Documentation

safrove User Guide

This guide is organized around the current Windows client interface, covering backup storage, source folders, licensing, status monitoring, snapshot search, binary preview, and recovery workflows.

Quick Start

Backup Settings
Configure repository, password, source folders, and backup frequency in one window. Icons on the left help identify each configuration area.
1. Set up repositoryChoose or enter the backup repository path in Backup Storage Location.
2. Add source foldersAdd the data directories you want to protect in the folder list.
3. First backupClick Save to store configuration, then run Backup Now from the tray menu.
We recommend running a backup immediately after initial configuration, then checking Status... to confirm the latest backup shows SUCCESS.

License & Activation

When the trial expires, the license file is invalid, or the license does not match the current machine, the software will block new write operations such as backup, cleanup, or maintenance tasks.

Valid licenseSUCCESS

Backup Now, scheduled backups, and maintenance tasks are allowed.

Machine ID mismatchInvalid

The license file was not generated for this machine. Re-activate or re-issue the license.

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

The backup configuration page consolidates storage, source folders, and scheduling in one window. Each area has an icon on the left for quick identification.

Backup Storage

  • Backup Storage Location — Backup Storage 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.
  • Create storage automatically if needed — Create storage automatically if needed — convenient for first-time setup or when switching repository directories.

Select folders to back up

Each row in the list is a source directory. Edit paths directly in the table or use the inline browse button to select folders.

Backup Frequency

Choose the automatic backup interval from the dropdown. Select Manual to trigger backups only manually.

Maintenance

Three maintenance shortcuts — Run Check, Clean Unused Data, and Unlock Locks — let you run repository checks and cleanup directly from this page.

Backup Settings
Each configuration area has an icon on the left for quick identification in a compact layout.
Do not add the backup repository directory itself as a source folder, or it may cause recursive backup and rapid space growth.

Status Page

Status... displays repository overview, statistics, and task logs. The top info area uses icons to help identify the repository path, status, and last backup time.

Status page
Repository overview and statistics above, task log list below — filterable by type and date range.
Repository

Shows the current repository path with a repository icon.

Status / Last backup

Status shows the current state (Idle / Refreshing etc.), Last backup shows the most recent backup result.

Snapshots / Files / Size

Repository statistics: snapshot count, file count, original size, storage size, and deduplication savings ratio.

Task logs

Lists each task in reverse chronological order, including type, status, duration, and error details — filterable and exportable.

SUCCESS

Task completed. Detail typically shows Backup completed or specific completion info.

QUEUED / RUNNING

Task is queued or currently executing.

FAILED

Task failed. Check the Detail column first for path, permission, or license errors.

Refresh

Status and logs refresh automatically. You can also reopen the page from the tray menu for the latest data.

Browse Backups

This page is for finding historical files, browsing snapshots, previewing content, and preparing for recovery. On open, a loading progress window shows three phases: snapshot scanning, file indexing, and search cache building — icons change color based on phase status.

Search Files

  • Enter a filename or path fragment in the search box to see cross-snapshot matches after a brief moment.
  • Further filter results using the type, time, and status dropdowns.
  • When results are numerous, the display is capped. Enter more specific file characteristics for better results.
  • Search results are on the left, file history on the right — click to view modification times across versions.
Global Search
Enter a filename or path fragment to find historical files across snapshots with multi-dimensional filtering.

Snapshots

Snapshot preview
Browse the file tree on the left and preview text or binary content on the right after selecting a snapshot.

The snapshot list supports filtering by metadata. After selecting a snapshot, the left panel shows the file tree and the right panel shows file previews — text files display inline, binary files use a hex view.

Timeline

The Timeline page visualizes the modification history of a specific file, helping you determine at which backup point a file changed and choose the right version for recovery.

Restore Advisor

Restore Advisor helps analyze recently changed files, filtered by time range and change scope, to quickly identify files that need attention or recovery.

Preview binary files

Binary content is displayed in a hex view with offset, hex bytes, and ASCII columns — useful for identifying file headers or confirming content type.

Compare Snapshots

Select two snapshots to analyze differences — see added, removed, and modified files.

Compare Snapshots
Choose two snapshots at the top left; the diff file list is shown below, filterable by change type.
Select snapshots

Choose the two snapshots to compare from the A and B dropdowns, then click Compare.

Diff type

Use the filter dropdown to show results by Added / Removed / Modified.

Snapshot info

The top-right area shows basic info for both snapshots (time, host, path, etc.) to help confirm the comparison scope.

Path filter

Further filter the diff results by path keyword.

Restore Data

  1. Open Browse Backups...
  2. Use Search Files, Snapshots, or Restore Advisor to locate the target file or snapshot.
  3. Use preview or Compare Snapshots to confirm the file version and changes.
  4. Once confirmed, select the target and click Restore..., choose a restore mode (original path / custom path / temp directory) to execute recovery.

You can also use Mount As Drive to mount a snapshot as a read-only drive, then browse and copy the files you need in File Explorer.

Mount recovery
After mounting, you can inspect snapshot contents with File Explorer and copy the files you want to recover.
Before restoring to the original path, consider using Custom Path to restore to a temporary directory first, confirm the content is correct, then manually copy.

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 more specific path fragments or filenames rather than a single generic character. Large repositories are slower on first index; subsequent filters will be faster.

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.