[RESOLVED] How Do You Stop Windows Automatic Backup?

[gypsy63]

This problem is driving me batty. I have Windows 7 Home Premium Bit 64 and every once in a while Windows automatically backs up all my different hard drives. Normally this would not be a problem, but every time Windows does a backup all my icons on my desktop turns to pages instead of icons.

I posted this problem before, not knowing it was caused by Windows backing up, and was told to create a new icon folder because my icons might be corrupted. So I did. Then I had to re-create all my icons again on the desktop. But this is continuously happening every time Windows does a backup and I am tired of having to re-create all my icons.

I just now tried re-booting my computer, hoping that all my icons would appear afterwards, but they are still in the form of a page. My husband says the same thing happens to his computer except that when Windows backups his computer everything just disappears--no icons or pages substituting either.

I have run my anti-virus and my anti-spyware programs when this happened before, and nothing but spy cookies were found.
Using:
Fire Fox 28.0
Avast Anti-virus
SUPERAntiSpyware

Thanks,
Sheila

[Midknyte]

Don't bother with SuperAntispyware (SAS) anymore. It hasn't been the same since it got bought out a couple years ago. Uninstall it and use Malwarebytes instead.
Use the SAS uninstaller: http://www.superantispyware.com/supp...ay.html?faq=84

Check out this link about disabling scheduled backups:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...-turn-off.html

[gypsy63]

Midknyte: I was wondering about SAS since I notice I stopped getting definition updates. The reason I keep running it is because some a few years ago I paid for the professional version which has a life time of free updates. During that time it was always adding new definitions and use to find all kind of things on my computer. As far as Malwarebytes goes, I have that too--but the free version, not the paid version. My SAS will run in real time because it is paid for but Malwarebytes does not because it is the free version. Sorry but forgot to mention that when I start scanning my computer for infections, I usually run all 3 programs, one at a time, which includes Malwarebytes. I guess I forgot to mention it because it does not run in real time. I guess I will have to look into how much it costs for the paid version of Malwarebytes.

I only have the problem with the icons when Windows backs up my hard drives and I just find that strange--it never happens any other time so that is why I felt it is a Windows' problem. I have looked all over my computer for a place where I can set the settings to say let me backup my computer manually and so far I have not found the right place to do this. That was why I was asking how I could turn it off--to stop it.
Thanks,

[Midknyte]

I prefer Acronis True Image for my backups, but here is the info about creating and restoring a Windows Backup image:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...ge-backup.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...-recovery.html

[gypsy63]

Midknyte: I just went and re-read your first reply and saw where I had either misread your reply or just plain didn't see it all. I just clicked on the link you provided for the forum that tells you how to turn off the Backup setting, and according to my Control panel it looks just like the second image that it shows on this site of how the Control panel looks when the Backup and restore is turned off. So according to my control panel, my backup and restore IS turned off! If that is true, then why does it keep backing up my hard drives?

This is what happens when I think it is backing up my hard drives. An Auto Play window pops up for each hard drive, one Hard Drive at a time, and shows that Windows is backing up that drive--or at least that is what I think it is telling me. I hurry and click the "X" on each display, hoping that will stop it. I would snip the display with Windows Snipping tool if I knew it was going to happen--but I don't know when it will happen again or I would snip and post it here. The last hard drive that popped up was Auto Play for my C drive--and it showed it was "searching". Am I misinterpreting what I saw?
Thanks,

[Midknyte]

So it shows "Next Backup: Not Scheduled"? What does it say for "Last Backup"?

Something isn't adding up here.

[Midknyte]

Could it be a reminder to do backups?

Go to Control Panel> System and Security> Action Center> Maintenance and then click on Turn off Messages about Backup.

[gypsy63]

Midknyte: I checked to see when it said the last backup was done. It says that the last backup that succeeded was on 3/6/2014. I guess that it was after that I went looking for a place to turn it off and this is where I thought I had turned it off. But yet, I got all those Auto Play popups today for all my hard drives.

