When Will Excluded Directory Be Removed From Backup Set?

[manofbronze]

We recently setup a new client with Veeam Agent For Windows 5.0 on a Windows 2016 Server and ran an initial File Level backup. The file level backup was used as we only desired to backup a select set of directories on the data drive of this server. The destination for this job is our cloud connect repository.

Inadvertently, we forgot to EXCLUDE a 300GB directory containing old local backups. After the initial backup completed, we edited the job and excluded the directory in question (just deselected the sub-directory).

With a setting of keep 30 days, Full file maintenance set for defragment and compact every Tuesday and keep deleted files for (1) days ... when will the now excluded directory be removed? After 31 days, or will it be removed when the maintenance runs? Will shortening retention help remove the excluded data sooner?

Appreciate any information the community might have.

[HannesK]

Hello,
if backup was configured for 30 days, then the unnecessary data will be deleted after 30 days. A backup software has a retention and cannot know whether data was deleted intentionally or not.

The "remove deleted items" is described in helpcenter. It's for machines.

Best regards,
Hannes

[manofbronze]

That makes perfect sense. Did not realize the "remove deleted items" only applied to machines.

Thanks Hannes.

[manofbronze]

Related follow up question ...

Is there a way to manually intervene and clear the now excluded directory from the backup without having to wait out or reduce retention?

[HannesK]

a backup file stays the same forever. there is no way to edit an existing backup file and remove content from it.