Home AOMEI Products Support

Aomeibackupper copies not all files.

edited February 2016 in AOMEI Products Support

Aomeibackupper standart, after creating system backup, I decided to explore the image and I saw that my system backup image does not containe *.ost file of Outlook!  Why does the program copies not all the files from the system partition? And what files it does not copies else?

«1

Comments

  • I second that concern!  Neither full or differerential are backing up the MS outlook OST files!  What's going on?!?  Full is full, no? Not full less random file types!

  • The program will automaticlly recognize the system partition and then make a backup. So you can go to disk managment to take a look at if the file you say exist the system partition. The system partition will mark as System, boot.  As you can see below:
    image

  • Thanks NEO.

  • Sorry, Neo and Admin. How does that explain that OST files are not backupd?

  • Dear Admin, 

    I use the first partition as system and as disk C for my Windows. OST file of Outlook is at the path: C:\Users\"my_user"\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\. 

    I asked, why backupper does copies not all the files in the partition. When I used Acronis - I was sure, that created image is full copy of backuped partition, but with aomeibackupper now I am not sure in this.


  • I tried to backup the folder with OST file by all types of aomei backup, results are the same: OST file is not copied.image

  • edited March 2016

    Marat, I wonder what happens if you backup using the WinPE CD instead of backupping from within the running OS.

    I tested a partition backup with self made OST extension files (just Notepad files) and they were in the backup, so I wonder is it because your real OST files are in use, are open?

  • Outlook was closed, OST was not in use. But now I will try to make backup using WinPE.

  • Under WinPE OST at the native path is backuped succesfully, but under Windows OST 

    at the path: C:\Users\"my_user"\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\ is not backupped, 

    at the path: D:\test\ is backuped succesfully.

    But what about VSS, which must allow to copy used files without interrupt?image

  • Again, I pay attention that the Outlook does not start after a system reboot, however OST file at the native path is skipped. 

    When I rename it as .ost1, then the renamed file is not skipped. 

    When I rename it back .ost, then this file again is skipped.


  • edited March 2016

    Dit some testing. But I don't have Outlook.

    This behavior seems to be by design: "It's not a bug, its a feature".

    And if WinPE copies the OST and backupper itself does not, that indicates a different (older?) design.


    Is the OST file essential or wil it be recreated when using a recovered system? Is it like the Pagefile.sys which is useless to backup?


    Pagefile.sys in the root of any partition will not be backupped even if it is a dummy file created with notepad. But if it is placed in a folder then it will be in the backup.

    A *.OST file, even if it is a dummy, in the users\xxxx\appdata\local\microsoft\outlook folder will not be backupped. If placed in another folder or if renamed it will.


    So there seems to be some intelligence in the program: If a useless file is in a specific folder, than do not back it up. Right?


    It would be interesting to hear from the developers which files and where are excluded.



  • Yes JohnnyboyGo, 

    I also think that "It's not a bug, it's a feature," but what if I need to make a backup copy of the OST file, because it's a local copy of the Exchange mailbox (for example, on my work computer OST file takes 13 GB, and I will need to download all 13 GB again, after the restoration of the partition C from the images?

    Well, let Backuper removes these files when we use the System Backup, but let me decide what to exclude when we use the Folder Backup.

    Are you agree with me?


  • edited March 2016

    Totally agree. I proposed to exclude the hiberfil.sys and the VBox VDI of VHD files. I don't need them in a backup. As long a that is not possible the OST problem opens doors: I can move (Move not copy and delete) my VHD files to the Outlook folder, renaming them OST. Backup and the move/rename them back to the original location. Tricky, but it will speed up my backup.


    Uhh, Folder backup? You can include and exclude files and folders in the File backup. There is no such thing as a Folder backup. 

    I would prefer to exclude files/folders in the System Backup as well.



  • Yes, in my case I need to change extension ost to ost1 for example, make the backup, then change extension back. But this trick does'nt work with scheduler.

    I hope that the developers will give us in nearest future the opportunity to select the backup objects. And we will be very grateful to them.


  • The VSS is important for the backup and restore of the speed. And also VSS is a way to protect the data.

  • And also, sorry for that Aomei Backupper do not backup the ".ost"file and the page file.

    Sorryf or the inconvenience.

  • "sorry for that Aomei Backupper do not backup the ".ost"file and the page file."


    No don't be sorry for the pagefile.sys. It is complete useless to backup, so Aomei does it right.

    I can't speak about the .ost files but It would be interesting to hear from the developers which files and where are excluded.


  • edited March 2016

    It is a very nasty surprise image, thank you very much . 

    Wherein said this feature, the feature list is not image.


    to marat: I used this http://outlookbackupaddin.codeplex.com/


    The new place allright backup.


  • List of files that won't be backed up listed here.


    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\BackupRestore\FilesNotToSnapshot

  • Thank you very much sidrick, now ost backups  image

  • edited March 2016

    I did it, make use of the knowledge that *.ost files are not backuped. I Moved some large virtual disks to that outlook folder renaming it to *.ost. Takes only a split second.  I also added powercfg /hibernate off to delete hiberfil.sys, to the batch file. 

    Then did the diffential backup that is now 50 GB instead of 100 GB. This backup took 4 minutes instead of 8. 

    Afterwards move everthing back. Again a split second and the virtual disks and hiberfil.sys are back.


  • Wow.  I can't believe that an application that's configured to backup ALL files comes with a built-in secret list of files types that it won't back up. How retarded!  At least provide an option to ignore what you think is not needed.  Unbelievable!


  • For the record, we don't all have MS Exchange server for Outlook.  I use MAPI and if I had to resync in the event of a restore, it could take a very long time due to the size of my OST files and the Internet bandwidth.  4 different MAPI accounts and 4 different OST files.  Do more research before adding more excludes without notification.

  • edited March 2016

    The registry entries (#19, sidrick) are in every installation in Windows. Unclear why aomei looks at them, or is forced by Windows to look at them.

  • https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US/article.TECH170494


    Reading the above, .ost files are excluded by default - not by AOMEI action.

  • >>sidrick wrote: Reading the above, .ost files are excluded by default - not by AOMEI action.


    Do you honeslty believe that MS can force a developer to use that registry adn it's settings?  Are you seriously suggesting that???  No, my friend.  AOMEI chose to do this all on their lonesome.  They didn't even have the foresight to provide a window that explains what's being excluded and options to disable each.  This is my system and I get to chose what's backed up and I also get to deal with the consequences (or not) of a restore.  And now, it's my choice to complain about a missing feature in the backup application.

  • I checked the backup made using Acronis - it has OST file. 


    It turns out that guys from Acronis just do not know that Microsoft does not allow backup some files?


    No, I think these guys simply did a program that promises to do the exact copy of the system, and does.


  • edited March 2016

    I believe there are different snapshot interfaces and Acronis tells Outlook to finish writing, where Aomei uses a more simple VSS command. I do not believe either looks at the registry itself.

  • I think it is not VSS problem, Acronis makes snapshot with OST files without stoping Outlook, but AOMEI makes snapshot at a time, when Outlook does not work and is closed, but OST files are not included in snapshot.

    I think Acronis simply ignores this Microsoft rules to do promised exact system snapshot, but AOMEI follows them.

    The main thing now is that we know how to use these rules in order to achieve the desired result. image


  • imageThanks for the understanding.

Sign In or Register to comment.