Download the GUI tools package from http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/gui-tools/5.0.html and use MySQL Administrator for that task.

1) Start MA 2) Connect to your server 3) Go to the Backup section 4) Create new backup project 5) Drag any schema you want to backup to the Backup Content tree list (you can select individual tables there if you like) 6) You can already use the default settings now and do a backup by pressing the "Execute Backup Now" button 7) Adjust advanced options to your liking (e.g. data only if you enable "No CREATEs") etc. 8) Save the project from time to time. It always ends up in your personal profile (application data/mysql). 9) Open the Schedule page and switch on "Schedule this backup project". 10) Set options to what you need (target folder, file name, runtime).

That's it. You can of course have more than one backup project. Some scheduled, some not. If you want to remove a schedule then open the backup project again in MA and uncheck the check box mentioned in Point 9.

As wise men said, we don't need backups, we need restores, let me shortly describe how to restore your backups.

1) Select Restore section in MA 2) Open a backup file (the sql script created by the Backup) 3) Now you can decide: 3 a) just start the restore operation 3 b) Switch to the "Restore Content" page and click "Analyze Backup File Content". You'll get a list of objects in the file and can now select only some of them to be restored (or all, of course).

Best regards,