AppProfileSafe - Support Portal

Import Overview (Workflow Explained)

This page walks you through the full import (restore) workflow in the GUI. For command-line automation, see Import via CLI.


1. Open the Import Window

Click the Import button on the Dashboard. The Import window opens with two areas: a manifest selection panel at the top and an application list below.


2. Load a Manifest

Click Browse… to select the manifest XML file from a previous export. The default file dialog filter is set to *.xml.

When you select a manifest, AppProfileSafe:

  • Validates the file against the XSD schema (AppProfileSafe.Manifest-v1.0.0.xsd). If validation fails, an error is shown and the file is not loaded.
  • Reads the <DataFolderName> from the manifest metadata. If missing, a warning is shown because import may fail without it.
  • Lists all <Entry> elements as selectable applications

After loading, the status bar shows: "Loaded N applications from manifest."


3. Select Applications

The application list shows all entries from the manifest with checkboxes. Each entry displays the application name and its source backup path as a tooltip.

Use the Select All and Deselect All buttons to manage your selection. In test mode, the selection is limited to 2 applications (same as for export).

The total count is shown below the list: "Applications in manifest: N"


4. Configure Mapping (Optional)

If you are restoring to a different machine or user account, configure mapping rules before importing. Click the Mapping Rules button (bottom left) to open the mapping editor.

Mapping rules transform registry and file system paths during the import. For example, replacing OldUser with NewUser in all paths.

When a mapping file is loaded, the button text changes to indicate that mappings are active. If you modify the mapping file, any previous simulation result is automatically invalidated.


5. Simulate Mapping (Optional)

Click Simulate Mapping to run a simulation. This performs the entire import in simulation mode — it reads the manifest, applies mapping rules, and reports what would happen, without writing any data to the system.

The simulation:

  • Shows a mapping preview dialog first, then opens a progress window
  • Displays each item with source, destination, and result — all in read-only mode

For a deeper comparison, see Simulation vs. DryRun Comparison.


6. Import Backup

Click Import Backup to start the actual restore. The workflow runs through four steps automatically:

Step 1: Preflight Validation

AppProfileSafe runs preflight checks for the import operation. If your license is in the grace period, a confirmation is shown first. If any preflight check fails, the import is aborted and the results are shown. The audit log records the failure.

Step 2: Dry Run (Mandatory)

AppProfileSafe performs a mandatory read-only impact analysis. The DryRun compares the manifest data against the live system and shows what would be added, changed, or left unchanged.

The results are displayed in a progress window with a checkbox next to each item. All items are selected by default. You can deselect individual items to exclude them from the import — deselected items will receive the status Skipped. Use the Select All and Deselect All buttons to manage the selection quickly.

The import only proceeds if you click Continue Import. Only selected items will be restored.

Step 3: System Restore Point

You are prompted to create a Windows system restore point before making changes. This allows you to roll back the import if something goes wrong.

  • Click Yes to create a restore point (a progress window shows creation status)
  • Click No to skip and proceed directly with the import
  • If the restore point cannot be created (e.g. the 24-hour Windows limit), you are asked whether to continue anyway
Step 4: Actual Import

The import runs in a progress window showing the columns: App, Type, Destination Path, Old Value, New Value, and Result. Registry entries are written to the Windows registry and files are copied to their target locations. Mapping rules are applied to all paths. Items that were deselected during the Dry Run are skipped and reported as Skipped.

After completion, a run report (JSON) is saved and an audit log entry is written.


Progress Window

The import progress window uses the same layout as the export progress window with the following columns:

Column Description
App Application name
Type Entry type (Key, Value, File, Folder)
Destination Path Target path on the local system (after mapping)
Old Value Value on the live system before the operation
New Value Value written by the import
Result Status of each item (Success, Error, Skipped)

During simulation and dry run, the progress window is marked with a simulation banner to clearly indicate that no changes are being made.


See Also