[RESOLVED] Too Many Backup Files

[gypsy63]

This morning while looking for something else, I discovered a folder on my external drive that had my name on it but couldn't remember what was in it. So I opened it to see and saw backup files, which I presume were for my OS (they are in Zip files). I counted and there was 32 backup folders of files-starting with the oldest being August 2008. I also have a backup program for my browser, Firefox, but I knew that these files were not those because I only recently started using that program. Can I safely delete most of the files? And if so, how many should I keep? Is there any way to configure so that you don't accumulate so many backup files--and if so, where would you do this and how many would you tell the program to save?
Thanks,
Sheila

Using:
Windows Vista Home Premium
Firefox 3.5.4

[Steve R Jones]

Your guess is as good as any bodies.
Can you be a lot more specific on how the files got there?

Then again - its kind of up to YOU to decide if you need or want to keep them.

If you're not desperate for drive space - keep em.

[gypsy63]

My computer automatically makes regular backups so I guess that is how they got there. Since the backups are on my external hard drive, space is not much of a problem since my external hard drive is 1 Teri-bit big. I have habitually for many years cleaned things off my PC that I didn't need- left over from days when no one could afford big hard drives.
Thanks,
Sheila

[Steve R Jones]

I would consider backup files as files that you need and should hang onto.

[SuperSparks]

I wouldn't advise deleting any individual files, as they depend on each other. What you can do, if you need to reclaim the drive space, is to delete all the files in the backup folder, or even the folder itself, and then run Backup again. It will then recreate what it needs from scratch, which will be a heck of a lot smaller than the accumulated changes that it has been storing.

[gypsy63]

I have 856 GBs left on that hard drive. Some of those backup files are over a year old, so I really can't see saving them. For now, I think I will keep them even though I don't need all of them, since I have a lot of room left on my hard drive. In the future, I may do as you suggested, SuperSparks. I just had a thought? When I do a scan with my different scanners, anti-virus, anti-spyware, etc and when I defrag, aren't all these files also included in the scans? If so, I would think this would lengthen the scanning time . If this is the case SuperSparks, I will probably do as you suggested and get rid of all these backup files even sooner!
Thanks,

[jdc2000]

You should be able to set your malware scanners to skip the folder with the backup files. You would only need to scan them if something was found elsewhere.

[Welshjim]

gypsy63--Can you give us the name including file extension of one of those files?. (I assume they all have similar names and file extensions except for a number or date.) File extension could be most important.

What is the name of the Folder? Have you right clicked|Properties on one of the files in the folder to see what you can learn from the General and Version tabs?

Many programs create backup files.

[gypsy63]

Welshjim, I went back to check out the information you asked me about & I came across another folder that also has backup files in it. One folder is on my "My Book (k)" drive and the folder is just named, "SHEILA". When I opened it that folder, there was another folder inside of that one, and it named, "Backup Set 2009-04-01 214852". This was also listed in the properties when I right clicked on that folder, under General. Inside of this Backup set, was multiple folders with dates ranging from 4-2009 to 10-31-2009. I then opened the folder that was dated 10-31-2009 and it was full of Zip files. I held my cursor over the first zip file and read the description. There were other files in this zip file and the first one said, C\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 9.0\reader\AMT\AumProduct aup. Then there were misc. other files concerning mostly about Avast. There were also lots of files concerning Google Desktop rpm.cf1. At the very bottom of this setup folder was a folder labeled, "Catalogs" which inside of this it showed something that said "Catalog Globing". All of this was in a folder on My Book (K) Drive.

Then next, while I still on K, I clicked on my folder that said, "Sheila's Data", which is where I had all my photos, My Documents, etc. In Sheila's Data folder was also a folder listed as "Sheila". I opened that folder and discovered a folder that said, "Backup Set 2008-08-05 082234"--and just as with the backup set on K drive, it also listed lots of dated folders with backup files. And each backup file inside of that folder was zipped and according to the descriptions, there were even more files in this zipped file. In fact, at the end of the description of the files that was shown, at the bottom of the list it always said, "Not shown 1059 file/folders" or some other big number in each zipped file. And in the properties under General it also showed just the name of the Backup Set. Also in this backup set was a folder listed as Catalog, just as it was in the folder on K Drive.

