Does delete a folder on the home network from a backup disk effect all

loninappleton · 21 Aug 2015

That's my limit for a subject line.

The question is simple:

I have two nodes on a small home network Workgroup. I have backup hds. I wish to delete a network
folder on one of my backups.

The question is: Does this effect other nodes on the network-- will the deletion take place on both machines?

I simply want to regain the backup HD as a scratch disk for a task that takes lots of volume: video editing using the program Virtual Dub 1.10.4.

GokAy · 21 Aug 2015

I have hard time understanding what you mean. If what you are deleting resides on some other place too, then it is safe to delete. But if you have it on only the HDD and you access it with the other PC as a share, then deleting it at the source will delete them for good for both PCs. Hope it is clear.

loninappleton · 21 Aug 2015

Ok, simply put: Can I just take this backup drive off of network access? It has become a work disk and I need the space.

Do I have to reformat, reinstall? Since I have program content on it which is recently updated I'd just want to get the 'network' folders deleted and free up that space.

Where should I start to keep my desktop stuff but remove the network and it's shared folder from this backup disk?

I'm worried about erasing things on the other network machine I have since it is shared. I want to do this carefully.

GokAy · 22 Aug 2015

Any backup drives you can take off, yes. Anything that is a backup is safe to delete but there is the risk of losing data when/if the originals get lost while having no backups.

If you installed programs on that harddisk, then you will need to re-install them to another place too.

To be honest, just get a new external drive for your needs and leave your backups alone. Maybe others will have better insight.

Layback Bear · 22 Aug 2015

I will give it a try. Hopefully I understand the question.

If you have xxx on a drive/partition you can remove it. It doesn't matter how you are sharing or networking. As long as you have access. Once that xxx is removed from the drive/partition it is no longer accessible by any normal means. (It's gone)
If you also have xxx located on another drive or partition it will still be at that location.

To put it another way.
If you have xxx on two drives/partition (copy) and you remove it from one of the drives/partitions a copy will still be on the other drive/partition.
If you want xxx removed from both location then you will have to do that location at a time.

Hope this helps.

loninappleton · 22 Aug 2015

Maybe the wording here is wrong. I have re-purposed an old HD that is too small for current needs.
I have my primary 500Gb and it's backup 500 Gb. Previously I was using 320's and the discussion is about one of those.

My concern is any deletions that would affect the other node of the workgroup.

I suppose I could do a sample 'sacrifice file and see if anything happens across the network.
Across the network then is the key phrase. I want to avoid any damage to that. All this hand- wringing is because I don't understand how shared folders can effect each other.

I cannot, for instance, go into safe mode on the 320 standalone (off the workgroup) and do any deletions to get more space. This is how my questions arise.