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Automation

FolderRewind supports multiple automation modes for each config:

  • interval mode
  • schedule mode (by month/day/hour/minute entries)
  • on-startup trigger
  • selected backup targets
  • condition-based backup mode
  • stop after repeated no-change runs

Before you begin​

  • At least one folder has been added to this config.
  • A writable backup target path is configured.
  • You have run at least one manual backup successfully.

Where to configure​

  1. Open the target config from the home page.
  2. Click Config Settings.
  3. Open the Automation tab.
  4. Enable Auto Backup.

Auto Backup toggle in the Automation tab

Full view of the Automation tab in Config Settings

Automation modes​

Interval backup​

Runs backup at a fixed minute interval.

  • Setting: Run interval (minutes)
  • Range: 1 ~ 10080 minutes
  • Recommendation: Start with 30 or 60 minutes

Scheduled backup​

When Scheduled Mode is enabled, you can add multiple schedule entries.

Each entry can set:

  • Month (or "Every month")
  • Day (or "Every day")
  • Hour and minute

Special values:

  • Month set to 0 (or "Every month"): runs every month
  • Day set to 0 (or "Every day"): runs every day

The system checks every 60 seconds whether any schedule entry should trigger.

Examples:

  • Every day at 02:00
  • Every month on day 1 at 03:30
  • Day 1 and day 15 as separate entries

On-startup backup​

Enable "Run on app startup" to trigger one backup when the app starts.

  • Use case: Create a snapshot when you open the app for the first time each day
  • Recommendation: Use together with interval mode

Selected auto-backup targets (v1.7.0)​

Starting with v1.7.0, auto backup no longer needs to run against the entire config every time. You can choose specific targets.

Useful scenarios:

  • one config contains multiple source folders, but only some need high-frequency protection
  • game saves and screenshots are in one config, but only save folders need aggressive automation

Recommended setup:

  1. split folders by importance (core data, low-priority data, temporary data)
  2. run auto tasks only for core folders
  3. use lower-frequency schedule/manual backups for low-priority folders

This reduces task pressure and makes troubleshooting easier.

Condition-based backup mode (v1.7.0)​

Condition mode triggers backups when specific conditions are met, instead of relying only on fixed intervals.

Typical examples:

  • auto backup after game exit
  • trigger backup after a critical process finishes

Best practice is to combine condition mode with interval/schedule:

  • condition mode captures critical moments
  • interval/schedule mode acts as periodic safety net

If you are a Minecraft user, consider setting "trigger after exiting world" as the top priority condition.

Trigger mechanism details:

Condition-based backup works by monitoring a file's lock state. The system checks the target file's status every 10 seconds:

  • When a file transitions from "locked" to "unlocked", one auto backup is triggered
  • If the file remains unlocked, it will not trigger repeatedly

Configuration:

  • Condition type (ConditionType): currently supports FileUnlocked (triggers when file is unlocked)
  • Monitor file path (ConditionRelativePath): the path of the file to monitor, relative to the source folder

Typical configuration example (Minecraft saves):

  • Condition type: FileUnlocked
  • Monitor file path: level.dat (Minecraft locks this file while the game is running and releases it on exit)

Stop after repeated no-change runs​

You can enable Stop auto tasks after repeated no-change detections:

  1. Enable the option.
  2. Set threshold N.

Behavior:

  • Auto backup is turned off automatically when no-change is detected N times in a row.
  • The counter resets after a change is detected.
  • On-startup + every 30 minutes
  • On-startup + daily scheduled backup at 22:00
  • Interval + stop after repeated no-change
  • Condition-based backup (after game exit) + daily 03:00 schedule
  • Condition-based backup + selected critical targets

Suggested presets​

General documents​

  • Interval: 60 minutes
  • On-startup backup: Enabled
  • Stop after no-change: Enabled, threshold 5

Minecraft saves​

  • Interval: 15~30 minutes
  • On-startup backup: Enabled
  • Optional nightly schedule (for example 03:00)

Retention policy (important)​

Automation creates many backups. Configure retention in backup policy:

  • Set Keep latest backup count.
  • If using smart incremental mode, also set a max chain length.

Troubleshooting​

  • Task not triggered: check whether auto backup is still enabled for this config.
  • Scheduled mode seems invalid: verify hour/minute values in each schedule entry.
  • Auto tasks stopped unexpectedly: likely caused by repeated no-change stop; re-enable auto backup manually.
  • Condition trigger did not run: confirm the condition actually happened and the related task is still enabled.
  • Backup scope is unexpected: verify whether full-config mode was selected by mistake or critical targets were not selected.