapshot: find the file on the left, choose its version on the right.

Using the two lists

Snapshot Browsing, Mount & Tags

Snapshots lists all snapshots by time and source, with support for mounting as a read-only drive, restoring files, and tag management.

The table shows Snapshot Time, Snapshot ID, Source (backup path), Changes (added/modified/removed), and Tags. Bottom buttons provide Mount, Restore, and tag management.

Snapshot Table & Actions

1. Snapshots are listed by Source (backup source path) and grouped by date. Each snapshot shows its source directory, snapshot ID, Changes stats, and Tags.
2. Snapshots are grouped by date (TODAY marks today's items) and distinguished by Source column. The latest snapshot per source reflects all current files for that source.
3. The Changes column shows Added / Modified / Removed counts — the differences from the previous snapshot for the same source.

Bottom action buttons

Tag Management (Manage Tags)

1. Right-click a snapshot and choose Manage Tags... to add or edit comma-separated tags. Snapshots tagged with 'protected' are excluded from Prune (cleanup).
2. Select the snapshot and click the Mount button. WinFsp must be installed. If another task is running (backup, check, etc.), Mount will prompt you to wait.
3. The drive opens automatically after mounting, labeled Safrove-<short-ID>. Reopen it from the tray menu if needed.
4. Click Unmount to detach the drive. Mounting a different snapshot stops the current mount first.

FAQ

What if a file is reported as in use?

If the error contains .safrove_write_in_progress, a previous backup or another process still holds the write lock. Confirm no backup tasks are running, then retry. Close and reopen the software if needed.

What if Backup Now reports insufficient license?

Open License... to check the status. If a machine ID mismatch is reported, re-activate using the current machine code.

What if search is still slow?

Enter a more specific filename or path fragment instead of a single common character. Building the initial index can take longer for large repositories; filtering is usually faster after indexing completes.

Can I recover data if I forget the Encryption Password?

No. The password encrypts the repository data, and the software cannot bypass it to read historical backups.