Solved Personal files missing from backup

[DavidGiul]

I backed up using an external drive prior to resetting HP desktop to factory settings.
When I tried to restore the files I couldn't find them in any of the libraries. Where did they go? I did reinstall programs like Microsoft Office 2003. I did look at the folders in the backup, ie Documents, Pictures & Music. They were all empty. I used the backup through the control panel.

How do I find them & put them back in the right place? Running Windows 7 64 bit
Home Premium Edition.
Thank you

 

[whs]

How is your backup file called?

 

[DavidGiul]

Back up is called: Gavid-PC\Backup Set 2012=06-30 111304

 

[Brink]

Hello David,

You could double check using the tutorial below to manually see if the files are actually in your Backup Set folder.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/174270-backup-manually-extract-files-vista-windows-7-a.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[DavidGiul]

Hi Shawn,

Thank you for the response. I went through 19 backup sets. Still could not find any files that I am looking for. These are mainly word docs I created in Microsoft Office.

 

[Brink]

David,

When you created the backup, are you sure that you included the folders that the files were saved in? Everything is not included by default.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/628-backup-user-system-files-delete-backups.html

 

[DavidGiul]

Shawn, no I'm not sure. I followed the prompts when setting up the Windows backup. I assumed all folders were being backed up.

 

[whs]

Back up is called: Gavid-PC\Backup Set 2012=06-30 111304

Thanks for the answer. I thought you might have made an image. But that is not an image file. Too bad.

 

[DavidGiul]

Ah, I do see a system image (D) created on 7-12-2012. Does that help? Also I re read the backup settings. Using the "Recommended settings" it does say that personal files & folders are included. As that I believe I chose that setting initially, I'm a bit at a loss as to why they don't appear to be there?

 

[Brink]

Well, if you have a system image as well, then you could use the tutorial below to manually open it to see if the files may be in it. I hope so.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/24771-system-image-extract-files-using-disk-management.html

 

[whs]

Ah, I do see a system image (D) created on 7-12-2012. Does that help? Also I re read the backup settings. Using the "Recommended settings" it does say that personal files & folders are included. As that I believe I chose that setting initially, I'm a bit at a loss as to why they don't appear to be there?

You got it made. Mount the VHD as described in Shawn's tutorial. Then open the VHD in Computer and copy your files.

PS: In order to get to the VHD, you have to double click on your image file and the subsequent files. I think there are 4 levels.

 

[DavidGiul]

This was interesting - I just ran the backup to see if it was running properly. Here is the message I got:

 

[Brink]

David,

That error indicates that Windows backup skipped backing up the files/folders on the G: drive at those locations since the G: drive is where you are saving the backup to. You can't backup items on the same drive/partition that you are saving the backup to.

From the folder paths in the error, did you change the default location of your user profile folder to be on G? If so, that is why since it's located there.

 

[DavidGiul]

Brink,

No I didn't change the default location. When setting up the backup the two options listed are to backup to either the E: drive (CD) or the G: external drive. How should it be set up?

 

[Brink]

You can set it up how you like, but you would just need to not include anything in your backup on a drive letter that you are saving the backup to. That's all.

 

[DavidGiul]

Brink, I'm a little dense..if the drive letter is the external drive and I'm not backing up on the external drive, doen't that defeat the purpose of having the external drive?

 

[Brink]

It's saying that you have the G:\David-PC (G drive) and the G:\New folder\C\Users\David folder selected to be included in your backup, but G is the same location that you are trying to save the backup to. It can't backup from and save to the same drive/partition letter location.

Is the G:\New folder\C\Users\David folder a copy of your C:\Users\David folder, or did you move it to this G location? You can see why I asked if you moved it earlier now.

Basically, you would just need to unselect those items to not be included in the backup, or backup to another location other than G to have them included in the backup. If you did move your user profile from C to G, then moving it back to C would fix this as well. That's all.

 

[DavidGiul]

Thanks, yes the G:\New folder\C\Users\David folder is a copy. When I tried to do the restore initially, there were over 800 files that were skipped. The restore prompt recomended trying a new location, so that is what I did.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome.