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Exclude doesn't !


mikeneal

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I have Desktop edition version 5.6.127. I cannot for the life of me figure out how to exclude folders from backups using scripts. Using the selectors available I select "name of folder matches" and then I enter "F:\cats\". Retrospect backs up the folder and all of it's contents anyway. I have tried all of the variations available (match, match pattern, contain, etc) and I have tried variations on the directory name ( F:\cats, F:\cats\, f:cats, etc). No matter what folder or file, no matter what script, no matter what drive, NO MATTER WHAT, this software refuses to exclude files or folders in the exclude list. It just backs up what it damn well pleases. Why is the simple problem of telling this computer program what files I DO want backed up and what files and or folders I DO NOT want backed up have to be so complicated?

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Hopefully one of the moderators will shed some light on this. I also have had poor luck with excluding folders (files seem to work OK) via the Universal "File" selector.

 

 

 

My workaround, which has been 100% relable, has been to use the Windows "Path" selector instead to exclude or include specific folders or files.

 

 

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Selectors are tricky. You need to make sure that the selection criteria themselves are correct, and then you need to make sure they've been linked correctly.

 

 

 

A good rule of thumb is to make sure that unrelated criteria are linked by "or." For example, how do you select a folder whose name is "Applications" AND whose name is "System Folder?" It's impossible. But it makes much more sense to select a folder whose name is "Applications" OR whose name is "System Folder."

 

 

 

Another good thing to remember is to "check" your Selector. Do this by, in your Selector edit window, selecting "Check Selector" from the Selector menu. Choose a volume and Retrospect will apply your Selector to that volume in real-time. This will save you having to wait until a backup to see if it's been set up correctly.

 

 

 

In reply to:

I select "name of folder matches" and then I enter "F:\cats\". I have tried all of the variations available (match, match pattern, contain, etc) and I have tried variations on the directory name ( F:\cats, F:\cats\, f:cats, etc). Why is the simple problem of telling this computer program what files I DO want backed up and what files and or folders I DO NOT want backed up have to be so complicated?


 

 

 

F:\cats, F:\cats\, f:cats -- your answer is directly in your post. You're asking the program to try to find the folder named: f:/cats (or variation thereof). Your folder is named "Cats" -- the _path_ to the folder is f:/cats. Try to do a "Find" on your computer for "f:/cats" - Windows won't find it either. If you want to use F:/Cats as your criteria, you will need to use a path selector, rather then a folder name selector.

 

 

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