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Macros, tips, and templates for Corel® WordPerfect® for Windows®
© Copyright 1996-2012 by Barry MacDonnell. All Rights Reserved.

Automatically make back ups of your document to help you recover your work

Using WordPerfect's built-in backup features and other backup methods

WordPerfect has two options under Tools, Settings, Files to save backups of your current work:

• "Timed document backup every X minutes"
• "Save original document as a backup at each save" (a/k/a "Original document backup" in WordPerfect 8 and earlier)

Bear in mind:

• These two options might not be "on" (or they might have been turned off by someone), so check their status under Tools, Settings, Files. Normally, Option 1 should always be turned on. Option 2 is useful to many users.
• These two options have different purposes and work in different ways. (See below.)
• Even with these two options enabled (i.e., with checkboxes ticked) . . . you still have to save files before you close them.

Tips:

• For the best insurance against data loss in WordPerfect (as well as in other programs), see the end of this page under "The best method."
• For solutions (or information that might help find solutions) to some related problems, please read through the material below.
• To create a macro to toggle these settings on/off, see Footnote 1.

Option 1:
"Timed document backup every X minutes"

Purpose This first automatic back up feature, if enabled (checkbox ticked), is designed to allow you to recover your work after a power failure, program lock-up, system crash or other abnormal method of exiting WordPerfect -- such as shutting off the computer while an unsaved document is still open. It is not a replacement for deliberately saving your files periodically. In fact, it merely creates a temporary backup of each currently open and changed file on your drive. These temporary backups are normally and automatically deleted when either the edited documents or the WordPerfect program are closed in a normal fashion. Should you enable it? Most users will want to have this feature enabled. It is generally considered to be a Good Thing. Which time setting should you use? The 'conventional wisdom' is to set the timed backup time to not less than 5 minutes nor more than 10 minutes. As Joell Haugan, a Corel C_Tech, stated: "Having [backups] come too fast leaves open the possibility of one backup not finishing before the next one starts. Hopefully, under normal situations, this wouldn't happen ... but couple a large file with a busy computer and there could be a fatal corruption." Moreover, if you set it to a very short interval (e.g., 1 minute), you may notice the program slows down or even stops, while WordPerfect continuously tries to save your work. The Windows spinning hourglass that appears on your screen might be indicative of a too-short time setting. How it works With the timed document backup feature enabled, under normal conditions -- that is, when no crash has occurred -- the feature works like this (at least in recent versions of WordPerfect; earlier versions should be similar): When you make a change to an open file -- i.e., when you edit the document you see on screen -- WordPerfect creates a temporary file with a name like WP{WP}.BK1 in the backup folder named in Tools, Settings, Files. This file is not created immediately, however: It is created after a delay that can be specified in the Tools, Settings, Files dialog. As noted above, you probably should not set the delay to less than 5 minutes. In essence, Wordperfect takes a "delayed snapshot" of the entire edited document and stores it in a temporary disk file. As long as the original file remains open -- and even if you switch to another open document -- this temporary file will be automatically updated after each edit, according to the delay you specified. [N.B.: The filename is always wp{wp}, but the .bk extension is numbered (1-9) according to the number WordPerfect assigned to the original when you opened it. Thus, assuming you are actively editing several documents, there might be as many as 9 temporary backups existing at the same time.] What happens to it (the usual case) If the on screen file is then saved, or if it is deliberately closed by you, the temporary timed backup file(s) will be automatically and immediately deleted. Its job is done, so there is no purpose in keeping the temporary file. This fact is important to bear in mind, since many users erroneously believe that this temporary backup file still exists after they have saved the original file, or -- more likely -- if they have not yet saved the original file and then go about exiting WordPerfect normally but mistakenly answer No to the pop up dialog that asks them if they wish to save the current file. WordPerfect does what you tell it to do: If you answer No to the dialog question, WordPerfect will not save that file -- nor will it keep any temporary backup copy of it. [However, see the second question-and-answer below for a Windows method that might work to recover such a file.] What happens to it (the not-so-usual case) If the WordPerfect program had an abnormal termination (e.g., a crash or power failure), the temporary timed backup files created during the previous session will continue to exist on the drive until you next load WordPerfect; they can then be used to restore the previously opened and changed files. WordPerfect will automatically detect these temporary files and pop up messages when you load the program to ask you how you want to deal with them. Normally you would open them to examine them and make a disposition (save? delete?), but you can also delete or rename them directly from the message dialogs. If you wish to save them, be sure to rename them (File, Save As) or else you could confuse the program later, and it might start popping up error messages (see next paragraphs below). Note the following about abnormal terminations and these temporary timed document backup files: 1. If you do not delete the temporary timed document backup, or rename it or save it under a different name, you might get a message in the next few minutes when WordPerfect attempts to back up the timed back up file itself. If you try to delete the file, you might get another message saying you "...do not have the rights..." to do this. Close the open timed back up file and things should return to normal. 