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Windows provides the following backup tools:

• File backup: Windows Backup allows you to make copies of data files. You can let Windows choose what to back up or you can select the individual folders, libraries, and drives that you want to back up. By default, your backups are created on a regular schedule. You can change the schedule and you can manually create a backup at any time. Once you set up Windows Backup, Windows keeps track of the files and folders that are new or modified and adds them to your backup. To set up file backup, see the following backup steps

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Last 3 posts by George

• Backup considerations for Microsoft SharePoint - July 26th, 2010
• What is Cloud Computing? - July 19th, 2010
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System protection in Windows 7 is a very important mechanism that enables the saving of information related to system files and settings, saving previous versions of files that were modified, and creates restore points every 7 days and prior to significant systems changes. System protection is automatically enabled for the system drive only (Windows 7 installation location) but can be manually enabled for other drives given that they are formatted with the NTFS file system.

Important Note - a drive needs to have system protection enabled in order to be included in a restore point and in order to have the previous copies of files and folders functionality!

You launch the System Protection box from the control panel: (Click Start\Control Panel)

1. In the Control Panel Click System and Security
2. In the System and Security window click System
3. In the System window click System Protection – now you have the System Properties window open with the System Protection tab selected

  4.   Select the drive you want to set and click Configure
  5.   After you make the required settings click OK

Required settings:

Restore system settings and previous versions of files

This is the default setting for the system drive or volume. Do not change this default setting, since restore points here hold system information and user files that are present in the user profile. Disk Space Usage depends on how much space is used for user files. If your files reside in this drive or volume then 20% to 40% should be ok. If the drive is set to hold just system files then 10% should be enough.

Only restore previous versions of files

You normally use this option on drives or volumes that contain user files only such as, a second disk drive for data storage. A value of 40% of Disk space usage would give you a large number of previous versions of your files.

Turn off system protection

This would be the setting for external backup drives or USB disks that hold backup file sets. The main problem with USB drives is that they are normally formatted using the FAT file system. Remember that System Protection works only with NTFS formatted drives!

Last but crucial point is that old previous versions of files that were overwritten due to a low Disk Space Usage setting will not become available by increasing the Disk Space Usage percentage! Then, you need to revert to a restore process from a backup set!

Last 3 posts by George

• Backup considerations for Microsoft SharePoint - July 26th, 2010
• What is Cloud Computing? - July 19th, 2010
• Is Cloud computing getting safer? - July 13th, 2010

Shadow copies are previous versions of files or folders and are created at the same time as a restore point. However, the system protection feature must be enabled! By defaut, Windows 7 creates Restore Points and Shadow copies for the system drive or partition only (Ex. C:). So, make sure that you set the Restore Settings for each and every drive you intend to save valuable data. Shadow copies are managed by the Volume Shadow Copy Service. Therefore, it is very important that this service is never disabled as all backup operations rely on it. Although, its startup state is manual, the service starts as needed by the different applications.

To restore a file or folder you simply right-click the file or folder (in windows explorer) and select the Restore previous versions option.
If the Restore previous versions is not available then your file structure must have been changed. Also, note that the restore operation is not reversible!

From the Restore previous versions window select the date of the desired restore point. If no previous dates are available, the selected file or folder has not been modified.

You have three options. You can Open the file (Open button) and view its contents and save it to an alternate location, you can Copy the file (Copy button) to an alternate location or you can just restore the file by clicking the Restore button.

Remember, that if you cannot find previous copies of files, then you have system protection disabled for that drive. Also, shadow copies are unavailble for Offline files and system files that are used by the Windows 7.