Windows file backup exclusion list for next major version

client
1

The next major version will automatically add file backup exclusions. This is the current list. If you have something to add please contribute.

  • The entries from the registry key SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\BackupRestore\FilesNotToBackup
  • C:\Users\:\AppData\Local\Temp
  • C:\Users\:\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files
  • C:\Users\:\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Cache
  • C:\Users\:\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\thumbcache*
  • C:\Windows\Temp
  • :\$Recycle.Bin
  • :\System Volume Information
  • C:\Users:\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles:\cache2
2

Firefox cache location: C:\Documents and Settings[User Name]\Local Settings\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles[Profile Name]\Cache

Also, the page file: pagefile.sys And the hibernation file for laptops: hiberfil.sys
these files tend to be quite large.

3

Mine is called cache2. I’ve added it to the list (for Windows>=Vista).

(Pagefile and hiberfil are already automatically excluded in the current version since it does not make sense to back that up)

4

The files associated with deduplication on 2012R2 cause problems with backups. I had to manually exclude them on our backups as it made the backups fail and they make no sense to backup anyway.

5

Could you tell us the exclude you added? That one should be hard wired I guess.

6

I went to look and it appears that I got around the issue by not adding it as “E:” but by adding each of the individual shares. Let me set up something in the lab here this week and I will get back to you.

7

Sorry to necro an old topic, but was this ever implemented? I’m currently running server v2.0.33 on Win 7 Pro and clients v1.4.11 & v2.0.32 on Win XP Pro & Win 7 Pro, respectively. All are backing up the RECYCLER/$RECYCLE.BIN and System Volume Information so it appears that it was never implemented or it’s not working.

8

The default exclusion list is applied when running and finishing the setup wizard. If the wizard is not run or does not finish it has only very minimal default exclusions (e.g. page file).

9

The setup wizard is at the end of the client install? I’ve seen it on the v2.0.32 installation but skipped it because it wasn’t very clear what the result of the different selections would be, but also I figured by skipping it the client will just inherit all of its settings from the server and every client will be consistent. My vote would be to add control of these common exclusions server-side.

Since I still have some XP PCs running legacy software, I had to use client v1.4.11 on those, which does not have the wizard. Therefore, I’m trying to add System Volume Information to the server-side exclusion list - I swear I have tried every wildcard combination and all my backups still copy that folder. I’ve tried at least the following:

\System Volume Information*
"\System Volume Information*"
“*\System Volume Information*”;
\System Volume Information*
\System Volume Information
“\System Volume Information”
\System Volume Information

What is the proper syntax to exclude this folder? (that’s the only folder I’m trying right now, i.e. it’s not a semicolon separated list yet).

10

The first one should have worked. The wizard uses :\System Volume Information