Outlook 2007 backup with File History

I am running Windows 8 Pro with File History turned on, with scheduled runs every 3 hours.

I use Outlook 2007 for e-mail,etc and have the PST files stored in a folder called OUTLOOK in My Documents which included in the Documents library. I have an archived folder which I update once a month or so. Files sizes are 250Mb for Outlook.pst and 1,250Mb for Archived.pst

My problem concerns the backup of the PST files which has the following issues

1) As OUTLOOK is nearly always open, the files are often not backed up as the files are open & locked by OUTLOOK. I get a message in the File History log saying that Outlook.pst and archived.pst have not been backed up and then some time later - it can be up to 36 ours later - a message saying that they have been backed up successfully. This is a bit unsettling, unless I look in the log, my files are not backed up and in the event of a restore, this could be problematic.

2) My archived.pst file only changes once a month or so, so there is no need to back it up every 3 hours or so, especially as it is quite large. As I understand it, Outlook opens the file when it is run and thus logs an entry in the Changed File journal, thus provoking a backup.

Is my analysis correct? 

if so, I think I will have to rethink my backup strategy as I would prefer to have a definite backup rather than a probable backup?

November 19th, 2012 5:22pm

I have the same issue. I found that it doesn't take a shadow copy. Pity, as it seemed ideal.
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November 20th, 2012 5:22pm

Hi,

For the first issue, Can you please provide the log here? ;

November 21st, 2012 10:13am

Here's the File History Log - I was wrong about the delay, it wasn't as long as I had thought. But if I look at the History for Outlook.pst, I have a version date-stamped 03:05 19/11/2012 and 18:34 20/11/2012 and nothing in between.

As I have no taken to closing Outlook 2007 around  18:00, you can see that yesterday the Archived.pst was backed up at 185:50 after it missed the 11:30 backup.

The Outlook.pst file missed a backup at 9:41 on 16/11/2012 and wasn't backed up until 5:20 on 17/11/2012

It is the whole unpredictability of the backup that I don't like - at least if I backup at 19:00 every day, I can be sure that I've got a backup from that time whereas now it's all a bit hit and miss.

 

Level Date and Time Source Event ID Task Category
Information 20/11/2012 18:50:06 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 105 None File was successfully backed up:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Archived mail.pst
Information 20/11/2012 18:47:55 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 105 None File was successfully backed up:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Jokes.pst
Warning.... 20/11/2012 11:32:20 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 104 None File was not backed up due to being open by an application:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Archived mail.pst

Windows will attempt to back up the file at a later time.
Warning.... 20/11/2012 11:32:20 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 104 None File was not backed up due to being open by an application:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Jokes.pst

Windows will attempt to back up the file at a later time.
Information 17/11/2012 05:20:57 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 105 None File was successfully backed up:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Outlook.pst
Information 17/11/2012 05:20:39 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 105 None File was successfully backed up:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Archived mail.pst
Information 17/11/2012 05:19:16 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 105 None File was successfully backed up:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Jokes.pst
Warning.... 16/11/2012 09:41:59 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 104 None File was not backed up due to being open by an application:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Outlook.pst

Windows will attempt to back up the file at a later time.
Warning.... 16/11/2012 09:41:59 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 104 None File was not backed up due to being open by an application:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Archived mail.pst

Windows will attempt to back up the file at a later time.
Warning.... 16/11/2012 09:41:59 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 104 None File was not backed up due to being open by an application:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Jokes.pst

Windows will attempt to back up the file at a later time.
Information 15/11/2012 03:13:09 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 105 None File was successfully backed up:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Archived mail.pst
Information 15/11/2012 03:10:48 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 105 None File was successfully backed up:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Jokes.pst
Warning.... 14/11/2012 16:50:30 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 104 None File was not backed up due to being open by an application:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Archived mail.pst

Windows will attempt to back up the file at a later time.
Warning.... 14/11/2012 16:50:30 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 104 None File was not backed up due to being open by an application:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Jokes.pst

Windows will attempt to back up the file at a later time.
Information 14/11/2012 03:10:19 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 105 None File was successfully backed up:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Jokes.pst
Warning.... 13/11/2012 13:41:46 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 104 None File was not backed up due to being open by an application:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Jokes.pst

Windows will attempt to back up the file at a later time.
Information 13/11/2012 05:24:00 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 105 None File was successfully backed up:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Outlook.pst
Information 13/11/2012 05:23:44 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 105 None File was successfully backed up:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Archived mail.pst
Information 13/11/2012 05:22:22 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 105 None File was successfully backed up:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Jokes.pst
Warning.... 12/11/2012 12:49:27 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 104 None File was not backed up due to being open by an application:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Outlook.pst

Windows will attempt to back up the file at a later time.
Warning.... 12/11/2012 12:49:27 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 104 None File was not backed up due to being open by an application:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Archived mail.pst

Windows will attempt to back up the file at a later time.
Warning.... 12/11/2012 12:49:27 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 104 None File was not backed up due to being open by an application:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Jokes.pst

