Documentation

Table of Contents

• 1. Installation & Setup
• 2. Getting Started
• 3. Folder Monitoring
• 4. Backup Management
• 5. File Browser
• 6. Version Comparison
• 7. Settings & Configuration
• 8. Troubleshooting
• 9. Frequently Asked Questions

1. Installation & Setup

System Requirements

Before installing FilesNanny, ensure your system meets the following requirements:

• Operating System: Windows 10/11, macOS 10.14+, or Linux (Ubuntu 18.04+)
• RAM: Minimum 4GB, Recommended 8GB
• Storage: 400MB for installation, additional space for backups
• Network: Internet connection for License activation

Download and Install

1. Download FilesNanny from our official website
2. Run the installer for installation and choose your preferred language
3. Follow the installation wizard to complete the installation
4. Launch FilesNanny from your desktop or applications folder to start using it

2. Getting Started

Initial Configuration

When you first launch FilesNanny, you'll need to:

1. Choose Language: Select your preferred language from 22 available options (Actually the language has been set by you in installation process)
2. Set Backup Location: Choose where you want backups to be stored in backup tab
3. Add Monitoring Folders: Select the folders you want to monitor in monitor tab
4. Configure Notifications: Set up how you want to be notified of changes in settings tab

Main Interface Overview

The FilesNanny interface consists of several key areas:

• Monitor Tab: Place to showing and setting the monitored folder and messages of monitoring and backup
• Backup Tab: Place to showing and setting the backup folder and messages of backup
• Restore Tab: You can restore files from backups in this tab, also you can see the content of each backuped file by double clicking the file in the list and compare the differences between each two versions of the file
• Settings Tab: Place to showing and setting the settings of FilesNanny, you can change the language, License activation, startup, notifications in this tab

3. Folder Monitoring

Adding the folder to Monitor

1. Click the "Browse..." button in the monitor tab
2. Browse and select the folder you want to monitor
3. Set notifications you like in settings tab
4. Click "Start Monitor" to begin

File Change Types FilesNanny can monitor:

Monitor Features

Features FilesNanny holds for monitor:

• File format types: Monitor ALL file types in the monitored folder
• File change types: Monitor ALL possible file change types
• Notifications: Get instant notifications of changes as they happen

4. Backup Management

Automatic Backups

FilesNanny can automatically create backups when files are modified:

1. It is automatically enabled when you add a folder to monitor
2. Automatic backup happens every time the files in the monitored folder are changed

Backup Locations

To make it 100% safe, FilesNanny will ONLY backup the files to your local storage:

• Local Storage: Save backups on your computer or external drives
• 100% Private: No data will be sent to the cloud or any other server
• 100% Secure: Once again, we make this promise that we will never send your data to the cloud or any other server

Backup Strategies

5. File Browser

Built-in File Explorer

FilesNanny includes a powerful file browser that allows you to:

• Browse monitored files in monitored folder to check their contents
• Preview common file types (text files, html files, code files, office files like word, excel, powerpoint)
• Search for files across all monitored locations
• Sort and filter files by various criteria

File Preview

The file browser supports preview for many file types:

• Text Files: TXT, RTF, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, etc.
• Documents: PDF, TXT, DOCX, PPTX, XLSX
• Office Files: Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• Code Files: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, etc.

6. Version Comparison

Comparing File Versions

FilesNanny's version comparison feature helps you track changes between different versions of your files:

1. Select a file in the file browser
2. Click "Compare Versions" from the context menu
3. Choose two versions to compare
4. View comparison with "+" and "-" differences("+" means the content was added, "-" means the content was removed)

7. Settings & Configuration

General Settings

Access the Settings menu to configure:

• Language: Change the interface language
• License information: Activate your license
• Notification settings: Configure how you want to be notified of changes and backups
• Startup settings: Configure whether FilesNanny should automatically start monitoring on launch

8. Troubleshooting

Common Issues

FilesNanny Not Detecting Changes

Possible Causes:

• Folder permissions are insufficient
• Antivirus software is blocking file access or mistakenly blocked the FilesNanny
• Files are being modified by system processes

Solutions:

• Run FilesNanny as administrator or check the antivirus software settings
• Add FilesNanny to antivirus exclusions
• Check folder permissions and ownership

High CPU Usage

Possible Causes:

• Monitoring too many files simultaneously
• Super High load of Frequent file changes in monitored folders

Solutions:

• Reduce the number of monitored folders, only monitor the most important files
• Find out which files are causing the high CPU usage and remove them from the monitored folders
• Or just organize your files and folders, and monitor the most important files

Backup Failures

Possible Causes:

• Insufficient disk space
• Network connectivity issues or the backup folder is not writable
• File access permissions

Solutions:

• Free up disk space or change backup location
• Check network connection and credentials
• Verify write permissions for backup folder

9. Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Q: Is FilesNanny free to use?

A: FilesNanny offers a 7-day free trial with full access to all features. After the trial, you can choose to buy a license to continue using FilesNanny.

Q: Does FilesNanny work on all operating systems?

A: Yes, FilesNanny is available for Windows 10/11, macOS 10.14+, and Linux (Ubuntu 18.04+).

Technical Questions

Q: How much disk space do backups use?

A: Backup space usage depends on your settings. Incremental backups use minimal space, while full backups require space equal to your monitored files.

Q: Can I restore files from backups?

A: Yes, FilesNanny includes a restore feature that allows you to recover files from any backup version.

Q: Is my data secure?

A: Yes, FilesNanny only connect to internet when you activate the license, and all your data is stored locally on your computer.