Backup problem

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Ok, so when I first got this PC (Dell XPS 3000) I set the backup to run daily around 3PM. Recently the OS vanished and to use to restore data...which seemed to work fine until I noticed: (1) Nothing with the extension .jpg was backed up (1K-2K worth!) nor (2) Any iTunes music tracks (14K+!).

So, I got everything back except any scanned images, pics, etc and my itunes Library cannot be restored because, while the invidual artists' folders and album subfolders are there, they are empty!

Got any idea why?
 

TrainableMan

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Have you scanned your system for a virus? I know you didn't bluescreen but please follow my instructions for a virus scan as posted HERE. If you are lucky the files are there but a virus simply hid them.

Were you using Windows Built-in Back-up or a third-party back-up program?
 
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Yess, it was a virus: Friday night I logged into FB only to get a brief message "Windows Security has dectected..." and then the PC shutdown. When I restarted it, all I I got was a black screen with a cursor. The tech people where I bought it from said it was a virus, but were puzzled as I am as to why the software acted like it did. I used the built-in backup program.

Just out of curosity, I ram the backup program again this morning...and have discovered the same thing: nothing with .jpg is being backed up. And another thing: there is a subfolder missing that would eventually lead to all of my documents.
 
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helloe . man try to make a restore to your computer , there is two type of restore: the recommanded and unrecommended . you should remember the date when this folder disappear and make the restore to that date . or use the recommanded one , that will help you..... and for the backup problem , you should put the flash memory , than change the backup recommended and browse it on usb and than make the backup , it will be succeded, i made it yesterday
 

TrainableMan

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please explain "there is a subfolder missing that would eventually lead to all of my documents"?

Anyway:
Some viruses hide files by marking them system and or hidden. What I wanted to suggest was that you show hidden files and folders and see if maybe they are still really there and you just can't see them.

Please open windows explorer. Select Organize > Folder and Search Options. View Tab. and select show hidden, files folders and uncheck Hide protected OS system files.
ShowSysProtectedFiles.jpg

Then select your data drive in the left panel (probably C: ) and next, at the top in the search bar, type kind:picture (kind:music also works)
W7searchPictures.jpg

Also while you are looking, see if the folder you say is missing is there and just hidden as well.
 
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Ok:

Trainable, I did as you said...in this case I am checking the backup drive (F) and there are no .jpg files on it. There should be several thousand just in one folder. One day before all this started, I just randomly copied on folder worth of pics onto a unrelated drive just to see if it worked and it did...those pics are still there. So once I got this PC back from the repair shop and relealized that all of the pics were gone from the backup drive, I simply copied that folder to the C drive. They are the only survivors. So when I ran the back yesterday, the program should have copied those pics,,,but it did not. It is just like what happened over the weekend: the back program did backup the folders and subfolders' names, but they are empty...no pics.

Also,for some reason I have never understood, if I try to get to the "real" My Documents using the left side bar on the screen it is hard:

>Local Disk C:
>Users
>Owner (which has a padlock symbol on it)
>Chad's
>My Documents
>My Doucments (this is the real one!)

If I simply do this:

>Libraries

All I get are three folders, when dozens should appear. When I ran the backup yesterday I could not see the "real" My Documents...the folder "Chad's" (mentioned above) does not appear the in the backup.

I think that the repair crew is right: for some reason, W7 just simply failed to backup the music and pics and is still doing it. They tried a "manual system restore" and they said that the image was corrupted as well as the OS. So they had to reinstall in the OS which wiped out all info...hence the reason I tried to restore the files from the backup...which worked except for the pics and music.
 

TrainableMan

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C:\users\ is considered system protected, thus the padlock. Since W7 allows for multiple user accounts on one machine, it attempts to control access to the data directly and instead encourages use via libraries. Unfortunately this means protecting you from your own data as well. If you wish to override this behavior you can download and install a script called "Take Ownership" from our Freeware DB. Once installed go to C:\Users, right-click, and choose take Ownership, it will run scripts for a long time granting you permission on every file and folder. But, I'm not sure you should really do this ...

I surmise that one of two things may have happened: you may have moved where W7 thinks My Documents is to be maintained to your F: drive or you may have changed library pointers to use F: but the backup still only backs up C:\users\chad . Explaining the first ... W7 is dynamic and will allow you to change where your documents (or any of the other data folders) are stored. The registry stores pointers to where your system will find your data. And the second ... Libraries are also dynamic and if you start storing data on F: then you might need to add those folders to your libraries to see them.

When Windows Backup is set up it defaults to just your current libraries (and all their subfolders) if you use "Let windows choose (recommended)". So if you have data on F: you may need to fix the libraries so you see the files and you should also not trust the backup to choose but should instead "Let me choose". Even with "Let me choose" it defaults to what it believes but then you have the option to go in and add folders, such as on your F: drive.

So if your libraries are messed up and the backup is set to default (which is use libraries) then your backup will not do what you want. It is important to get your libraries set up so you can see all your data there and even once that is correct I would encourage you to take a look at the backup "Let me choose" option.
WindowsBackup1.jpg
WindowsBackup2.jpg

So this won't help you get back lost data but it might help with future backups. BTW you should probably set those Windows Explorer View settings back to normal so you don't see system files, etc.

If you need help setting up your Library pointers, let me know.
 
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Huh...ok. So is there any explanation why all the itunes tracks were not backed up even tho the artists' and album folders were? And why are the .jpg not backed up? I checked the backup from this morning and it is the same: everything appears on the backupdrive except for those two! I used another program for two years called Memeo. I think I will just reactivate it!
 

TrainableMan

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Quite honestly many of us here do not like Windows Backup for various reasons but I never heard of your reason before. We have several backup ideas in our Freeware DB you might also consider trying.

But I am still concerned about how your system is set up and that you mention things are missing from under libraries. Do you have the folders in both C:\users\chad\My Music and on the F:\ drive somewhere? And then where does W7 think your Music is stored (per the registry)? And finally, under libraries do you see the folders and the music and where is it pointing?
 

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