ChatterBank1 min ago
Backup files
16 Answers
I can't believe I'm writing this.I have been religiously backing up my files onto an ext h/drive every week for months.I tried to access a couple of photos on the ext h/drive and couldn't find them and found that....the Vista backup file was empty.How can this be when capacity is shown as 465G with only 68G of free space left on the ext h/drive? What have I been backing up and where is it????? Thanks!!!!!
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Make sure your external hard drive is connected / switched on. Go to "My Computer" and make a note of the drive letter of the ext HD.
Then click on Start - Search - For Files and Folders and at the next screen click on the down arrow at the side of Search Results. Type the file name of one of your photos in the search box and then click on the drive letter of your ext hard drive. This should show you the address of this particular photo - and probably lots of others as well. External hard drives have an annoying habit of "hiding" files in obscure locations!
Then click on Start - Search - For Files and Folders and at the next screen click on the down arrow at the side of Search Results. Type the file name of one of your photos in the search box and then click on the drive letter of your ext hard drive. This should show you the address of this particular photo - and probably lots of others as well. External hard drives have an annoying habit of "hiding" files in obscure locations!
If you have been backing up your whole hard drive the drive image may have been stored in a "packed" format in one huge file and not as individual files, so you wont be able to find the individual picture.
Also the backup file may be a "hidden" file so it is still on the disk, but cant be seen unless you chose to "display hidden files".
What backup program have you been using, and what options have you chosen to make the backup (backup the whole disk or backup change files, that sort of thing).
Also the backup file may be a "hidden" file so it is still on the disk, but cant be seen unless you chose to "display hidden files".
What backup program have you been using, and what options have you chosen to make the backup (backup the whole disk or backup change files, that sort of thing).
When you click on Start, it opens a small screen of menus, one of which says Search. When you hover your mouse over Search, it will be highlighted and then you can drag your mouse across to "For Files and Folders". This will then be highlighted and when you click on it you will see the blank "Search Results" screen. On the second line down on this screen you will see a downward pointing arrow to the left of the words Search Results.
If you now click on this it will open another small menu and somewhere near the top of this will be the word "Computer". Move your mouse down the list until Computer is highlighted and click on it. You should now see, among other things, the name and drive letter of your external hard drive. If you click on this you will highlight it. Then go to the Search box at the top right of the screen and click anywhere in the box to make it "live". Then type the name of one of your missing photos - or indeed just the first few letters of the name and let me know what happens!
Sorry if my earlier instructions weren't clear.
If you now click on this it will open another small menu and somewhere near the top of this will be the word "Computer". Move your mouse down the list until Computer is highlighted and click on it. You should now see, among other things, the name and drive letter of your external hard drive. If you click on this you will highlight it. Then go to the Search box at the top right of the screen and click anywhere in the box to make it "live". Then type the name of one of your missing photos - or indeed just the first few letters of the name and let me know what happens!
Sorry if my earlier instructions weren't clear.
Hi there MZZ your instructions are fine it's the dunderhead at this end that's the trouble.When I click on start,is the small screen you refer to the one with the list of progs, on my PC? Please don't give up hope on me .Thanks!!I've hovered the mouse over "search" but no highlighting occurs so I'm unable to go any further.
It appears that although I am using Vista Home Premium, I originally reset my stat menu to Classic View (so that it looks something like the Start menu in earlier versions of Windows.
So, when you click on the Start button on the bottom left of the screen, do you see anything that says "Help and Support" (or similar)?
If you click on this it should take you to a screen which contains, among other things, "Windows Basics".
Click on this and under Desktop Fundamentals you'll see "The Start menu (overview)".
Click on this and scroll right down to the bottom of the screen and under the heading "See Also" you'll see "Change the Start menu to Classic view".
If you click on this, my earlier reply should finally make sense!
Don't worry, you can always change back to your preferred view. It's just that I prefer "Classic View" because it was that that I was weaned on!
So, when you click on the Start button on the bottom left of the screen, do you see anything that says "Help and Support" (or similar)?
If you click on this it should take you to a screen which contains, among other things, "Windows Basics".
Click on this and under Desktop Fundamentals you'll see "The Start menu (overview)".
Click on this and scroll right down to the bottom of the screen and under the heading "See Also" you'll see "Change the Start menu to Classic view".
If you click on this, my earlier reply should finally make sense!
Don't worry, you can always change back to your preferred view. It's just that I prefer "Classic View" because it was that that I was weaned on!
Hi Coddie!
I've just had a bright thought (I hope!).
Make sure your external hard drive is connected / switched on and then, in your Search box which is immediately above your Start button, type *.jpg" (without the quotqtion marks) and press enter.
This will give you (probably!) a long list of all your photo files - assuming they are in .jpg form. You'll then be able to see where they are sored - either on your normal "C" drive and / or on your ext HD.
Hope this helps.
I've just had a bright thought (I hope!).
Make sure your external hard drive is connected / switched on and then, in your Search box which is immediately above your Start button, type *.jpg" (without the quotqtion marks) and press enter.
