User Manual

4
Backing Up Files
This chapter includes the following topics:
How the Backup Function Works
Backing Up Files
Configuring Your Cloud Service Account
How the Backup Function Works
The WD Backup software is a scheduled backup application that automatically
backs up the files that you select on the schedule that you specify.
When you create a backup plan, you specify the backup:
▪ Target—the external storage device where you will copy your
files for backup
protection. The backup target can be any supported:
◦ External storage drive
◦ Cloud service account
▪ Source—the computer
files and folders that you want to copy to the backup
target for backup protection. The backup source can be any internal hard drive,
hard drive partition, or any:
◦ External storage drive
◦ Supported cloud service account
▪ Schedule—the time of day, day of week, and month that you want to run the
backup.
When you click Start Backup after creating a backup plan, the WD Backup software
copies all of the
specified backup source files and folders to the specified backup
target. Then, on the schedule you
specified, the WD Backup software automatically
backs up any:
▪ New file that was created in or copied to a backup-protected device or folder
▪ Existing backup-protected file that was changed
This protection is automatic—the WD Backup software does it for you without any
action on your part. Just leave the backup source and target devices connected to
your computer.
Note:
Whenever you disconnect and reconnect a backup target or source
device, the WD Backup software rescans the backup source device for
new or changed files and resumes automatic backup protection
according to the schedule.
Excluded Files—The WD Backup software will not backup files that have specific:
▪ Attributes: reparsePoint, temporary
▪ Names: \AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows, [CommonApplicationData]
\Western Digital\, [CommonApplicationData]\Microsoft\Windows\Caches\,
config.msi, MSOCache, ntuser.dat, ntuser.ini, [RecycleBin], $recycle.bin, recycler,
Backing Up Files
My Passport
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User Manual
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