You should do what you are comfortable with. If you have a small amount personal data in a folder then certainly back it up manually at first
I don't think the advice is conflicting but may be a bit confusing. All I can say is that it may seem a little confusing at first and you just need to get a handle on the topic. (I'm not trying to patronize).
My backup system is set to daily back up files each day to an external hard drive. However, it doesn't seem to be doing what it says it should. I set it to backup C drive files ("libraries") at 3pm daily. When I later look on the external hard drive, it's not copied any of them (desktop files). Yet I am using the control panel settings and that isn't reporting any problems. What should I do? I can manually (copy and paste) copy my desktop files to the external drive, but that's hardly the point.
It could be useful to post some screen shots of your backup & restore settings as setup via "Change settings". Of course cancel out of change settings when you've taken the snips.
Here's how you post them
Screenshots and Files - Upload and Post in Seven Forums
Here it is. As you can see, nothing seems to be out of order ... but it doesn't appear to back to H drive the files on Desktop automatically.
What makes me suspicious that all isn't well is that first, the major files on the desktop here are saved in a large folder marked as Files and Folders. Now, I have manually saved this folder (using copy and paste) to the external drive. To test if this backup system will save an updated version of this folder automatically, using Backup and Restore, I later added 3 files to this desktop folder. Then used Backup and Restore to see what happens. If these 3 files were also copied to the external drive that way, the system is proved as working (saving all the files from this folder from desktop to external drive).
But it didn't. In other words, it did not copy these 3 pdf image files, added later, to the external drive as presumably it should. So I've not got much trust that the Backup and Restore system is actually behaving as it should. It looks like it's simply re-copying (at most) the files that are already on the external drive, which isn't any use. At worst, it's going through the motions of copying all the folder, but it isn't.
Last edited by ukthesis; 14 Jun 2011 at 02:31.
I meant click on change settings and show us what specific folders have been selected. The Windows message suggests you are backing up some folders which aren't normally included in personal file/folder backups.
Sometimes system folders will actually have data which is allowed to be backed up (but pointless). This will generate the sort of message you see.
A system image is where you backup the complete partition snapshot. This includes system files, programs - the works.
Here it is. Seems to only show the destination, though, whereas its what files and folders its copying that's at issue. Just to clarify, I want it to only back up selected files, but I can't figure out how to select them. These are on the C drive desktop. When I today did a "backup" (using the "back up now" button)(and it took about a hour and a) I wonder WHAT files and folders it backed up b) if it backed up a load of folders, because of the time it took, it's actually backing up far more than required
Last edited by ukthesis; 14 Jun 2011 at 07:57.
This is also what comes up under "System Image" if it helps.
If you keep clicking Next you will end up with screenshots like this
Note in the first user libraries are selected. This is generally all that needs to be selected. I have added a folder under C:\ called dislin. This contains software development graphics libraries with some data I want backed up. Generally under Computer these are unticked. I suspect you have items ticked which shouldn't be ticked.
The next screenshot shows the backup summary.
Included in backup: Default Windows folders and local files in libraries
Note under the dislin folder it states
Included in backup - All local data files
My dislin folder is an exception not the norm.
Post what you have selected.
Last edited by mjf; 14 Jun 2011 at 20:13.
I went there but for the life of me, I could not find on the list the folder I need to save. It's on the desktop and it titled as "All files and folders." I jigged around but could not get the desktop icon up there in order to select that one.
Here are three pages. The 2nd and 3rd are where I choose the recommended one and the other one. Again, I don't see the desktop icon up there to click on.
For the Desktop, you would need to manually navigate (expand) there under Computer to C:\Users\(user-name)\Desktop in your bottom screenshot.
You will not see the files themself at this location though, only the folder that you have selected to backup the files in them.
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