Restoring files and folders

The following four steps describe a simple restore operation:

Select files and folders you want to restore

Backup provides you with a tree view of the files and folders that you have backed up, which you can use to select the files and folders that you want to restore. You can use this tree view the same way you use Windows Explorer to open drives and folders and select files.

Select where to restore your backed-up files and folders

Backup allows you to select one of three destinations for your restored files:

You can restore your backed-up data to the original folder or folders the data was in when you backed it up. This option is useful if you are restoring files and folders that have been damaged or lost.

You can restore your backed-up data to an alternate folder. If you select this option, the structure of the backed-up folders and files is retained in the alternate folder. This option is useful if you know you will need some old files, but you don't want to overwrite or change any of the current files or folders on your disk.

You can restore your backed-up files to a single folder. This option does not retain the structure of the backed-up folders and files. Only the backed-up files are placed in the single folder. This option is useful if you are searching for a file and you don't know its location.

Set restore options

Backup provides a Restore tab in the Options dialog box that lets you select how you want your files and folders restored. You must select one of three options:

Do not replace file on my computer. This will prevent files from being overwritten on your hard disk. This is the safest method of restoring files.
Replace the file on disk only if the file on disk is older. If you have changed any files since you last backed up your data, this will ensure that you don't lose the changes you have made to the files.
Always replace the file on my disk. This will replace all of the files on your hard disk with the files in your backup set If you have made any changes to files since you last backed up your data, this option will erase those changes.

Start the restore operation

When you start a restore operation, Backup will ask you to confirm that you are ready to restore data. You will also have the opportunity to set advanced restore options, including whether you want to restore security settings, the Removable Storage database, and junction point data.

Important

You can use Backup to back up and restore data on either FAT or NTFS volumes. However, if you have backed up data from an NTFS volume used in Windows 2000, it is recommended that you restore the data to an NTFS volume used in Windows 2000, or you could lose data as well as some file and folder features. For example, permissions, encrypting file system (EFS) settings, disk quota information, mounted drive information, and Remote Storage information will be lost if you back up data from an NTFS volume used in Windows 2000 and then restore it to a FAT volume or an NTFS volume used in Windows NT 4.0.

Note

You must be an administrator or a backup operator to back up files and folders. For more information on permissions or user rights, see Related Topics.

The registry, the Active Directory directory service, and other key system components are contained in the System State data. You must back up the System State data if you want to back up and restore these components.

If you restore the System State data, and you do not designate an alternate location for the restored data, Backup will erase the System State data that is currently on your computer and replace it with the System State data you are restoring. Also, if you restore the System State data to an alternate location, only the registry files, SYSVOL directory files, Cluster database information files, and system boot files are restored to the alternate location. The Active Directory directory services database, Certificate Services database, and COM+ Class Registration database are not restored if you designate an alternate location.

In order to restore the System State data on a domain controller, you must first start your computer in Directory Services Restore Mode. This will allow you to restore the SYSVOL directory and the Active Directory.

You can only restore the System State data on a local computer You cannot restore the System State data on a remote computer

Administrators and Backup Operators can restore encrypted files and folders without decrypting the files or folders.