Files Not Supported for Backup using WD SmartWare Software - Backup Exclusion Rules

Excerpt from ANSWER ID3644

 

Files Not Supported for Backup using WD SmartWare Software

Certain types of files, folders, and folder hierarchies are excluded from backup when using the WD SmartWare backup software. Although WD SmartWare can back up over 600 types of files, certain rules exclude some files, folders, and files within folder hierarchies from backup.

 

Backup Exclusion Rules

The search patterns in the Backup Exclusion Rules exclude the following:

  • Entire folder hierarchies
  • Files, file types, and files with certain file attributes found in non-excluded folder hierarchies
  • Folders and files owned by users other than the current user

When a backup plan includes one or more specific folders that would ordinarily exclude files based on the exclusion rules, the files in the specified folder or folders are included in the backup, with the following exceptions:

  • Files with a System file attribute are always excluded from backup
  • For Windows Vista, files with the ReparsePoint file attribute are always excluded from backup

The WD SmartWare software excludes user folders and files that are exclusively owned by other users.  The following user folder hierarchies are the only allowed user folder hierarchies:

Windows XP

  • Current user’s folders and files under: “<boot-drive>:\Documents and Settings\<current-user>”
  • All Users folders and files under: <boot-drive>:\Documents and Settings\All Users

Windows Vista and Windows 7

  • Current user folder and files under: <boot-drive>:\Users\<current-user>
  • All Users folders and files under: <boot-drive>:\Users\Public

Note: Some backup exclusion rules are based on folders that do not have fixed locations. Those folders are denoted as [<logical-folder-name>] in the exclusion rule table that follows. In addition, the default locations for the folders given logical folder names are also provided.

Specific Folders and Folder Hierarchies Not Supported

Logical Folder Name Windows XP Windows Vista

[Boot]

C:

C:

[UserBase]

[Boot]\Documents and Settings\<username>

[Boot]\Users\<username>

[AppData]

[UserBase]\Application Data

[UserBase]\AppData

[UserDocuments]

[UserBase]\My Documents

[UserBase]\Documents

[AppDataRoaming]

[AppData]

[AppData]Roaming

[LocalData]

[UserBase]\Local Settings

[Appdata]Local

[AppDataLocal]

[LocalData]\Application Data

[Appdata]\Local

[ProgramData]

[Boot]\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data

[Boot]\ProgramData

[SystemRoot]

[Boot]\Windows

[Boot]\Windows

[SystemTempFolders]

[Boot]\Temp
[SystemRoot]\Temp

[Boot]\Temp
[SystemRoot]\Temp

[ProgramFiles]

[Boot]\Program Files

[Boot]\Program Files

[ProgramFilesX86]

N/A

[Boot]\Program Files (x86)

[WinLocalData]

[AppDataLocal]\Microsoft\Windows

[AppDataLocal]\Microsoft\Windows

[InternetTempFolder]

[LocalData]\Temporary Internet Files

[WinLocalData]\Temporary Internet Files

[WDLocalAppFolder1]

[AppDataLocal]\Western Digital

[AppDataLocal]\Western Digital

[WDLocalAppFolder2]

[AppDataLocal]\Western_Digital

[AppDataLocal]\Western_Digital

[WDAppDataRoamingFolder]

N/A

[AppDataRoaming]\Western Digital

[MemeoAppData]

[AppData]\Memeo

N/A

[WD_AppData]

[AppData]\Western Digital

N/A

[MemeoCommon]

[ProgramData]\MemeoCommon

[ProgramData\MemeoCommon

[WinClrApp]

[UserBase]\Application Data\ Microsoft\Clr Security Config

[AppDataRoaming]Microsoft\Clr Security Config

[DefaultRetrieveFolder]

[UserDocuments]\Retrieved Contents

[UserDocuments]\Retrieved Contents

[CurrentUserTemp]

[LocalData]\Temp

[LocalData]\Temp

[RecycleBin]

[Boot]\Recycler

[Boot]\$Recycle.Bin

[Anti-Virus_Symantec]

[ProgramData]\Symantec

[ProgramData]\Symantec

[Anti-Virus_Norton]

[ProgramData]\Norton

[ProgramData]\Norton

[Anti-Virus_McAfee]

[ProgramData]\McAfee

[ProgramData]\McAfee

[Anti-Virus_AVG]

[ProgramData]\AVG

[ProgramData]\AVG

Specific File Names, File Extensions, File Attributes, and Folders Not Supported

Logical Folder Name Windows XP Windows Vista
Excluded Files – Filename
Search Strings
  • Filename starts with "ntuser.dat"
  • Filename starts with dataclad
  • thumbs.db
  • N/A
Excluded Files – File
Extension Search Strings
  • app
  • bat
  • cgi
  • com
  • dct
  • dll
  • exe
  • lnk
  • log
  • pif
  • scr
  • sys
  • tmp
  • vb
  • vhd
  • vpc
  • ws
  • N/A
Excluded Files – File
Attributes
  • System
  • Hidden
  • ReparsePoint (Vista)
  • Temporary (Vista)
  • .* , and specifically any .DS_Store
    and .localized (All Mac hidden files are to be excluded unless specifically included)
Excluded Folders – Folder
Name Search Strings
  • Paths for Floppy Disk drives
    (“A:” and “B:”)
  • Path starts with:
  • [SystemRoot]
  • [SystemTempFolders]
  • [ProgramFiles]
  • [ProgramFilesX86]
  • [WinLocalData]
  • [InternetTempFolder]
  • [WDLocalAppFolder1]
  • [WDLocalAppFolder2]
  • [WDAppDataRoamingFolder]
  • [MemeoAppData]
  • [WD_AppData]
  • [MemeoCommon]
  • [CurrentUserTemp]
  • [WinClrApp]
  • [Anti-Virus_Symantec]
  • [Anti-Virus_Norton]
  • [Anti-Virus_McAfee]
  • [Anti-Virus_AVG]
  • Folder Path contains:
  • [RecycleBin]
  • Current and previous values
    for the Current Retrieve Folder,
    including the default [DefaultRetrieveFolder]
  • Path ends with:
  • .tmp
  • .dct
  • -journal
  • .part
  • N/A
1 Like

So does this mean that on my Vista Home Premium system, only MY data is backed up (i.e. c:\users\jim) but not my wife’s documents and data (c:\users<wifes_name>)?

Yes.You will have to run a Backup by logging into the other User Account too.

One of the drawbacks of using a ‘Auto-Backup’ Software.

P.S. Nothing beats the ‘copy & paste’ method!

Thanks for the reply. This is not what I expected. I was under the impression that it was “entire drive” protection, like the Seagate Replica product. If my wife has to remember to login and manually run a backup, then it isn’t so “automatic”.

I appreciate the feedback.

Hi,

Well what can be seen as a drawback can also be seen as a good security.

Why an acount could have access to the data of another one ?? Windows accounts are done to separate things between the people who have access to a computer.

BUT if you are as an administrator of the PC you have anyway access to the files of the other account.

Thus by editing the rules as I explained there : http://community.wdc.com/t5/forums/forumtopicpage/board-id/smartware/thread-id/120    you should be able to backup her files aswell.

Bye