All this confusion and hunting for information is why I am so late getting back to you. Now I am even more confused than I was when I first started this post and have no idea what all this means and why I have all these files!

And to top it all, somewhere on K drive I also have a backup folder for Firefox and am afraid now to even look for it! I don't believe the backup files I have been telling you about has anything to do with Firefox because the only things that Firefox backs up are things like my passwords, history, etc and none of these mystery files had any of that in them.

If you can figure this out, I think you must really be either a genius or a geek, but this poor mind is utterly confused!

Thanks,
Sheila

[Welshjim]

Let's work on one backup folder at a time. (But if you really want to work on the new ones on your own for the present
http://www.google.com/search?q=Backu...e7&rlz=1I7ADBF
http://www.msfn.org/board/lofiversio...hp/t86379.html
http://www.processlibrary.com/direct...es/aumproduct/ )
So back to the questions you asked

I discovered a folder on my external drive that had my name on it but couldn't remember what was in it. So I opened it to see and saw backup files,

and then those I asked

File extension could be most important.
Can you give us the name including file extension of one of those files?. (I assume they all have similar names and file extensions except for a number or date.) File extension could be most important.

What is the name of the Folder? Have you right clicked|Properties on one of the files in the folder to see what you can learn from the General and Version tabs?

"Sheila's Data" does not tell us much.

[gypsy63]

Welshjim, maybe I was not very clear since I have been so confused, but I have right clicked on Folders, files, etc. without any of them showing me extensions. When right clicking on any of the folders where the files are located, the only thing that properties shows me is the name of that folder that I right clicked on and how big that folder is and how many files is in it. Then when I open the folder and see the files, I right clicked on several of those too and the only thing showing in Properties under General is that the file extension is a Zip extension. No other extension listed. It is only when I hoover the cursor over the zip file itself, do I see the files listed located in the Zip file, (can't right click on those) and the files that show when you hoover has different extensions. There are thousands of files in these zip files and too numerous to list all, but here are a few picked at random in different zip files:
.xm
.dat.Log1
.dat.Log2
dell.sdr
dell.cae
.Gift
.JPEG
.HTM
GT.mgr
GXD.mgr
Africa\ceuta
Africa\conakry
grad.tif
Image\Factor.wim (there are a lot of these)
CS-HOL_STD_SO1.MRB
.mrb
rpm.cf1
Avast4.db
DefTasks.xml
AshWebSv.ws

I recognize the photo file extensions, but don't understand most of the rest.

I am sorry that I can not give you the information that you need, but the information is just not there--not in the properties of anything I right clicked on. As I said, just the Zip extension, how many folders and files, and how big.

Thanks,
Sheila
PS It might be awhile before I can get back here because I am expecting an international call from Australia any time now.

[SuperSparks]

Those are Windows Backup files, the settings for which can be found in Control Panel>Backup. The folder name is the same as the computer name (presumably you have named your PC after yourself?). As I said before, do not delete, or otherwise interfere with any individual folders or files, as Windows Backup uses a differential file set - you can lose everything if you mess about with them. But you can delete the lot, and Windows will just start over.

[gypsy63]

I got a new PC last year and since my husband is the techie in our family, he is the one that set up everything on my computer--including naming my PC after me.

So what you are saying to me is that I should just delete all backup files, in both places, "Sheila's data" and on "My Book (K)" & then Windows will just replace them? And if I do that, should I just delete the whole folder & let Windows create a new folder for the backups, or do I need to just keep the original folder with it being empty after deleting everything inside of it? If I do that all of that, do I then go to the Control Panel and tell Windows to back everything up now?

Thanks,

[SuperSparks]

You should only delete the files if you need to reclaim some disc space. I really don't think it matters whether you delete the folder or the files within it, Backup will start anew either way. If you do delete the folder/files, make sure that you go to Control Panel>Backup and create a new file backup straight away, otherwise you will be without a backup set until the next scheduled backup.

[gypsy63]

You said,

You should only delete the files if you need to reclaim some disc space.

Since my hard drive is so huge I really don't need the space--I have over 900 GBs left on the hard drive where the folders are located. So I will take your advise and just keep them until I need the space.

Better to have them and not need them, than need them and not have them!

Thanks for everyone's help as always,