User Tools

Site Tools


other:win10_syncback

Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

Link to this comparison view

Both sides previous revision Previous revision
Next revision
Previous revision
other:win10_syncback [2020/04/20 14:07]
jypeter [Suggested filters when backing up your Home folder]
other:win10_syncback [2020/04/29 14:38]
jypeter [Suggested filters when backing up your Windows Home folder]
Line 25: Line 25:
     * You should create a clean directory hierarchy on the backup disk, matching the folders that you intend to backup. You may want to backup several computers to the same USB device, and you should therefore also use the name/type of the source computer in the destination folders     * You should create a clean directory hierarchy on the backup disk, matching the folders that you intend to backup. You may want to backup several computers to the same USB device, and you should therefore also use the name/type of the source computer in the destination folders
     * In this example, we are going to mirror the content of\\ ''​D:​\Users\jypeter''​\\ to ''​F:​\Backup_JYP\Dell_Precision_3420\D_Users_jypeter'' ​     * In this example, we are going to mirror the content of\\ ''​D:​\Users\jypeter''​\\ to ''​F:​\Backup_JYP\Dell_Precision_3420\D_Users_jypeter'' ​
-  - **Launch SyncBackFree**. You can find it in ''​Start''​->​ ''​2BrighSparks''​ -> ''​SyncBackFree''​+  - **Launch SyncBackFree**. You can find it in ''​Start''​->​ ''#​''​ -> ''​2BrighSparks''​ -> ''​SyncBackFree''​
   - Click on //New Profile// to **create a new mirroring operation**\\ {{ :​other:​syncbackfree_001_notes.png?​direct&​500 |}}   - Click on //New Profile// to **create a new mirroring operation**\\ {{ :​other:​syncbackfree_001_notes.png?​direct&​500 |}}
   - **Choose a Profile Name** that will describe correctly the Source folder (e.g. the machine and the source folder names, ''​Precision Tower 3420 D_Users_jypeter''​) and click on //Next//\\ {{ :​other:​syncbackfree_002.png?​direct&​500 |}}    - **Choose a Profile Name** that will describe correctly the Source folder (e.g. the machine and the source folder names, ''​Precision Tower 3420 D_Users_jypeter''​) and click on //Next//\\ {{ :​other:​syncbackfree_002.png?​direct&​500 |}} 
Line 40: Line 40:
  
 You can **use filters** to disable some of what SyncBack would try to backup otherwise: You can **use filters** to disable some of what SyncBack would try to backup otherwise:
-  * Not backing up useless files/directories ​(e.g lots of temporary files with random names in cache directories) will make SyncBack run faster (and save space on the backup device) +  * Not backing up useless files/folders ​(e.g lots of temporary files with random names in cache folders) will make SyncBack run faster (and save space on the backup device) 
-  * Some files/directories ​can't be backed up because their access is protected by the system (possibly because they are still open) and will generate errors in the log file. Skipping them will make it easier to spot real errors +  * Some files/folders ​can't be backed up because their access is protected by the system (possibly because they are still open) and will generate errors in the log file. Skipping them will make it easier to spot //real// errors 
-    * In order to make a correct backup of everything, it is always better to close the running applications before starting the backup+    * In order to make a correct backup of everything, it is always better to close the running applications ​(if possible) ​before starting the backup
  
 Notes: Notes:
-  * The filters are paths relative to the source ​folder +  * The filters are **paths relative to the //​Source// ​folder** 
-  * A filter **must** start with ''​\string''​ (''​string''​ will be searched in the root of the source directory) or ''​%%*%%\string''​ (there can be subdirectories ​between the source directory ​and ''​string''​) +  * A filter **must** start with ''​\string''​ (''​string''​ will be searched in the root of the Source folder) or ''​%%*%%\string''​ (there can be sub-folders ​between the Source folder ​and ''​string''​) 
-  * A folder name **must** have a trailing slash (''​*\some_text_file.txt''​ vs ''​\a_subfolder_somewhere\''​)+  * A **folder** name **must** have a trailing slash (''​*\some_text_file.txt''​ vs ''​\a_subfolder_somewhere\''​)
   * To modify an existing filter double-click on it in the filters'​ list   * To modify an existing filter double-click on it in the filters'​ list
   * you can use uppercase and lowercase in windows files and folders'​ names, but the filters will ignore the case of the characters (e.g. the ''​*\mixed_case.txt''​ filter would skip ''​mixed_case.txt'',​ ''​Mixed_Case.txt'',​ ''​mixed_CASE.txt'',​ ...)   * you can use uppercase and lowercase in windows files and folders'​ names, but the filters will ignore the case of the characters (e.g. the ''​*\mixed_case.txt''​ filter would skip ''​mixed_case.txt'',​ ''​Mixed_Case.txt'',​ ''​mixed_CASE.txt'',​ ...)
  
-==== Suggested filters when backing up your Home folder ====+==== Suggested filters when backing up your custom ​Home folder ====
  
-//Home folder// means here ''​ANOTHER_DISK_THAN_C:​\Users\your_login'',​ assuming that you have followed the instructions in [[other:​win10config#​configuring_folders_and_shortcuts|Configuring folders]] to create a //Home folder// distinct from your default //Windows home folder// on ''​C:​\''​...+//Custom ​Home folder// means here ''​ANOTHER_DISK_THAN_C:​\Users\your_login'',​ assuming that you have followed the instructions in [[other:​win10config#​configuring_folders_and_shortcuts|Configuring folders]] to create a //Home folder// distinct from your default //Windows home folder// on ''​C:​\''​...
  