As you asked, I followed your directions exactly to find the place where it was suppose to say, "Turn off Messages about Backup" and there was nothing listed that said this. I explored everything under "Maintenance" and nothing listed there stated to turn off messages. The only thing I saw there that might have a baring on the problem was listed under Trouble Shooting Maintenance--""Windows is actively checking your system for maintenance problems." I clicked on the part under that where it said, "Change Trouble Shooting Settings" and under this it said that Windows would check routinely for maintenance issues & it was checked to be "On". Could this be what is happening when I see all those popups--instead of Windows backing up it is instead checking for maintenance problems?
Thanks,

[gypsy63]

It's after midnight now, here on the East cost, and way past my bed time. So I will check back here in the morning to see if there are any new replies.
Much appreciated your help--Good Night.

[Midknyte]

Hmm. So you did set up Windows Backup at some point. That's probably why you aren't seeing the option to turn off messages. It's basically a nag screen to make you set up Windows Backup.

If Windows Backup ran before and you didn't run it manually, then it must be scheduled.

I just clicked on the link you provided for the forum that tells you how to turn off the Backup setting, and according to my Control panel it looks just like the second image

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...-turn-off.html

You said your screen looks like the second image. Can you post your screenshot?

[gypsy63]

Midknyte: For some reason I am being blocked from uploading the image you requested. I even clicked on the "basic uploader" when I could not upload with the first option--the basic uploader would not upload either. I don't know if this site uses java script or not, but it seems as if every time I go to a site that uses java script I am prevented from doing something on that site that requires it. But I can tell you that the image on the form looks just like the image in my Control Panel. When I first started having this problem I kept looking for a way to turn off the backup and changed the settings that I thought would stop it. So I am sure that I must have turned the settings off last month after that last backup was done. Yet, once again I had the disappearing icon problem!

Also, when I turned on my computer this morning, all my icons were back again. This happens at other times too. They will go away for a day or 2 then they will all show back up again!

[Midknyte]

There might be an addon that you're using in Firefox that is preventing you from uploading the image, like Noscript. You can try disabling addons or just add an exception for virtualdr.com.

My point was to look at the exact message on your screen. Even though you say it looks same, there could be a detail that you're missing.

If you're sure you don't have a backup job scheduled, you could disable the Backup service.

Go to Start
In the Search bar, type services.msc and hit Enter
Right-click on Windows Backup and click Properties
If the service is started, click Stop
Change Start Type to Disabled
Click OK
Close Services screen

[gypsy63]

Backup.JPG




Attachment 12243

I disabled every add-on I had. Still couldn't use the first loader and had to use the basic loader. You have to click on the image (as I am sure you already know) to make it larger. The only Add-on I saw that might would have caused a problem was "Quick Java" but I had disabled it long ago.

Does these images help?

[Midknyte]

Does these images help?

Yup. It looks like the scheduled backup jobs have been disabled now.

Note that you'll have to run your backups manually from now on. If you disable the Windows Backup Service, you'll have to re-enable it to run backups.

If you want to try Acronis TrueImage, there are free versions depending on what brand of hard drive you are using.
Western Digital - http://support.wdc.com/product/downl...19&wdc_lang=en
Seagate - http://www.seagate.com/support/inter...ard-master-dl/

[gypsy63]

My Windows backup has been disabled since this past March--so that was why I was puzzled why it was still doing backups. I am starting to think that it was Windows Maintenance searching my hard drives looking for trouble that was causing the problem. According to my options with Windows Maintenance, it is turned on and actively searching. That would also explain why when I saw that last Auto Play, it showed Windows was searching my C drive.

I am not sure what brand name my hard drive is where all my backups go, I will have to run Belarc to find out. This is a fairly new computer and have only had it a short while. If I have either hard drive that you mention those links for, I will check them out.
Thanks so much Midknyte for all your help,