Backup

[ukthesis]

My backup system is set to daily back up files each day to an external hard drive. However, I can't see which files it's backing up on my computer and I can't seem to change the files it saves anyhow. What do I do? I have, on my desktop, a large folder containing most of my saved files but it doesn't seem to be picking that one up. So I suspect that if it's working at all, it's only saving an insignificant folder.

 

[whs]

Depends what you are using for the backup. If it is backking up to a VHD, you can attach it via Disk Management > Action tab. Then you can open the virtual volume and see what's in it.

 

[ukthesis]

What's a virtual volume and a VHD? Briefly, and without any technicalities, I go to the control panel, and look in it. One of the options says "Backup and Restore." I click on it and the destination is given as the H drive (external hard drive). Under "contents" it says "Files in libraries and personal folders for all users." That's all I can see.

 

[richnrockville]

My backup system is set to daily back up files each day to an external hard drive. However, I can't see which files it's backing up on my computer and I can't seem to change the files it saves anyhow. What do I do? I have, on my desktop, a large folder containing most of my saved files but it doesn't seem to be picking that one up. So I suspect that if it's working at all, it's only saving an insignificant folder.

Welcome ukthesis to the windows forums.
Something tells me that your backup is the internal windows 7 backup that comes with windows. By default what it does is backup your "my documents" folder and data files from some programs.

You can determine which files are backed up by going to the help selection in the main menu and type backup files.

this will allow you to either select the files to backup or let windows determine which files to backup
And where..

Help is pretty informative.

Rich

 

[Brink]

Hello ukthesis, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Step 2 in the tutorial below can help show you how to make changes to your scheduled backup using the Windows 7 Backup feature.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/615-backup-user-system-files.html

I find that the easiest way to view the files in a backup is to go through the same process you would to restore them as in the tutorial below to be able to view them without finishing the process of actually restoring them.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/648-restore-backup-user-system-files.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[ukthesis]

I "think" I may have done something by following this. I got to the point where it says Computer and I ticked Acer (C) then carried on. This "might" save that folder on my C drive that contains the important folder on my desktop. Not so sure though. Anyhow, I'll be back if it doesn't save updates in this file (that I will place there for the purpose) tomorrow. It didn't ask which specific folders I want to save, which makes me wonder if this is correct and would have made me more comfortable, since I'm now not sure which files on my C drive it's going to copy to the H drive..

And "the help selection in the main menu" - where do I find this one?

 

[whs]

What's a virtual volume and a VHD? Briefly, and without any technicalities, I go to the control panel, and look in it. One of the options says "Backup and Restore." I click on it and the destination is given as the H drive (external hard drive). Under "contents" it says "Files in libraries and personal folders for all users." That's all I can see.

OK, understand. You did not use the Win7 imaging facility (that is where you would get a VHD "virtual hard disk") but you used the file backup.

In order to see what was actually backed up, go to your external disk and find a folder named "Yourname-PC" - like mine would be WHS-PC. Right click on it and click "Open". Then double click on "Backup set" twice until you see "Backup files 1.zip, Backup files 2.zip, etc". Those contain the files that were backed up from your system. Since those are .zip files, you have to extract the folders and then you will see exactly what is inside.



PS: For your other question see the picture.

 

[ukthesis]

The problem is that I manually saved the contents of the C drive folder to the external hard drive a while ago. So just seeing those up there doesn't say anything. However, what I can say is that I inserted, earlier today, two new files in the folder in C drive and they should have been saved on the external drive which they weren't. So it's clearly not saving that folder so far, except where I manually save it by going from C drive (ie where I copy and paste it to H drive).

 

[mjf]

You probably shouldn't be selecting all items capable of file/folder backup which maybe what you are doing.
This description may help
http://www.sevenforums.com/backup-restore/168223-backup-restore-options.html#post1438257
When you select "let me choose" windows should have default folders ticked. Select any additional folders with care. You may have a folder under c: outside of the libraries called say C:\Other_Data which you may want to include.

Brink has also given further tutorial links.

 

[ukthesis]

Honestly, though, don't you think it's better if I manually save the contents of the folder each day? This process you describe seems to be getting more complicated as it goes along and there seem to be different versions of what to do with no end in sight. Not helpful. And I'm still baffled by what it's apparently saving on H drive ...

 

[mjf]

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).

 

[ukthesis]

Backup and restore function problem

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.

 

[mjf]

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
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

 

[ukthesis]

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.

 

[mjf]

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.

 

[ukthesis]

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

 

[ukthesis]

This is also what comes up under "System Image" if it helps.

 

[mjf]

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.

 

[ukthesis]

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.

 

[Brink]

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.