2. After an abnormal termination, if you see the message about a backup file existing and you open it (as explained above) to save or delete it, and you still get a message the next time you open WordPerfect (something like, "..To save the backup file please open or rename it..."), it is possible the backup folder was corrupted, too. Here's a tip from Wolfgang Deiminger on the Corel WP12 newsgroup: "Find the location of the backup folder (in WP, do Tools, Settings, Files, Document Tab). Then, with WP closed, use Windows Explorer to delete the folder and create it again. This should sort things out." 3. If you receive a message that the temporary timed backup file exists (e.g., "Document 0 backup file exists..."), and even after you renamed or deleted it you still get a message that this temporary files exists, here's a tip from Charles Rossiter (Corel C_Tech) that might help: "[Close WordPerfect.] Use Windows Explorer [or My Computer] to browse to your specified [timed] backup folder [shown in Tools, Settings, Files, Document tab, Backup folder] and delete [the] file wp{wp}.bk! What probably happened is that you opened a backup file, and then saved it without changing [the] filename. This can create the file wp{wp}.bk! ... and give a [Windows version of a] message about wp{wp}.bk0." [Update 8/19/2011:] A Corel support database article (3565) here indicates you should "Delete all files whose name begins with 'wp' in this folder." You can also try renaming that folder, which will force WordPerfect to create a new, empty one in the same location, when next it is started. What happens if you close the document without deliberately saving it (and ignore - or answer "No" to - the message that appears that asks if you want to save the changes you have made to the document)? This is not considered an abnormal termination of the program as explained above, so the temporary timed backup file(s) will be automatically and immediately deleted. WordPerfect naturally assumes you want to discard the changes -- and any temporary timed backup file -- if you ignore, or answer No, to the message. If you have accidentally lost work because you failed to save your work when WordPerfect asks if you want to do so, you might consider using a macro (or third party program) to help you save your work more frequently as you edit your documents. See the last section on this page. Note Some programs, notably databases or those that are designed around a database (e.g., Quicken) will automatically save an entry when you press the Enter key. But word preocessors do not do this. If they did, and blindly wrote over the previously saved version of the file while you are editing and experimenting with various creative ideas ... well, most people would become very upset over such a loss of the previous material, so WordPerfect will not automatically save your work in a way that overwrites a previous version. [Exception: See the Save original document as a backup at each save option below. If this option is enabled, WordPerfect creates one backup of each saved document on disk, so it will overwrite the previous backup file (it will have a .BK! filename extension) on each subsequent manual save. Thus, if the the "Save original..." option is enabled, the backup it makes contains a copy of the original file as it existed when the original was last (manually) saved.] Can the timed document backup be used to recover accidentally deleted material from the active document? The short answer is maybe. Let's take an example where a system crash is not involved, and see what happens as you edit files on screen and then delete some important material. You might have done this by using File, Close (and then answered "No"), or by exiting WordPerfect without saving your work. (TIP: If you selected some material and hit the <Delete> key, the best thing to do is use Edit, Undo as soon as possible.) If you have previously enabled the timed document backup option, any material in the actively edited file, or any other loaded file where a change has been made, is temporarily saved to disk (after the selected time delay) in a file named something like WP{WP}.BK1, in the backup folder specified in Tools, Settings, Files. As mentioned, this protects against a power failure or crash. It does not save you from yourself. If you close a file without saving it, or delete so much material that you exceed your personal settings in Edit, Undo/Redo History, Options, you might not be able to recover all material. This temporary timed document backup file would exist only until you close the edited file or exit the program, whereupon it is automatically deleted. HOWEVER ... if you have deleted a lot of material in the currently open file, you might be able to recover it if you are lucky enough to be able to open the backup file before the next timed backup overwrites it. (The edited file must still be open, or else WordPerfect will immediately delete the WP{WP}.BK* file.) Try navigating to your WordPerfect temporary backup folder [shown in Tools, Settings, Files, Document tab, Backup folder] with Windows Explorer or other file manager, and copy the temporary WP{WP}.BK* file to another folder, where it can be renamed. Notes 1. Recovery of any material from a deleted WP{WP}.BK* file might be possible with a separate file recovery program (such as the old Norton Protected Recycle Bin program or Undelete+ [neither of which have been reviewed by this author]) if recovery procedures are instituted before anything else is written to disk. Obviously, the best approach is to avoid getting into a situation where you need to take such measures. 2. If you keep getting an error message, "The specific backup folder no longer exists," try this (originally from Answer ID 754208 at http://support.corel.com): "... This error message is usually caused if WordPerfect can no longer write to the backup folder or the folder has become damaged in some way. The easiest solution to this problem is to reboot your computer and try WordPerfect® again. If problems persist, rename the location of the backup directory. To do this, follow the instructions listed below: (1) Go up to the Tools menu and select Settings. (2) Click on the Files button and select the Document tab. (3) Type 'C:\Backup' ( without the quotes ) in the Backup Folder box. (4) Click on Ok. Click Yes to create the directory if your prompted. NOTE: To prevent this problem from occouring in the future, ensure that your virus scanner is NOT checking the WordPerfect backup file directory."

