Solved Backups exist but not available through 'previous version' tab

[trunxson]

I make weekly backups of my Drive(C) using Windows backup and restore on a scheduled task to a separate hard drive (E) I also make daily restore points.
If I view that hard drive I find the older versions of files I currently have on my drive (C)
However when I look at file/properties/previous versions tab of some of the recently changed files on drive(C) nothing is listed, even though there are many backed up versions on Drive(E).
Windows does not appear to search for the backups.
Previously this did all work but has stopped since I had to re-format (E). Since the reformat I have made 4 successful backups on this drive but am left with the problem as I describe. All 'services' involved for backup are in the recommended state as reported elsewhere in this forum.
I get a sense that deleting previous backups by formatting the backup drive has somehow upset some Windows indexing function.

 

[Parman]

Previous versions are a part of system protection. Go into system protection and add your E drive.

 

[trunxson]

Parman, When I try to do this I get a warning message.

'using system protection on a drive that contains system image backups will cause other shadow copies to be deleted faster'

When previous versions was working i didn't have E protected at that time. Is it still ok to include protection of this drive in light of the warning

 

[F5ing]

When previous versions was working i didn't have E protected at that time. Is it still ok to include protection of this drive in light of the warning

Are you sure E: wasn't protected at that time? As far as I know, that's the only way it will work. The reformat might've unprotected that drive automatically.

E: is an internal drive?

Read this for more info on drive space allocation (in the "Note" section at the top of the page):

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

 

[trunxson]

E is an internal drive. I will try your recommendation to protect E just in case I misunderstood the starting position when i originally started the backups

 

[Parman]

A file and folder backup, system protection, and system image are all different things with different purposes. Enabling system protection on the E drive should add the previous versions back.

 

[trunxson]

Turning on protection for E makes no difference.
Ignoring the fact that I do a backups to E, I should still have previous files from restore points with system protection on C drive. Changing the content of a file between restore points is not producing the expected previous versions in that file's properties. I have read dozens of documents relating to this problem but all the 'fixes' are related to setting of restore points and checking they are saved and having certain services running. I have met all these conditions so I don't see what else can be wrong?

 

[F5ing]

A file and folder backup, system protection, and system image are all different things with different purposes. Enabling system protection on the E drive should add the previous versions back.

True; all for recovery, just different aspects. I linked that tutorial as it might help the OP understand the significance of the warning message he received (as it's a percentage allocation limit rather than an absolute byte limit).

 

[F5ing]

Turning on protection for E makes no difference.
Ignoring the fact that I do a backups to E, I should still have previous files from restore points with system protection on C drive. Changing the content of a file between restore points is not producing the expected previous versions in that file's properties. I have read dozens of documents relating to this problem but all the 'fixes' are related to setting of restore points and checking they are saved and having certain services running. I have met all these conditions so I don't see what else can be wrong?

I misread your first post; you might want to turn off System Protection for drive E:.
Now I see that the Previous Versions you are missing only concerns data on C:.

If you haven't already, read through the following thread. There's an apparent solution towards the bottom (Defraggers and Administrative Shares): http://www.sevenforums.com/performa...ing-there-no-previous-versions-available.html

 

[trunxson]

Well I have tried about everything possible now. Nothing I can find is wrong. Protection is on, relevant services running,
file and printer sharing on, admin shares active, no homegroup, no defrag. Windows backup sucessfull (as reported in event viewer),
I have made a restore point, then changed a file made another restore point and changed the file again ...reboot and STILL no previous version. Using Shadow Explorer I actually can see and restore the previous file so this is very much a windows setup problem as far as i can see.

 

[F5ing]

... so this is very much a windows setup problem as far as i can see.

Since you've ensured that the specific requirements seem to have been met (at least all the ones I'm aware of so far), and we now know that Previous Versions are actually being created, let's make sure the protected system files for Windows are still intact:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

 

[Parman]

I misread your first post; you might want to turn off System Protection for drive E:.
Now I see that the Previous Versions you are missing only concerns data on C:.

I'm sorry I also completely misread your post.

 

[trunxson]

F5ing, I had also previously done an SFC in desperation, nothing found here either. I cant believe I am the only one having this problem. I am beginning to suspect some recent windows update has trashed the function. After all how often do we all check for previous versions?

 

[F5ing]

Is this the one and only issue you've noticed with this install/machine? Nothing else?

Can you see them if you boot into Safe Mode?

I've not heard many issues regarding the latest round of updates, of course, as you mention this is an issue that might not be noticed this early by very many. Do you have an idea of an approximate date for the first time you noticed them missing? If so, and you've got a restore point old enough, would you be willing to do a System Restore?

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/700-system-restore.html

In the end, not saying to try it yet, there's always the Repair Install.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html

 

[trunxson]

I have manage to crack the problem, and let this be a warning to all users of AVG Tuneup. I had recently disabled 'administrative shares' using this programme's advisory mode, thinking I don't need, them but I now discover this was preventing previous versions from being listed.
Having read in this forum that admin shares were needed to be enabled I had earlier used a recommended registry key to enable them, but this key did not work I now realise.
So I have reinstalled the shares through AVG's own recovery and now at last I have Previous Versions again.

 

[F5ing]

Glad you've got it working again! And thanks for reporting what you discovered.

These AV companies should really stick to what they were once good at. Seems their attempts to increase their paying user base by incorporating new features more often than not only adds to bloat and misery.

By the way, w7 is pretty well tuned up out of the box. Third party tune-up apps tend to cripple it, sometimes to the point where a clean reinstall is the only way to get it going again. You may have lucked out here.

You can mark your thread as solved when you're ready.

 

[trunxson]

Thanks also for sticking with me and trying to help, at least we all have another route to recommend when this problem comes around again for others

 

[Parman]

Glad you got it working again and sorry for all the confusing.