Does "File level backup" also ignores temp and page files?

[JChris]

I have the following situation: 1x SSD with OS and 1x HDD for data. Inside my SSD and my HDD I have some folders that I don't want to be included in the backup. I can't choose the "Entire computer" option within VEB because this would backup them, so I need to use "File level backup", the GUI says it's slower, but for me it seems to be even faster than "Entire computer", the first full backup took only 10~15min or so and incremental backups take less than 2min. My fear is that using "File level backup" it ends up backing up useless files like temp, page files, etc. I had to manually remove C:\$Recycle.Bin because it was checked-in by default. Is there a better way to exclude those folders, avoid backup of temp/page files and use the "Entire Computer" option or do I just stick with the configuration I have right now ("File level backup"), does it support this automatic exclusion of useless system data?

For example sake, let's say the folders I do NOT want to backup are:

- C:\Users\Bob\Dropbox
- D:\Downloads
- D:\Games
- D:\Documents\Virtual Machines
- D:\Documents\IDEA
- D:\Documents\PyCharm

[Vitaliy S.]

Hello Juan,

Yes, Veeam Endpoint Backup automatically excludes the following Microsoft Windows objects for all computer users: temporary files folder, Recycle Bin, Microsoft Windows pagefile, hibernate file and VSS snapshot files from the System Volume Information folder. If you want to add additional folders, then specify the required folders manually.

See this on-line help center web page for more info > Step 4. Select Folders to Back Up

Thank you!

[JChris]

Even when using "File level Backup" and NOT "Entire Computer" option?

[Vitaliy S.]

Yes, that's done for all modes.

[Dima P.]

JChris,
Frankly speaking, there are two backup modes in VEB volume level backup and file level backup mode:

Volume level backup is used in Enter PC backup, volume level backup and file level backup (when you select entire volume and uncheck specific the folders)
File level backup mode is enabled when you select it in a wizard and pick specific folders as a source for backup (you should see the corresponding label in a grid)

Default exclusion lists is applied to all backup modes, the only difference is that you can exclude the folders or use specific file masks in file level backup mode.

[burak40]

Hi Veeam Team,

If I use the file level backup mode. The "temp" and "$Recycle.Bin" is by default selected and make also backup of this folders. VEB doesn`t exclude automatically the folders (temporary files folder, Recycle Bin, Microsoft Windows pagefile, hibernate file and VSS snapshot files) like described above by Dima P and Vitaliy. S.

Regards,
Burak

[Mike Resseler]

Hi Burak,

Are you certain about this? I do indeed "see" them and they are selected, but they are not actually in my backup nor can I "restore" them. It might look a bit confusing, but they are excluded.

Can you verify?

Thanks
Mike

[Dima P.]

Burak,

Data is excluded on a block level (in fact its zeroed), what you see is a file ‘carcass’ with zero size.

[burak40]

Hi Guys,

What I did is the following; I made a folder called "test" in C:/Windows/temp. I added there an ISO file of 2,74GB size. I made a file level incremental backup by VEB. When the backup job was finished, I was be able to restore the whole ISO and use it. Indeed the data in the temporary folder of user has zero size. But the data in the temporary folder in Windows is not exluded. Is there a option to exlude this folder too? Like the user temp folder.

Thanks
Burak

[Dima P.]

Hi Burak,

Thanks for the heads-up. We will check the possibility of excluding this folder by default, meanwhile you can exclude it manually by unchecking this folder at source step.

[tom_nl]

Which temp folders are excluded exactly? It doesn't say it in the documentation specifically. Is it also C:/temp?

[Dima P.]

Hello tom_nl,

That C:\temp should be excluded from volume level backup automatically. Cheers!