 Note: we assume in the filters below that the [[other:​thunderbird#​moving_the_tb_configuration_directory_to_a_specific_directory|Thunderbird and Firefox profiles were moved]] from their default location on ''​C:​\'',​ to the //Home folder// Note: we assume in the filters below that the [[other:​thunderbird#​moving_the_tb_configuration_directory_to_a_specific_directory|Thunderbird and Firefox profiles were moved]] from their default location on ''​C:​\'',​ to the //Home folder//
Line 63: Line 63:
  
  
-==== Suggested filters when backing up your Windows folder ====+==== Suggested filters when backing up your Windows ​Home folder ====
  
-Default Windows folder: ''​C:​\Users\your_login''​+Default Windows ​Home folder: ''​C:​\Users\your_login''​
  
-  ​* Remove WSL+Linux from backup: ''​%%*\AppData\Local\Packages\Canonical*Ubuntu*\%%''​ +  * Try to remove all the obvious ​cache folders: ''​*\*cache*\''​\\ This should take care of cache folders like:
-  * Remove the backup of all the settings saved in AppData\Local\Packages:​ ''​%%*\AppData\Local\Packages\%%''​ +
-  ​* Try to remove all the cache files: ''​*cache*\''​\\ This should take care of cache folders like:+
     * ''​%%*\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\*Cache\%%''​     * ''​%%*\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\*Cache\%%''​
 +  * Google Chrome related cleaning:\\ ''​*\Google\Chrome\User Data\CertificateRevocation\''​ \\ ''​*\Google\Chrome\User Data\SafetyTips\''​ \\ ''​*\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\File System\''​ \\ ''​*\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\IndexedDB\''​
 +  * Remove [[other:​win10wsl|WSL+Linux]] from backup: ''​%%*\AppData\Local\Packages\Canonical*Ubuntu*\%%''​
 +    * It's probably better to use [[other:​win10wsl#​restoring_a_wsl_backup|wsl export/​import]] for saving/​restoring a full WSL installation,​ or a //tar// file for saving only the Linux ''​home''​ directory
 +    * Remember that WSL+Linux can access Windows folders using ''/​mnt/​some_drive/​some_directory''​.\\ You can put your data files in ''​some_drive:​\some_folder''​ and use SyncBack to save the content of this regular Windows folder!
 +  * Remove the backup of all the settings saved in ''​AppData\Local\Packages'':​ ''​%%*\AppData\Local\Packages\%%''​
   * Remove some Microsoft apps related directories:​ ''​%%*\AppData\Local\Microsoft*\%%''​   * Remove some Microsoft apps related directories:​ ''​%%*\AppData\Local\Microsoft*\%%''​
-  * Remove some apps directories that use too much space: ''​%%*\AppData\Local\WebEx\%%''​''​%%*\AppData\Local\GoToMeeting\%%''​+  * Remove some apps directories that use too much space:\\ ''​%%*\AppData\Local\WebEx\%%''​\\ ''​%%*\AppData\Local\GoToMeeting\%%''​
   * Remove Windows links to Recent Files: ''​*\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\''​   * Remove Windows links to Recent Files: ''​*\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\''​
   * Remove misc. files: ''​%%*\ntuser*%%'', ​ ''​%%*\NTUSER*%%'',​ ''​%%*\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Current*%%''​   * Remove misc. files: ''​%%*\ntuser*%%'', ​ ''​%%*\NTUSER*%%'',​ ''​%%*\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Current*%%''​
   * Remove misc. directories:​ ''​%%*\AppData\Local\Comms\%%'',​ ''​%%*\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\%%''​   * Remove misc. directories:​ ''​%%*\AppData\Local\Comms\%%'',​ ''​%%*\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\%%''​
 +
 +==== The side effect of filters ====
 +
 +If you use a filter to specify that something in the //Source// folder should not be backed up to the //​Destination//​ folder, SyncBack will also ignore it in the Destination folder, and it will stay in //​Destination//​ **forever** (if it is already there), unless you remove it by hand!
 +
 +If you have time, you may want to review the custom filters you have added, and **remove the //​filtered//​ folders/​files in Destination by hand**...
 +
 +=== Detailed example ===
 +
 +  * you execute a backup profile, and one of the mirrored folders (in Source) is called ''​datareporting''​\\ => ''​datareporting''​ exists in both Source and Destination after the mirror backup
 +  * you add a ''​%%*\datareporting\%%''​ filter that will skip the ''​datareporting''​ folders the next times you execute the backup profile\\ => ''​datareporting''​ still exists in both Source and Destination
 +    * The ''​datareporting''​ content in Source may change but will be ignored by SyncBack (that'​s what you want!)
 +    * **The ''​datareporting''​ content in //​Destination//​ will stay there and never will change** (the //side effect//... because you don't want to have something in Destination that does not exist in Source, after a mirror backup)
 +  * The only way to get rid of ''​datareporting''​ in Destination is to **remove it by hand**
 +
 +=== Finding and cleaning filtered items ===
 +
 +The easiest way to clean the //​Destination//​ folder is to open it with the file explorer and use the Search field. The screenshot below shows what you get when you look for ''​cache''​. You can then select all the ''​cache''​ folders and remove them (in this case, there were 12k files using 400+ Mb in the deleted folders).
 +
 +{{ :​other:​syncbackfree_030_notes.png?​direct&​500 }}
 +===== Using groups of profiles =====
 +
  
 /* standard page footer */ /* standard page footer */
other/win10_syncback.txt · Last modified: 2020/04/29 14:38 by jypeter