===== Using BackupMinder is easy! ====

==== Install BackupMinder ====

  * Click the Download link in the sidebar.
  * Install BackupMinder.
  * BackupMinderUI can be opened from the Applications folder.

==== Create an Archive Folder ====

  * BackupMinder automatically saves the last backup of the month in an archive folder. This folder needs to be created since it probably does not exist. We suggest creating a folder with the same name of the folder that currently holds the backup files and adding "Archive" to the end of the name.

==== Configure BackupMinder ====

  * Open BackupMinderUI from the Applications folder.
  * Click the lock to make changes.
  * Click + to create a new backup set.
  * Give the backup set a meaningful name. Examples are LightSpeed or Daylite.
  * Click the folder icon to the right of Folder to Monitor to choose where the backups are currently saved in on the computer.
{{ :204-the-folder.png |}}

  * Choose the newly created folder that will store the archived backup files.
  * Enter the stable part of the backup file name. This is the name that BackupMinder will use to decide which files to prune.  
{{ :204-setup-name.png |}}

  * Enter the number of the most current backups that should be retained.
  * If using [[https://www.watchmanMonitoring.com | Watchman Monitoring]], enter the number of days that can pass without a backup before a warning is sent. 

==== A completed configuration will look similar to this:====
{{ :203-the-completed-setup.png |}}

==== Run BackupMinder for the First Time ====

BackupMinder will run every time a change is made in the folder that backups are kept. Backups are trimmed according to each BackupMinder Set Settings. Note that trimmed backups are gone. They do not simply get moved to the trash.

Once configured, BackupMinder will run automatically when the next backup is saved in the folder.

To trigger BackupMinder to run immediately after configured, choose a file from the monitored folder to delete.


 ~~Title: Usage~~ 
~~ShortTitle: Usage~~