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Everything is backed up. Every little thing. Your thoughts are correct. You can decided what is and isn't backed up, too.
Categories: Backup and Restore
Hi,
New to the HP MediaSmart server I am wondering what is actually backed up by the automatic back up process integrated with the Windows Home Server and managed from the Console???
Do I get similar back up functions as image back up software, meaning that I can completely restore a crashed computer from scratch without having to re-install software and OS???
Thanks for clearifying this to me!
Dag
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September 6, 2008 12:18 PM
November 27, 2008 9:51 AM
updated: November 27, 2008 9:52 AM
I'm going to continue searching for an answer to this but does anyone know why, when I open my backed-up files on the server, that there is nothing in my documents folder? Kind of important to have those files actually backed-up.
HELP!
November 27, 2008 12:34 PM
updated: November 27, 2008 12:56 PM
Director Bob -
I assume you mean your looking within a specific backup of the client PC via the MSS admin console. My guess is you are looking in the wrong folder structure where you expect the "My documents" folder/files to be. The locations are different depending on the OS of the client machine and depending on how your PC got to its current configuration. Unless you explicitly told the backup to exclude it, if backups have been successful, all the client PC data should be backing up.
For Vista, your "Documents" folder would be located on your system drive (Usually C:), "Users" folder, then the folder with your logon/username, then "Documents"
Personally, I dont leave important documents on my laptops/PC's, but keep them on a MSS server share, be it a group/public share or my personal share which are "duplicated" and accessible from anywhere.
November 27, 2008 11:34 PM
Andy B said: Director Bob - I assume you mean your looking within a specific backup of the client PC via the MSS admin console. My guess is you are looking in the wrong folder structure where you expect the "My documents" folder/files to be. The locations are different depending on the OS of the client machine and depending on how your PC got to its current configuration. Unless you explicitly told the backup to exclude it, if backups have been successful, all the client PC data should be backing up. For Vista, your "Documents" folder would be located on your system drive (Usually C:), "Users" folder, then the folder with your logon/username, then "Documents" Personally, I dont leave important documents on my laptops/PC's, but keep them on a MSS server share, be it a group/public share or my personal share which are "duplicated" and accessible from anywhere.That's what I thought, too. There's just nothing there. I've looked in the other user folder too. Nothing there. "My Pictures" are there. Just no documents in the documents folder. I am using a Vista machine to try to find the documents and they were saved with an XP machine - surely that shouldn't make a difference. Thankfully, the computer that I backed up is only in the shop to get the screen bezel replaced, so the documents still exist on it. When I get it back, I'll have to do a manual backup of my documents. Just don't know why that's not happening automatically. I'm guessing no one else has had a similar problem.
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location:
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November 28, 2008 8:47 AM
I ass-u-me that you did not exclude My Documents when you set up the backup?
Is this just one client or all clients?
...JohnBick
EX475 + 3 1TB WD (2.5TB "pool", 1.5TB backup), 2 GB mmry, LE-1640, APC UPS
PC1: Vista/32 Ultimate SP1, 2x150 GB Raptor RAID-1 Sys (C) & 4x320GB RAID-5 Data (D)
PC2: Laptop, Win XP Home SP3
Linksys WRT54G v1.1, 2xNetGear GS105
November 29, 2008 10:10 AM
John, First thanks for your help. Anytime I have a problem and search for an answer, your name seems to be associated with the correct answer!
This may very well be a case of ass-u-me-ing. I'm certain this must be a user error, but I'm dumbfounded as to what I'm doing wrong. I checked the back-ups for the other computers in the house. My wife's Vista machine; all the docs are there. My son's XP machine and my XP machine; docs folder empty (realizing that the path to get to the folder is slightly different on an XP versus Vista machine). As mentioned in my previous post, I am accessing the back-up from a Vista laptop. Seems odd but maybe that has something to do with it.
As far as choosing to back-up My Documents or not. I set this up a couple months ago, so I don't have a clear memory of it but I thought the only choice was which drives to back-up. Where and how would I check this?
