System Volume Information on an external hard drive

I have an external hard drive where I keep things like drive images, backup files (CrashPlan), offline data, etc.

I'm beginning to get concerned about available space. I ran a report using an application called TreeSize and noticed that I have a considerable amount of space being consumed by System Volume Information, which I understand are Restore Points.



But I also have the same folder on my Drive C, so do I really need the information contained on the external HDD? I know I will not be able to delete the folder. If I do, Windows will automatically replace it. But do I need to keep this restore point information on the external HDD?

Cheers

There will be a "System Volume Information" folder on each drive for which system protection is enabled. It will contain data relevant only to that drive.

OK then. Sounds like I should just leave it be.

I have an external hard drive where I keep things like drive images, backup files (CrashPlan), offline data, etc

Since that drive is just for offline and backup data (no system settings or files. No active databases, etc.) I don't see a reason to have System Protection enabled for that drive. I'd turn it off for that drive only and recover that 46GB for your own use

Well, there seems to be a difference of opinion. I have searched other forums and can't seem to find a clear answer.

Do I need to enable System Protection for an external HDD? If so, why? If not, why not?

MS wrote the following Understanding System Restore about XP but it's still true

What's changed since XP?
MS saves even more info in system restore about regsitry settings, system state, system, driver and program files, etc. To help System Restore to a prior machine state

What's not changed?
MS doesn't do anything that affects your personal data. Nor does it save any of your personal data in restore points. So if your external drive is all personal data and offline backups (no program data, driver files, Windows files and settings, etc.) IMHO System Restore has no value if enabled for that drive

System restore does not effect user files. You wouldn't like it if it did.

Imagine what it would be like if that were the case:

You have a number of important files you have been working on when your computer develops a minor but annoying problem. You decide to do a system restore to a week ago. Problem solved. But then you find that all of your personal files you have been working on have reverted back to the state they were in a week ago. A weeks work lost.

Remember that System Restore restores the system files and portions of the registry to what they were at the time the restore point was created. Good for system files, but very bad for personal files.

mjf said:

I do not rely on restore points and have system protection turned off.

That's a very interesting perspective, especially from a seasoned veteran such as yourself. Personally, restore points have helped me recover from several incidents, such as a new application install gone bad or from changing a system setting that I shouldn't have. So I'm in favor of Restore Points and in fact use the Task Scheduler to create a daily Restore Point for just that reason.

However, I don't understand the significance of System Volume Information, System Protection or Restore Points when it comes to an external HDD.

There is one aspect of System Protection that has not been mentioned and that is the storage of previous versions of files (Shadow Copies), including data files. If System protection is enabled, copies of previous versions files are maintained along with the restore points and can be retrieved by selecting file properties/previous version.