Windows Vista Vista File Backup - How do set a maximum age for backups?

[Catharsis]

This is for Vista Enterprise 32bit.

I have seen MANY old, closed threads that have asked this question, yet
NO ONE answers it. They DO give unsolicited advice, which is not what
I'm seeking. If you don't have an answer to THIS following question,
please don't reply. Forgive me for my first post sounding annoyed, but
I just tire of receiving advice that has nothing to do with my
environment and advice that is all based on untrue assumptions. I
figured I'd give this forum a try...

I have an external drive that my workstation backs up some files to
every evening. However, it is running out of space. I want to tell the
backup utility in Vista to NOT keep these incremental backups on the
drive if they are over 30 days old. (The folder currently looks like
the attachment to this post.) This is a VERY COMMON practice in all
enterprise level backups, so I would assume (which is dangerous, I know)
that Microsoft named Vista "Enterprise" appropriately. I COULD just go
in the folder and delete the subfolders that it creates for every day,
but I doubt that Vista will properly reflect this in the restore portion
of the backup program.

So, an answer to -any- of the following questions would be helpful:
1. What is the PROPER way to delete old backups?
2. How do I get the backup program to not hold on to backups for more
than 30 days (i.e., overwrite them)?


+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Filename: New Picture.bmp |
|Download: http://www.vistax64.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7336 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

--
Catharsis

 

[Mark L. Ferguson]

Re: Vista File Backup - How do set a maximum age for backups?

Rightclick the Command Prompt icon and 'run as admin' . Run the command:

wbadmin get versions

then:

wbadmin /?

--
Please use the Communities guidelines when posting.
http://www.microsoft.com/wn3/locales/help/help_en-us.htm
Use the "Ratings" feature. It helps the new users.
Mark L. Ferguson MS-MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Mark.Ferguson

"Catharsis" <guest@unknown-email.com> wrote in message
news:cc552d1302e032df3c78bb9411dfd32d@nntp-gateway.com...
>
> This is for Vista Enterprise 32bit.
>
> I have seen MANY old, closed threads that have asked this question, yet
> NO ONE answers it. They DO give unsolicited advice, which is not what
> I'm seeking. If you don't have an answer to THIS following question,
> please don't reply. Forgive me for my first post sounding annoyed, but
> I just tire of receiving advice that has nothing to do with my
> environment and advice that is all based on untrue assumptions. I
> figured I'd give this forum a try...
>
> I have an external drive that my workstation backs up some files to
> every evening. However, it is running out of space. I want to tell the
> backup utility in Vista to NOT keep these incremental backups on the
> drive if they are over 30 days old. (The folder currently looks like
> the attachment to this post.) This is a VERY COMMON practice in all
> enterprise level backups, so I would assume (which is dangerous, I know)
> that Microsoft named Vista "Enterprise" appropriately. I COULD just go
> in the folder and delete the subfolders that it creates for every day,
> but I doubt that Vista will properly reflect this in the restore portion
> of the backup program.
>
> So, an answer to -any- of the following questions would be helpful:
> 1. What is the PROPER way to delete old backups?
> 2. How do I get the backup program to not hold on to backups for more
> than 30 days (i.e., overwrite them)?
>
>
> +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
> |Filename: New Picture.bmp |
> |Download: http://www.vistax64.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7336 |
> +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
>
> --
> Catharsis

 

[Catharsis]

Re: Vista File Backup - How do set a maximum age for backups?


Thanks for the fast response!

That just shows me information. It shows the one main version that all
the daily incrementals are based on. However, that doesn't answer
either question. I've posted the results.

Any other suggestions to the posted questions?


+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Filename: Results.bmp |
|Download: http://www.vistax64.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7337 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

--
Catharsis

 

[AJR]

Re: Vista File Backup - How do set a maximum age for backups?

Regarding "... Forgive me for my first post sounding annoyed,..." - If you
are saying this is your first post to this newsgroup then "...but I just
tire of receiving advice that has nothing to do with my...." does not apply
(Yet)!

Vista's Complete PC Backup was not designed or recommended for use in an
Enterprise setting (Per Vista Resource Kit and Vista Administrators
Consultant) although it is included with the business versions of Vista.

Complete PC does not provide for backup scheduling - file backup does.
Recommended usage is to make a complete backup and only do another after
significant changes and maintain through file backups.

Backups to the same media as the original are incremental - from the
Resource Kit "...Unlike file backups, only a single version of the Complete
PC backup is kept - multiple versions are not stored...."

Backups can only be manually deleted as per Help and Support,

"Catharsis" <guest@unknown-email.com> wrote in message
news:cc552d1302e032df3c78bb9411dfd32d@nntp-gateway.com...
>
> This is for Vista Enterprise 32bit.
>
> I have seen MANY old, closed threads that have asked this question, yet
> NO ONE answers it. They DO give unsolicited advice, which is not what
> I'm seeking. If you don't have an answer to THIS following question,
> please don't reply. Forgive me for my first post sounding annoyed, but
> I just tire of receiving advice that has nothing to do with my
> environment and advice that is all based on untrue assumptions. I
> figured I'd give this forum a try...
>
> I have an external drive that my workstation backs up some files to
> every evening. However, it is running out of space. I want to tell the
> backup utility in Vista to NOT keep these incremental backups on the
> drive if they are over 30 days old. (The folder currently looks like
> the attachment to this post.) This is a VERY COMMON practice in all
> enterprise level backups, so I would assume (which is dangerous, I know)
> that Microsoft named Vista "Enterprise" appropriately. I COULD just go
> in the folder and delete the subfolders that it creates for every day,
> but I doubt that Vista will properly reflect this in the restore portion
> of the backup program.
>
> So, an answer to -any- of the following questions would be helpful:
> 1. What is the PROPER way to delete old backups?
> 2. How do I get the backup program to not hold on to backups for more
> than 30 days (i.e., overwrite them)?
>
>
> +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
> |Filename: New Picture.bmp |
> |Download: http://www.vistax64.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7336 |
> +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
>
> --
> Catharsis

 

[Catharsis]

Re: Vista File Backup - How do set a maximum age for backups?


I meant in the past, on other forums, I receive unsolicited advice. Not
this one...yet!

I have said I am using the File Backup and that they're incremental.
I've even posted what the folder looks like already, showing that it's
incremental. I already know all this.

I'm simply asking if I can set the incrementation to only do 30 days
old.


--
Catharsis