Windows will attempt to back up the file at a later time.
Information 09/11/2012 03:11:02 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 105 None File was successfully backed up:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Outlook.pst
Information 09/11/2012 03:10:50 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 105 None File was successfully backed up:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Archived mail.pst
Information 08/11/2012 17:43:05 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 105 None File was successfully backed up:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Jokes.pst
Warning.... 08/11/2012 12:37:17 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 104 None File was not backed up due to being open by an application:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Outlook.pst

Windows will attempt to back up the file at a later time.
Warning.... 08/11/2012 12:37:17 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 104 None File was not backed up due to being open by an application:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Archived mail.pst

Windows will attempt to back up the file at a later time.
Warning.... 08/11/2012 12:37:17 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 104 None File was not backed up due to being open by an application:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Jokes.pst

Windows will attempt to back up the file at a later time.
Information 07/11/2012 23:53:42 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 105 None File was successfully backed up:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Outlook.pst
Information 07/11/2012 23:53:32 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 105 None File was successfully backed up:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Archived mail.pst
Information 07/11/2012 23:52:23 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 105 None File was successfully backed up:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Jokes.pst
Warning.... 07/11/2012 13:31:03 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 104 None File was not backed up due to being open by an application:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Outlook.pst

Windows will attempt to back up the file at a later time.
Warning.... 07/11/2012 13:31:03 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 104 None File was not backed up due to being open by an application:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Archived mail.pst

Windows will attempt to back up the file at a later time.
Warning.... 07/11/2012 13:31:03 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 104 None File was not backed up due to being open by an application:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Jokes.pst

Windows will attempt to back up the file at a later time.
Information 06/11/2012 18:34:31 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 105 None File was successfully backed up:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Archived mail.pst
Information 06/11/2012 18:33:23 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 105 None File was successfully backed up:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Jokes.pst
Information 06/11/2012 18:32:52 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 105 None File was successfully backed up:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Outlook.pst
Warning.... 06/11/2012 09:31:31 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 104 None File was not backed up due to being open by an application:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Archived mail.pst

Windows will attempt to back up the file at a later time.
Warning.... 06/11/2012 09:31:31 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 104 None File was not backed up due to being open by an application:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Jokes.pst

Windows will attempt to back up the file at a later time.
Warning.... 06/11/2012 09:31:31 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Engine 104 None File was not backed up due to being open by an application:

C:\Users\dempsey\Documents\Outlook\Outlook.pst

Windows will attempt to back up the file at a later time.
Warning.... 04/11/2012 12:32:50 Microsoft-Windows-FileHistory-Core 204 None Unusual condition was encountered during finalization of a backup cycle for configuration C:\Users\dempsey\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\FileHistory\Configuration\Config

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November 21st, 2012 11:13am

Hi,

OK, from the log, seems none of the files have been backed up successfully. Do you mean you get a message saying that the backup is succussful, but the logs and fact are different. If so, I will record this.

November 22nd, 2012 6:07am

No, I do not mean this.

What I am saying is that the files do not get backed up on the schedule set (every hour, 2 hours, 3 hours or whatever) because they are locked by the open program (Outlook 2007) but get backed up sometime later when Outlook has been closed.

A message is logged to the file history log when the backup fails and again when the backup is completed - but this message should be more explicit - for example, shown in the Action Centre. I suspect that if Outlook is never closed down, then the backup would never occur and you would never know except when you went to restore the file and found it out of date or missing.

I think I'll ditch File History and go back to using the Windows 7 backup - it just feels safer and more dependable.

Or I might keep File History for everything except Outlook and use a different strategy for my Outlook files - for example copy them once a day at startup or shutdown.

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November 22nd, 2012 10:14am

Same problem with me, don't think there will be a way round this problem, I close outlook then run file history manually. Doesn't inspire confidence using this method to backup data files :(

It is possible to turn shadow copy on, although doesn't seem to work same way as Windows 7 did, I only ever see 1 previous file. To get the Previous Versions tab you have to go to \\localhost\d$  *$ being the drive letter :-  goto to Control Panel>Recovery>Configure System Restore>select drive >configure>the turn system protection on.


  • Edited by Nickrno77 Sunday, January 13, 2013 11:39 PM
January 11th, 2013 11:15am

Same problem with me, don't think there will be a way round this problem, I close outlook then run file history manually. Doesn't inspire confidence using this method to backup data files :(

It is possible to turn shadow copy on, although doesn't seem to work same way as Windows 7 did, I only ever see 1 previous file. To get the Previous Versions tab you have to go to \\localhost\d$  *$ being the drive letter :-  goto to Control Panel>Recovery>Configure System Restore>select drive >configure>the turn system protection on.


  • Edited by Nickrno77 Sunday, January 13, 2013 11:39 PM
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January 11th, 2013 11:15am

Hey guys,

could you find a solution for that? At seems that File History doesn't backup files, that are currently in use. This is catastrophically, especially regarding to Outlook Personal Folders as mentioned by Joe.

Many thanks in advanced,
Martin

August 19th, 2015 7:54am

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