Initiated Restore of Data Files on the Network Storage Server

Users now have a way to restore older versions of files stored in their network home directory or department network share. Using a system called Shadow Copies you can view and restore older versions of files and folders, even those that have been deleted.

How it works

Backup copies are created on the storage server at 7 a.m., noon and 5:30 p.m. each day. At these times, the system checks to see which parts of a file have changed since the last backup copy. It saves these changes, not the entire file, and keeps track of when the copy was made. As more backup copies are made, and the storage allocated for this purpose fills up, the system automatically purges older copies. This information provides the ability to recreate the file as it existed at any of those moments in time.

How the Client User Interface works

The new backup copies feature can be accessed via any of the XP lab computers. Users access backup copies with Windows Explorer and by selecting one of three options –View, Copy, or Restore, which are located on the Previous Versions tab.

Recovering a Deleted File

To recover a deleted file, use the following procedure:

  1. Navigate to the folder in which the deleted file had been stored.
  2. Position the cursor over a blank space in the folder. If the cursor hovers over a file, that file will be selected.
  3. Right-click the mouse and select Properties from the bottom of the menu. Select the Previous Versions tab.
  4. Select the version of the folder that contains the file before it was deleted, and then click View.
  5. View the folder and select the file that will be recovered.
  6. Drag and drop, or cut and paste, the backup copy to the desktop or folder on the end user’s local machine.

Recovering an Overwritten or Corrupted File

Recovering an overwritten or corrupted file is easier than recovering a deleted file because the file itself can be right-clicked instead of the folder. To recover an overwritten or corrupted file use the following procedure:

  1. Right-click the overwritten or corrupted file and click Properties.
  2. Select Previous Versions.
  3. If you want to view the old version, click View. To copy the old version to another location, click Copy. To replace the current version with the older version, click Restore.

Recovering a Folder

To recover a folder, use the following procedure:

  1. Position the cursor so that it is over a blank space in the folder that will be recovered. If the cursor hovers over a file, that file will be selected.
  2. Right-click the mouse, select Properties from the bottom of the menu, and then, click the Previous Versions tab.
  3. Choose either Copy or Restore.
  4. Choosing Restore enables the user to recover everything in that folder as well as all subfolders. Selecting Restore will not delete any files.