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Option 2:
"Save original document as a backup at each save"

Purpose The second (checkbox) feature works as you might expect. If you enable it, it automatically creates a backup copy (using the original filename but with a .BK! extension) of your active document each time you save the active document to disk. The next time you save the file, the previous backup is deleted and a new one is created. Thus, if you have saved the active document at least once (after the initial save) you will always have at least one backup copy of that document. Note, however, that the current backup file copy (.BK!) might not contain identical information with the on screen document: Until you physically save the document again, any modifications you have made to the on screen document will not (yet) exist in the .BK! file. WordPerfect's Help says that this feature "guards against accidentally replacing a file that you did not intend to replace," and this might be valuable to you. If so, check the box to enable this feature. Important notes 1. The backup file is placed in the same folder as the original, with a .BK! filename extension. That is, the current document (e.g., MyFile.wpd) will have a similarly named backup but with a different filename extension (e.g., MyFile.bk!). Making the backup in the same folder as the original prevents the possibility of a file being backed up to a "backup folder" and accidentally overwriting a backup from a different file (located in another folder) that might have the same root filename. (If you want a backup to go somewhere else, see the SaveCopy macro.) Be aware that with this option enabled you will decrease available disk space because all your WordPerfect files created after the option is enabled will have a backup file from that point onward. But with today's large hard drives this should not be much of an issue. 2. If you cannot find the backup file(s) or distingush the backup file(s) in the same folder from the original file(s), you might be a "victim" of Windows default settings, which hides certain filename extensions. See Footnote 2 below.

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The best method: Save your work to disk frequently, and make multiple backups with different file names as insurance against data loss

