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Suggestion about Windows file exclusion filters

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gdeane
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Suggestion about Windows file exclusion filters

Post by gdeane »

I'm using SyncbackSE 6.2.15.0. In the change filters screen, there is an option to use Windows file exclusion filters. This caused me some grief when I had selected that feature with a mirroring profile but then couldn't figure out why some destination directories weren't being correctly mirrored. It turned out that these directories were included in the windows filter set so were being skipped.

My suggestions for the Windows file exclusion filters are:

1. Provide an option on the change filters screen that will retrieve the Windows file exclusion filters and append them to the default filters in the 'Files/folders not to copy' pane. This will allow the user to see all of the filters that are in effect and optionally, delete some of those filters. As it stands currently, it is not obvious what Windows file exclusion filters are being used.

2. The current explanation in the help file of "These are files that Windows itself recommends are not included in any backups" is too vague. Nor could I find any references to this on the 2BrightSparks site. If the above suggestion is not a possibility, at least document in the help file that the Windows file exclusion filters are defined in the registry at:
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\BackupRestore\FilesNotToBackup\

And on the subject of filters, SyncBackSE includes a default filter of *\System32\DTCLog\MSDTC.LOG. On my Windows 7 Home 64 bit OS, this directory doesn't exist. The actual filter required is *\system32\MSDtc\MSDTC.LOG. I don't know if the former path is valid for some other OS's but the latter path should probably also be included with the default filters.

Thanks
Garry
Dave Wilkins
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Posts: 131
Joined: Thu Jan 04, 2007 10:02 am

Re: Suggestion about Windows file exclusion filters

Post by Dave Wilkins »

Hi

1) It's not as easy as that, sorry. At the moment we refer to the list in the registry 'on the fly', and can thus react to any changes made by Windows, other software or you. If we parsed these entries and stored them when you select the check-box, we'd either still need to re-parse them on the fly to detect any changes (slow, and defeats the object of storing them) or rely on the copies stored in the profile (possibly now inaccurate/out-of-date). It's also complicated by the fact that Windows stores these in the registry with full paths, whereas we store Filters as relative paths. I gather it's unlikely to change.

2) Agreed, and have uprated the help with some reference material for latest version (6.2.30.0, just released). This release also includes some tidying-up of outdated (or now re-located) 'standard exclusions'.


Note that your version (6.2.15.0) has been out of date for some time - you should update to the latest version 6.2.30.0 for free from here:

http://www.2brightsparks.com/assets/sof ... _Setup.exe

Do not uninstall / reinstall, or you'll lose your profiles & settings. Just install 'over the top'

Here is what you are missing:

http://www.2brightsparks.com/syncback/sbse-changes.html

As updates within V6 are currently free, we do not officially support outdated versions:

http://www.2brightsparks.com/help/index ... article=16
gdeane
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Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2012 3:42 am

Re: Suggestion about Windows file exclusion filters

Post by gdeane »

Dave Wilkins wrote:Hi
1) It's not as easy as that, sorry.
Thanks for the quick reply. I can see some impementation difficulties that you've alluded to but I don't quite agree with the logic. However I guess that's your call. I've come to the conclusion that using the "use Windows file exclusion filters" option is too opaque to maintain over the longer term. I guess I'll have to manually transfer these FilesNotToBackup paths into the 'Files/folders not to copy' pane.
Dave Wilkins wrote:2) Agreed, and have uprated the help with some reference material for latest version (6.2.30.0, just released).
OK that's an improvement. Unfortunately that linked article isn't the best as it's not entirely accurate, missing some details and fails to give the relevant registry key. But I haven't found anything better on the MS site other than a pretty old reference to NTBackup that might be confusing even though more informative (for me at least). http://support.microsoft.com/kb/233427
Dave Wilkins wrote:Note that your version (6.2.15.0) has been out of date for some time ...
Boy you guys move quickly!! I've only been evaluating & testing for less than a fortnight and there are already more update versions than days elapsed!

Thanks
Garry
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