Member
- member since: 05/05/2008
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location:
Dutchess County, NY, United States
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November 29, 2008 12:51 PM
To see (and/or reconfigure) your client backups go to the Comu\puters and Backups tab in the console and select the client of interest. Click on "Configure Backup" in the line below the tabs (above column headers). (This is also selectable from a right-click on the client.) Go through the wizard and you can see what you have and change it as required.
Are you looking for these documents from the client that they were created for or from a different client? If different, try same. If same, try accessing them from the client where it worked successfully. (Trying to narrow things down with those questions!)
...JohnBick
EX475 + 3 1TB WD (2.5TB "pool", 1.5TB backup), 2 GB mmry, LE-1640, APC UPS
PC1: Vista/32 Ultimate SP1, 2x150 GB Raptor RAID-1 Sys (C) & 4x320GB RAID-5 Data (D)
PC2: Laptop, Win XP Home SP3
Linksys WRT54G v1.1, 2xNetGear GS105
November 29, 2008 1:53 PM
I can't try to access the documents from the computer the back-up was created from because that computer is currently being repaired - which is why I tried to access my documents from another computer (with full privileges) on my home network in the first place... Hoping to get to a document that I desperately needed. But from what I can tell by trying the same thing on the computer I'm using, it seems that in order for the "My Documents" folder NOT to be included I would have had to go out of my way to configure it to "Exclude" that folder. No way I did that.
I see that I also can't look at the configuration of that back-up without accessing the server from that computer (it's grayed out). So, let's delay the rest of this until I get my computer back from the shop. Then I'll try what you recommend and post the results.
Thanks again.
Member
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location:
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November 29, 2008 2:13 PM
I just tried accessing my XP laptop backups from my Vista client and was able to see items in the "My Documents" folder and open a couple items. Then tried it from the laptop, looking at my Vista Client folder, again successfully.
That said, I should note there is not much in these folders as virtually everything is done out of different folders. (I set up every program to NOT use My Documents so the data can be easily synchronized between desk & laptop.)
I suggest that you hop over to http://www.mediasmartserver.net/forums/ and post a query over there. The community there is a bit more server-focused and has quite a bit more technical experience than here (at the moment). Someone will likely be able to help you. Be sure to fully describe steps taken, including the suggestions I gave and the results.
...JohnBick
EX475 + 3 1TB WD (2.5TB "pool", 1.5TB backup), 2 GB mmry, LE-1640, APC UPS
PC1: Vista/32 Ultimate SP1, 2x150 GB Raptor RAID-1 Sys (C) & 4x320GB RAID-5 Data (D)
PC2: Laptop, Win XP Home SP3
Linksys WRT54G v1.1, 2xNetGear GS105
November 29, 2008 3:38 PM
I decided to try accessing my back-up from my son's XP computer. It worked like a charm! All of my documents are exactly where they should be on the server. So, I'm obviously either doing something wrong when using my Vista laptop to access the files or have some setting wrong (perhaps it's hiding certain folders?). Next I'll try the same procedure using my wife's Vista machine. If I can find my documents back-up using her computer, then I'm guessing some setting is wrong on my Vista laptop. At any rate, I have successfully located my file so I'm breathing easier now.
Thanks again for your help and suggestions.
Member
- member since: 05/05/2008
- rank: 2 of 1892
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location:
Dutchess County, NY, United States
- 6 forum threads started
- 309 comments
November 29, 2008 4:49 PM
Some days I have more faith in WHS than in Vista! (And I use Vista all the time except when traveling occasionally!)
...JohnBick
EX475 + 3 1TB WD (2.5TB "pool", 1.5TB backup), 2 GB mmry, LE-1640, APC UPS
PC1: Vista/32 Ultimate SP1, 2x150 GB Raptor RAID-1 Sys (C) & 4x320GB RAID-5 Data (D)
PC2: Laptop, Win XP Home SP3
Linksys WRT54G v1.1, 2xNetGear GS105
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