Backup Filters and Exclusions

Backup filters can be used when creating backup Profiles, or in the configuration of individual backup devices via the Management Console.

Benefits

Adding additional filters to the exclusion lists can benefit you in a number of ways:

  • Backup speed can increase as there are less files and changes to these files to process
  • Bandwidth use can decrease as there is less data to send
  • Storage spacecan decrease as less is required due to the drop in data
  • Restore speed can increase as there is less data to restore

Predefined filters

Some files are automatically excluded from backup on Windows devices only.

These predefined filters only work on Windows devices by the use of a standard ‘files not to backup’ entry in the Windows Registry, meaning there is no alternative for Linux or macOS devices.

What files are automatically excluded from backup:

  1. All files indicated in the registry subkey:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\BackupRestore\FilesNotToBackup

    Typical examples:

    • \Pagefile.sys
    • \hiberfil.sys
    • %TEMP%\* /s
  2. All files from the Backup Manager installation folder
  3. Temporary files of no importance:

    • C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\IconCacheToDelete

      • There is such a file for every user account registered in the system

    • C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\DomainSuggestions

      • There is such a file for every user account registered in the system

    • C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\CLR Security Config\v2.0.50727.312\64bit

    • Files from the Print Spooler folder
  4. Files/folders matching the following masks:
    • *\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\*
    • ?:\RECYCLER
    • ?:\System Volume Information
    • %systemdrive%\$WINDOWS.~?? (for example C:\$WINDOWS.~BT or C:\$WINDOWS.~WS
    • %SYSTEM_ROOT%/Windows/*.config.cch
    • ?:\swapfile.sys
    • ?:\pagefile.sys
    • ?:\hiberfil.sys
    • *\AppData\Local\Temp\* (on Windows Vista and Windows 7)
    • *\Local Settings\Temp\* (on Windows XP)

File Type Examples

Filters based on file type are the same across all Operating Systems.

Here are some example filters you can add:

  • a* - excludes all files starting with the letter "a"
  • *.mp3 - excludes all files with the .mp3 extension
  • C:\Data\*.* - excludes all files in the C:\Data\.. path and underlying folders
  • C:\Data\*.mp3 - excludes all files in the C:\Data\.. path, with the .mp3 extension
  • C:\Data\*.m?? - excludes all files in the C:\Data\.. path, with a three-character extension starting with .m and ending with any two other characters, such as .mob, .mp3, .mov or .mpg

The filters are applied to upcoming backup sessions. Older backups stay as they are.

Suggested Additional Filters

We would strongly advise to add the following additional exclusions to your filters:

Windows temp locations

  • *\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scans\mpcache*
  • *\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\*.ost

Chrome/Edge/Firefox browser cache and update files

  • *\Chrome\User Data\*\Cache\*
  • *\Google\Chrome\Application\*\Installer\*
  • *\Google\Update\Install\*
  • *\Google\Update\Download\*
  • *\Local\Microsoft\Edge\User Data\*\Cache\*
  • *\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate\Install\*
  • *\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate\Download\*
  • *\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\*\cache\*
  • *\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\Mozilla Firefox\updates\*

N-central cache directories

  • *\PME\archives\*
  • *\NablePatchCache\*
  • *\SolarWinds.MSP.CacheService\cache\*
  • *\N-able Technologies\UpdateServerCache\*
  • *\MspPlatform\FileCacheServiceAgent\cache\*
  • *\N-able Technologies\UpdateServerCache\*
  • *\N-able Technologies\*\cache\*
  • *\N-able Technologies\PatchManagement\archive\*

AV Defender cache files

  • *\ThreatScanner\Antivirus*\Plugins\cache.*
  • *\ThreatScanner\Antivirus*\smartdbv2.dat