Excluding hidden files (such as index.dat)

Hi,

Is it possible to exclude hidden files such as index.dat from a backup image. Although they cannot be selected using the Browse button it is still possible to type the entire path for each index.dat file to exclude, the backup image still contains them.

Is there a way to exclude hidden files from the image, if so how is this achieved?

I am currently using the V10.2 of the free version on a Windows XP Pro SP3 PC.

Regards FarnerJo

 

Assuming that you are using the "Backup Wizard" -- the second screen of the wizard is where you select which disks or partitions to back up. In the lower left corner is a check box "change backup options". Check it. After you select disks to back up, click on "next". The next screen will show six options, of which the bottom-most allows you access to a detailed list of what files to include or exclude.

 

This is where I added a new catagory (which I called Index.dat files) and then added some filters which selected index.dat files (for example c:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Cookies\index.dat), but when I did the backup this index.dat file was still present.

This particular file is not hidden but its containing directory, Cookies is. It appears that the Browse button can only be used to select files that are not hidden. Because of this I manually added the filter using it full path but still found that the file was present in the backup.

Any ideas?

When using other backup programs I have always manually deleted these files before starting the backup, but it would have been nice to avoid this since it is not simply to get rid of these files.

Regards FarmerJo

 

To exclude specific folder using exclude mask:
* Run Backup Hard Disk or Partition wizard
* Select entire HDD/Partition you want to backup
* In Backup wizard check 'Change Backup settings' checkbox and click Next
* In Copy/Backup exclude options click 'Add Category'
* Add description and click Browse to add path you want to exclude
* Find path and click Open (or type it manually)
* Type '*' in the end of path to exclude all files from selected folder
e.g. C:\Documents and Settings\user\Application Data\*
* Add any description and click Add
* Then click Next and follow the wizard as usually.

 

I have tried this procedure but still not able to get the exclude list to work. I have also created temporary (non-hidden) directories which can be selected with the browse button but they are still present in the backup image.

It appears that the exclude feature just does not work (for directories and files hidden or otherwise) unless I am doing something completely wrong!

When the backup procedure executes the comments even show that the files are to be excluded (in my case there were about 2500 of them) but they were not excluded.

Has anyone else been able to verify from a backup image that the excluded files have in fact been excluded.

Regards Farm

 

Such files as index.dat are usually less than 1KB. it means that they're stored directly in MFT.
Such files present in backup but the will not be there after restore.

You can perform test restore to another place (e.g. external drive) and make sure that restored archive doesn't contain excluded files.

 

Thanks for the info, I did not realise that they could be excluded during restore.

I have two more questions

(a) is it possible to exclude empty directories from the backup, if so how is the directory specified?
(b) is it possible to make the destination folder (of the backup image) persistent so that it does not need to be selected for each backup?


Regards FarmerJo