I Don't See Backed-up Data on Wd Passport Ultra
#1 
333nnn
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Posted 08 April 2020 - 04:15 PM
I use a Western Digital My Passport Ultra 1 TB hard drive to backup my data. My pc is a Lenovo H500S with a Samsung EVO 1 TB SSD, and I use Windows 8.1 64 bit.
My internal 1 TB hard drive shows 672 Gb of free space, but my external Western Digital 1 TB hard drive that I use for backup shows only 179 Gb of free space. On my external drive Other Backups is 116 GB, and Additional Files is 564 GB. I have the number of backup versions to keep for each file set at 5, but in Retrieve in my external drive it shows very few files with more than a couple versions saved. Why are Other Backups and Additional Files so big?
These are the folders on my external hard drive and their size in parentheses:
(Some of these numbers have increased because in the last two weeks the free space has decreased significantly)
1)File History(263GB)>Jake567(263GB)>LENOVO-PC((263GB)>Configuration(263GB)>Catalog1.edb, Catalog2.edb,Config1.xml,Config2.xml
DATA>(263GB)>$OF63.0GB)>hundreds of numbered folders C(200GB)>USERS(200GB)>Jake567((200GB)>ten of my folders
2)Temp(0GB)
3)WD SmartWa.swstor(0)>LENOVO-PC(0)>Volume.c5c1…(0)>FRST(0)
4)WDSmartware>swstor(425GB)>LENOVO-PC(425GB)>Volume.052e5a…(71.6GB)>four folders and four documents
Volume>c5c1e0…(353GB)>same folders and documents as in Volume.052e5a…plus a few more .comwdc.metadata.xml(1KB)
There is a lot of duplicating of files and folders on my external hard drive. Can you tell from this list which folders I can safely delete? Why is my external hd duplicating so many things?
I just opened WD Smartware, and the Backup and Retrieve tabs are no longer highlighted. When I click on them nothing happens. Also, the external drive is no longer listed in "Devices and drives" on my "This pc" page.
I don't mind trashing this hard drive if it is no longer reliable and buying a new internal or external hard drive for data backup.
Thanks for any replies.
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#2 JohnC_21
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Posted 08 April 2020 - 04:56 PM
Those Catalog Files are part of Windows File History. Personally, I would format the drive again after backing up any needed files to your internal and use something better.
Two free products that will allow File/folder backup as well as complete disk images to USB external drives are
Aomei Backupper Standard
Easeus Todo Backup Free
They both allow full backups as well as incremental/differential backups on a schedule. They also let you create a rescue DVD or USB flash drive to restore a disk image should the computer no longer boot or the hard drive fails. Say your HDD/SSD failed. Replace the drive, boot the rescue media, and recover the image. No partitioning or formatting required. You are back up in minutes vs hours if your hard drive failed with only File History Backups.
I have only used Aomei but Easeus has a more user friendly file/folder backup scheme.
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#3 hamluis
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Posted 14 April 2020 - 04:24 PM
I don't know how many backups you keep on file...but it seems to me that keeping anything older than the two most current...would be a waste of space. Periodically, I test one of the two to ensure that I haven't backed up garbage that won't be useful or functional.
Louis
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#4 Mike_Walsh
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Posted 15 April 2020 - 06:30 AM
Indeed, 5 copies of the same 'item' does seem a wee bit OTT.....especially if they're on a disconnectable external drive. Once disconnected, there's no way they can get corrupted (unless you're very rough with the way you treat things!)
John's advice is, however, sound.....as always. If I ran Windows I would be more than happy to take it. You can trust him; he 'knows whereof he speaks'.
(As for excessive duplication of files.....that's Windows for you. It always wants to completely take-over everything connected to it. A bit like the way your dog will pee against everything it finds.....'marking its territory'! Perhaps a somewhat crude analogy, but an accurate one nonetheless.)
Mike. 
Edited by Mike_Walsh, 15 April 2020 - 06:34 AM.
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#5 pcpunk
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Posted 20 April 2020 - 10:00 AM
Why is my external hd duplicating so many things?
Because File History is horrible!
I'm not completely following what the problem is, but are you Excluding all the Unnecessary Folders??? It takes a little time but in File History you don't Add Folders you want to back up, but instead you Exclude what you don't want!
I think you are just backing up to much junk, and or File History has started over with another backup?
I can't tell you by memory, but you will have to go to the C Drive and start Excluding Folders from there, one at a time. Then even into your users account and start Excluding folders from there also. This all assumes of course you don't want all that junk, and that you only really want thing like, Documents, Pictures, Downloads, Videos etc.
Scroll down to this Title at this link: How to remove folders from the File History backup
The only problem is you will be starting over, and will need to wipe the backup drive of at least one backup.
If I don't reply right away it's because I'm waiting for Windows 10 to Update.
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#6 pcpunk
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Posted 20 April 2020 - 10:02 AM
I think File History will also overwrite the history at some point and that his another issue all together, so john's suggestion would be best.
If I don't reply right away it's because I'm waiting for Windows 10 to Update.
eps1.0_hellofriend.mov_mr_robot
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#7 333nnn
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Posted 14 May 2020 - 02:47 PM
I installed EaseUS Todo Backup and have been using it for a little while.
Should I still go into File History and delete unnecessary folders?
Smartware keeps automatically installing on my external drive, so should I uninstall it from my internal drive and delete it from my external drive?
I want to once or twice a month copy a full data backup from Todo Backup onto my flash drive. When I try to copy a full backup onto my flash drive I get a message saying that there is not enough space on my flash drive even though there is plenty of available space.
Should I use the clone function to clone my internal drive onto my external drive so I can use my external drive as a rescue drive? Thanks.
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#8 garioch7
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Posted 15 May 2020 - 06:51 AM
333nnn:
I use both Macrium Reflect Home (paid version) and Easeus Todo Backup Home (paid version) to create weekly system images of both of my computers, alternating weekly, and it is those backup on which I rely should something go "bump" in the night on one of my computers, but on my tower, I do also use File History, since I have an internal 2 TB drive that use exclusively for backups. I concur with the other advice that File History should be considered only a "supplement" to a sound backup strategy.
I have encountered issues, like you with File History just growing and growing, even though I have it set to only keep backups for 30 days. With my Windows 10 Pro x64, Build 1909 (and previous builds), I have noted that it does not automatically remove versions of files it has backed up more than 30 days ago. You have to initiate that manually; otherwise, regardless of your setting, it keeps file versions, by default, for a year.
In Windows 10, to force a purge of file versions more than 30 days old (or whatever duration you selected), you have to go to the Control Panel, "System and Security", navigate to "File History", click on "Advanced Settings", and then select "Clean up versions". You then have to select from a drop down the time frame (one month, or whatever) that you want it to clean up versions older than. I do that every month. Of course, you can just turn off File History altogether and thereby stop it from filling up your drive.
I hope this helps. Have a great day.
Regards,
-Phil
Edited by garioch7, 15 May 2020 - 06:53 AM.
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I Don't See Backed-up Data on Wd Passport Ultra
Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/716764/my-passport-ultra-capacity-very-low/
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