Warning

This software can permanently delete source and destination data. Read the Data-Loss Warning and Disclaimer before use.

EasyVersionBackup

EasyVersionBackup is a lightweight Windows tool for creating versioned backups of folders. Back up save-game folders, office-document folders, Visual C# project folders, and other local directories.

It supports manual and automatic backups, multiple source → target configurations, ZIP backups, per-entry exclusions, skipped-file reporting, system tray integration, and a clean WinForms interface.

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❤️ Support

EasyVersionBackup is free to use. If this tool saves you time, you can support development here:

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Important

If Windows SmartScreen blocks the app, right-click the EXE → Properties → check Unblock → Apply → OK, then start it again.

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Main-Window

Backup Pair Settings

Source Cleanup

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🚀 Features

Versioned Backups

• Create structured backups with version numbers
• Supports manual input, auto-increment, and timestamp-based versions
• Remembers manually adjusted versions per source → target pair
• Detects existing versions and suggests the next logical version
• Updated versions are stored only after a successful backup
• Canceling a backup does not advance or persist the version number

Multiple Backup Configurations

• Configure multiple source → target pairs
• Enable or disable each entry individually
• Edit source and target paths directly in the main window
• Browse folders directly from the main table
• Configure versioning, retention, source cleanup, timers, and error handling per backup pair

Per-Entry Exclusions

• Define excluded files or folders per backup entry
• Edit exclusions directly from the main window or Settings
• Add and remove exclusions through a table-based editor
• Confirmation prompt before removing existing exclusion entries
• Supports source-relative paths and glob-style patterns

Examples:

bin
bin\
.sav
*.sav
Saved\SaveGames\*.sav
**\SaveGames\*.sav
Saved\**\*.sav

Pattern behavior:

• .sav and *.sav match .sav files
• * matches characters within one path level
• ** matches any number of folder levels
• A trailing \ restricts the rule to folders
• Matching is case-insensitive
• Wildcard-only exclusions are rejected for safety

Backup Retention

• Configure retention separately for every backup pair
• Keep the newest number of backups
• Keep backups for a configured number of days
• Combine retention rules using AND or OR
• Protect tagged backups such as Final or OK
• Preview affected backups before permanent deletion
• Choose between:
  • Canceling the complete backup
  • Continuing without deleting old backups
  • Creating the backup and deleting confirmed retention candidates
• Destructive actions are clearly highlighted

Source Cleanup

• Remove old source files after a successful backup

• Configure cleanup rules separately for every backup pair

• Supports multiple file rules, for example:

  .sav Saved\SaveGames.sav Saved\SaveGames*.sav

• Keep only the newest configured number of files

• Or delete files modified before a selected date

• Cleanup is restricted to explicitly configured file types and source-relative folders

• Directories are never deleted

• Files outside the configured rules remain untouched

• Cleanup does not run when the backup fails or is canceled

Flexible Backup Timer

• Define intervals like 30s, 5m, or 1h
• Configure a global timer or a custom timer per backup pair
• Live countdown visible:
  • In the main UI
  • In the window title
  • In the system tray tooltip

Silent Backup Progress

• Backup progress is displayed directly inside the main table
• Source-related operations fill the source-directory cell
• Target-related operations fill the target-directory cell
• The timer column temporarily shows the current percentage
• Indeterminate phases use a subtle moving progress fill
• The normal timer value is restored after completion
• Multiple backup pairs can show progress independently
• No additional progress window or focus change is required

Automatic Background Backups

• File and ZIP creation runs outside the UI thread
• Works while you use other applications
• Automatic backups remain silent unless user interaction is required
• Destination-conflict and retention confirmations can still require interaction
• Optional minimize-to-system-tray behavior

Status & Feedback System

• Per-entry status indicator:
  • 🟢 OK
  • 🟡 Warning
  • 🔴 Error
• Hover for quick details:
  • Last backup time
  • Error messages
  • Skipped-file summary
• Click the info icon to open a copyable and scrollable details dialog
• Skipped files are listed individually when available
• Skipped files do not automatically mark a successful backup as failed
• Retention is indicated by a red R marker
• Source cleanup is indicated by a cyan C marker
• Both markers are displayed when both features are active

ZIP Support

• Optional compression into .zip archives
• Uses the same versioning logic as folder-based backups
• Temporary ZIP files are finalized only after successful creation
• No additional metadata sidecar files are created

Robust Error Handling

• Option to ignore locked or in-use files
• Backup can continue without interruption
• Skipped files are reported per backup entry
• Skipped-file summaries distinguish between files and folders
• Failed or canceled backups do not trigger source cleanup
• Useful for projects with temporary build files, IDE locks, or active services

System Tray Integration

• Minimize to tray

• Tray tooltip shows the next scheduled backup:

  Next backup in 2 minutes (19:52)

• Manual and automatic backups can show tray notifications

• Canceled backups are reported as canceled instead of completed

Modernized UI

• Clean, compact main window
• Toolbar with quick actions:
  • Exit
  • Add path
  • Remove path
  • Settings
  • About
  • Backup
• Modern themed dialogs and scrollbars
• Clear visual distinction between normal and destructive actions
• Main window initially shows only a small number of rows
• Window remains resizable
• Resize indicator included
• Tooltips and contextual help added for important controls

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🧩 How It Works

1. Configure one or more source → target paths
2. Optionally define exclusions per backup pair
3. Choose a versioning method
4. Optionally configure:
   • Retention
   • Source cleanup
   • Custom backup timer
   • Error handling
5. Click Backup or let the configured timer start it automatically
6. The app will:
   • Validate the source and target paths
   • Create a versioned directory or ZIP archive
   • Report progress directly in the backup-pair row
   • Skip problematic files if configured
   • Apply source cleanup only after a successful backup
   • Apply retention only after user confirmation
   • Store the final backup status per entry
   • Persist the selected version only after success

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⚙️ Settings Overview

Backup Timer

Flexible input:

• 30s → 30 seconds
• 5m → 5 minutes
• 1h → 1 hour
• 15 → 15 minutes by default

Default Versioning

Starting version or pattern, for example:

• none
• v1.0
• 1.0
• yyyy-MM-dd
• yyyyMMdd
• yyyy-MM-dd-HH-mm
• yyyyMMddHHmm

Auto Increment

• Automatically increases compatible version numbers
• Updated versions are saved only after a successful backup

Retention

• Keep the latest configured number of backups
• Keep backups for a configured number of days
• Combine enabled rules with AND or OR
• Exclude tagged backups from deletion

Source Cleanup

• Delete only explicitly configured file types
• Restrict cleanup to specific source-relative folders
• Keep the newest files or delete files older than a selected date

Minimize to Systray

• Keeps the app running quietly in the background

Ignore Copy Errors

• Skips locked or problematic files instead of stopping the backup

ZIP Backups

• Enable to create one .zip archive per backup
• Disable to create a versioned backup directory

Per-Path Exclusions

• Exclude folders or files from individual backup entries
• Supports simple names, file extensions, relative paths, *, and **

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🖥️ Runtime Requirement

The published application targets Windows x64 and requires the .NET 8 Desktop Runtime because the project is framework-dependent (SelfContained=false).

Application settings are stored in:

<application directory>\Settings\EasyVersionBackup.settings.json

The application no longer creates .evbmeta sidecar files beside ZIP backups.

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💡 Use Cases

• Backup Visual Studio projects
• Create safe snapshots before refactoring
• Preserve game saves while automatically removing older save files
• Keep only a defined number of recent backups
• Protect release backups using retention tags
• Save versions before deployments or releases
• Run automatic backups while working