In general, a WordPerfect document must be saved to disk before any recovery is possible, or (if you have enabled the timed document backup feature; see above) the system must have crashed (thus leaving the temporary backups on disk), since until it is saved the material exists only in the computer's memory or in a temporary file on disk. Unless, of course, you get lucky and can quickly recover the material from the .BK* file with a text editor or viewer or even by opening the .BK* file in WordPerfect. (Note that WordPerfect must remain open to do this. If you close it, WordPerfect will delete the timed backup file.) The second option (under Tools, Settings, Files), "Save original document as a backup at each save" (discussed above), is one way to make reliable automatic backups of your WordPerfect files. However, as noted, this makes only one backup of the current document. It is worth repeating that neither of these features will protect you from making the mistake of closing a file and not deliberately saving any recent changes you might have made (with File>Save or File>Save As or perhaps a macro) since the last manual or automatic save. Those changes will be lost since the program is simply following your instructions. There are other methods to prevent -- or at least minimize -- the possibilty of losing data due to "operator error," and which can make multiple backups, or versions, of the current document, each with a slightly different filename or with an automatically incrementing filename extension. For example: See the MULTISAV macros and the tips on the MultiSav download page. The "save as you type" methods there do not depend on the user remembering to save a file periodically: they save after the user presses a key at the end of a paragraph or sentence. The NewFN# macro in that suite can automate the creation of sequentially numbered backups (MyBook001.wpd, MyBook002.wpd, etc.). Also see SAVECOPY, a macro that makes a copy on another drive or partition when you save the file. The copy serves as a backup, and if it's on another physical drive, it will be much more immune to disk problems. There are third-party programs that make automatic backups of any saved file that meets your specifications. These programs allow you to include/exclude files from the backup, and can back up to a variety of locations/drives/media. For example: PC Magazine's InstaBack 2 (for Windows 2000, XP & Vista; download: US$7.97). "Instantly and Automatically Back Up Your Data" whenever you save a file in specified programs. InstaBack can also create multiple versions of backed up files by saving each new backup with a number added to the original filename extension. It saves backups to the drive/folder you specify. You can also do scheduled backups. (Inexpensive, but a little quirky to set up.) Centered Systems' SecondCopy (US$29.95) backs up (or optionally synchronizes) saved files -- one copy of each, optionally compressed into a password-protected, standard ZIP file; it can also automatically move/store multiple older copies ("versions") in a separate archive; backups can be made on a user-defined time schedule or when files change. VCom's AutoSave Essentials (US$39.99) makes an automatic back ups of each saved file. Mozy (free for limited use) - Quoting from their site, Mozy "is a simple and safe way to back up all the important stuff on your computer. A copy of your data is stored in a secure, remote location for safekeeping, so that in the event of disaster your data is still retrievable." You get 2GB of backup space is free for noncommercial use. "No setup fee, no credit cards, no expiration, no hassle." Files are encrypted before being transmitted over the Internet, and are stored in highly encrypted form. Only parts that have changed since the last back up are uploaded to Mozy (in Utah). [If you need more space, you can sign up at $5.99 per month for 50GB of space on their servers.] Mozy can make sequential backups, too. Restoring files is easy: Just drag the file(s) back onto your computer (or, for a fee, have Mozy burn them to CD/DVDs and mail them to you). SpirderOak - Similar to Mozy above. Like Mozy, encryption/decryption is done on your computer, not on their servers. $10.00 per month for 100GB. If you use Windows Vista or Windows 7 you can take advantage of the Restore Previous Versions feature that is built into these operating systems. For an overview, see Windows Secrets (June 15, 2011 issue). Also see this Microsoft FAQ. I have not found a technique or separate program that permanently saves the current on screen material to disc without some kind of user intervention. All such methods depend on the user making a deliberate File > Save (or Save As), at least once. Then macros or programs such as those listed above can make one or more multiple or sequential backups of the original.

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There are macro commands available to toggle these backup features on and off.

For the automatic timed backup feature (here, for example, to set it to 5 minutes) use BackupMinutes(5) PrefSave().

For the "Save original document..." feature, use Backup(On!) PrefSave() or Backup(Off!) PrefSave().

Footnote 2

Can't distinguish your backup files from the originals? That is, backup files with names like filename.bk! as explained above under "Save original document as a backup at each save"? Here's a tip from Charles Rossiter, Corel C_Tech to make their complete filenames visible in Windows Explorer.

Double-click My Computer and this starts Windows Explorer. On the menu for Windows Explorer, click on Tools. That gives you a drop-down menu of which the bottom entry is 'Folder Options'. Click on 'Folder Options'. This opens a dialog with 3 tabs across the top: General, View and File Types. Click on View. In this part of the dialog, there is a square central area with various items, each with a check box or a radio button.

Under the heading 'Hidden Files and Folders', click the radio button for "Show hidden files and folders". Immediately under that option, deselect "Hide extensions for known file types" and also deselect "Hide protected operating and system files (Recommended)". Exit from that dialog.

Your users' systems will now show "filename.wpd" and "filename.bk!" in full.