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Backupper software needs ability to exclude specific file and folder paths

Request
Include the ability to specify multiple file and folder paths to exclude them from specific backup tasks. This ability should be added to types of backups - where relevant (e.g. would not apply to a 'Partition backup') This list of exclusions should be unique and linked to each backup task.

At present the software only offers exclusion via mask & wildcard, So if you have multiple folders of the same name and only one needs to be excluded the software will exclude more files than needed.

This is a standard ability for most backup software. I see on the forums that this request, in various forms, has been requested for many years but this needs to be added.

Priority
High

Background
We have a copy of 'Backupper Technician Plus' in order to perform scheduled backups of our data,

We have found a few files which can't be accessed due to permissions issues. This causes Backupper to stall and the backup to fail. So those problem files need to be excluded from the backup until the issues are resolved.

Due to the nature of our data we have a number of folders with the same name. The current ability to only exclude by mask means that the backup would end up excluding multiple files or folders whereas we only need to exclude specific files. In order to use the existing exclusion mask this forces us to find a unique name much higher up the folder chain, which means a large amount of data has to be excluded, and therefore not backed up, in order to exclude a single file or folder.

Comments

  • If you are using the VSS method for the backup, and you add the desired excluded files in the registry to:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\BackupRestore\FilesNotToSnapshot

    Do the trouble files not get excluded?

    This works for me, as I want to exclude all my VMs from taking up space in the backup. I add a REG_MULTI_SZ item to
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\BackupRestore\FilesNotToSnapshot
    with a name and data of
    C:\Users\username\Documents\Virtual Machines\* /s
    (the /s seems to include all files in subdirectories too.)
    There's probably a guide somewhere as to wildcard, and other flags, use.)
  • Hi Jeverett,

    Thank you for your comment and suggestion. 

    The trouble files do currently get excluded using the wildcard exclusion of folders I have set. My point is that using the unique names and the wildcard exclusion does not just exclude the trouble files but also all files and folders under the indicated directory - resulting in excluding more files than just the trouble ones.

    I will keep that registry change in mind but a user should never have to make manual registry changes / hacks in order to get a piece of software to work. That functionality should be included in the software's graphical interface.
  • edited October 2022
    On my install, there are a number of system/software defined exclusions already that show examples of addressing files and/or directories:

    It looks like, for example, for some Outlook files, it targets those files by extension (*.oab, *.ost). It also doesn't add the /s flag when it doesn't want the exclusion to recurse through subdirectories.

    Likewise, I've seen other discussions that offers a few additional insights into the syntax that works here, e.g.:
    $AllVolumes$\pagefile.sys
    $AllVolumes$\hiberfil.sys
    $AllVolumes$\swapfile.sys
    $AllVolumes$\$Recycle.Bin\* /s
    $UserProfile$\AppData\Local\Temp\* /s
    $AllVolumes$\System Volume Information\*{3808876B-C176-4e48-B7AE-04046E6CC752} /s

    This seems to be some Microsoft guidance that I can find:
    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/vss/excluding-files-from-shadow-copies

    Of course, if the files you want to exclude don't match any static name or pattern, either in the filename or extension, which could differentiate them from other files in the same directory, no exclusion list is going to be able to accurately target them.

    It'd probably be nice if a backup software using the VSS service gave an easy UI into controlling the VSS exclusions. However, the Microsoft guidance does say, "You should only exclude files that belong to your application." So, if AOMEI gave users a way to create exclusions in the VSS, that impacted other applications and user data and then that created exclusion impacted other applications and uses that also use the VSS shadow copy service -- for example system restore snapshots -- it could lead to some user outrage and support issues. It may well be a feature that needs to be reserved for only advanced users who can safely tweak the registry and fully understand all of the consequences.

  • Thank you again 'Jeverett'.

    I understand what you mean about being careful not to impact other applications files and this is what I have being saying, but AOMEI Backupper only allowing wildcard exclusions it means in order to exclude just one file you potentially exclude dozens, hundreds or even thousands of files that should be backed up - very messy.

    Also I understand that the software is using VSS under the hood but bottom line is no backup program should require you to make settings outside of the program and it's settings or manually modify the registry in order provide its own functionality. You should be able to add specific files (with their absolute path) to the backup software itself so you exclude only the files / folders you are defined.
  • Thank you 'Admin'

    Yes I am well aware of that article you have linked to. As shown in that document the software only allows you to enter masks and no exact paths - which is my whole point : entering a folder mask will cover files and folders that do not need to be excluded in addition to those that do. 

  • @Afmitchell, There currently isn't a feature to filter the exact paths.
  • Thank you, that is my point - there needs to be, as soon as possible to give the system full flexibility.
  • On the other hand, you can look at the best alternatives to AOMEI Backupper like Syncback, Gs Richcopy 360, and GoodSync, all support wildcards and can exclude/include files very well, also all are easy and fast 
  • I'm not seeing why registry changes should be done by the user to exclude files or folders.
    It seems that an exclude list should be easy to implement just using standard file masks.
    Eg:
    c:\don't bother\ - Skip Folder
    Pagefile.sys - Skip Files with this name
    *.tmp   - skip files with this extension
    Etc., It would definitely make it easier to pick out what you might be concerned about in the failed list. Like files locked by an app you're using (oops!), and you definitely want to know if it wasn't updated.
  • I have just recently tried using the Registry method of excluding folders and files from partition backups and it doesn't work despite multiple attempts and changing the way I define the folder to be excluded.

    I mean adding an entry the registry key to exclude the choosen folder: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\BackupRestore\FilesNotToSnapshot]

    So there defiantly needs to be the ability added to AOMEI Backupper to have a graphical way to exclude specific files and folders from within the software's interface - for both file and partition backups.
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