This will give you (probably!) a long list of all your photo files - assuming they are in .jpg form. You'll then be able to see where they are sored - either on your normal "C" drive and / or on your ext HD.
Hope this helps.
Does this mean that you've found your missing photos?
Can you locate anything else on your ext HD?
<<How do you know all this stuff?>>
Self taught actually. I did a very little bit with computers while I was working but that was nearly 12 years ago! Mrs ZZ bought me a computer as a retirement prezzie and that got even older and greyer than me. I bought a new one (4 times better / faster and less than half the price of the original!) about 3 years ago. Fortunately I followed a friend's recommendation and bought it from a company that offered lifetime tech support. I have consulted them a time or two and they have always been polite, patient and helpful. My daughter bought me a 1TB ext HD last Christmas and to say that it was "quirky" is an understatement! Nevertheless, I persevered and I've got it doing what I want it to do! The best pieces of advice that the tech support people gave me was "If you change anything, make a note of it!" and "Don't worry, unless you chuck it out of the window, you'll not break it! - Enjoy your computer!"
Can you locate anything else on your ext HD?
<<How do you know all this stuff?>>
Self taught actually. I did a very little bit with computers while I was working but that was nearly 12 years ago! Mrs ZZ bought me a computer as a retirement prezzie and that got even older and greyer than me. I bought a new one (4 times better / faster and less than half the price of the original!) about 3 years ago. Fortunately I followed a friend's recommendation and bought it from a company that offered lifetime tech support. I have consulted them a time or two and they have always been polite, patient and helpful. My daughter bought me a 1TB ext HD last Christmas and to say that it was "quirky" is an understatement! Nevertheless, I persevered and I've got it doing what I want it to do! The best pieces of advice that the tech support people gave me was "If you change anything, make a note of it!" and "Don't worry, unless you chuck it out of the window, you'll not break it! - Enjoy your computer!"
No, sorry!
The Search box above the start button isn't there in Classic Mode. I only mentioned it because you said you'd typed something into the search box and it was then that I realised you were not using Classic Mode (unlike me!).
My two answers were: Either switch to Classic mode and do it the way I first suggested - which might be a bit long winded but it's the way that I know and love. Or using the normal Vista mode, where there is a search box directly above the start button, type directly into this box the name of the file you want to find ("*.jpg").
Sorry for any confusion!
(There's always at least two ways of doing anything!)
The Search box above the start button isn't there in Classic Mode. I only mentioned it because you said you'd typed something into the search box and it was then that I realised you were not using Classic Mode (unlike me!).
My two answers were: Either switch to Classic mode and do it the way I first suggested - which might be a bit long winded but it's the way that I know and love. Or using the normal Vista mode, where there is a search box directly above the start button, type directly into this box the name of the file you want to find ("*.jpg").
Sorry for any confusion!
(There's always at least two ways of doing anything!)
>>>>VHG I'm using Windows Backup and restore,I think I set it at whole disk backup.
That is your problem.
You are not backing up individual files that can be found and restored on their own.
You are backing up the whole disk that is stored as one huge "file" that can only be restored in its entirity, you cant extract, or find, individual files from it.
In future you need to set your backup to backup only individual folders and files, or "changed" files. They will be saved as individual files (I think)
That is your problem.
You are not backing up individual files that can be found and restored on their own.
You are backing up the whole disk that is stored as one huge "file" that can only be restored in its entirity, you cant extract, or find, individual files from it.
In future you need to set your backup to backup only individual folders and files, or "changed" files. They will be saved as individual files (I think)
Hello VHG,your last email had me worried so I checked out what was backed up ie Files...comp. files...e-mails...docs....music...pictures...
..Tv
shows...videos. The last two I never d/load anyway! Which still leaves me with the problem what have I been backing up all these months and where are they,I certainly can't find them on my ext.h/drive???? Thanks.
..Tv
shows...videos. The last two I never d/load anyway! Which still leaves me with the problem what have I been backing up all these months and where are they,I certainly can't find them on my ext.h/drive???? Thanks.
Hi again, Coddie!
You said on your original post "... capacity is shown as 465G with only 68G of free space left...". So obviously you have backed up something!
If click on "Computer" (or "My Computer") on your Desktop and then double click on the icon for your external hard drive, what exactly do you see? Have you actually tried opening any of the things that are shown in there?
You said on your original post "... capacity is shown as 465G with only 68G of free space left...". So obviously you have backed up something!
If click on "Computer" (or "My Computer") on your Desktop and then double click on the icon for your external hard drive, what exactly do you see? Have you actually tried opening any of the things that are shown in there?
My original plan was to clear a lot of stuff off of my h/drive,thinking I have it covered on my ext.h/drive if I need any of it in the future.So I picked out a photo for deleting from the h/drive but checked that it was on the ext.h/drive,but it wasn't so I did the same with a folder...... ditto! I did what you suggested with your latest post,there are no where the amount of files on the ext h/drive compared to the hard disk. Thanks!!
This is getting to be a bigger saga then Dallas!!!
This is getting to be a bigger saga then Dallas!!!
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