Choosing what to back up
Smart items, the folder tree, typed paths and single files, the apps found on this PC, and the .gitignore offer for code.
On this page
Step 3 of the wizard, What should be backed up?, offers three ways to pick, and one job can mix them. The estimate at the bottom counts files and size as you go.
Smart items#
Tick what you mean instead of hunting for the folder. Each item points at the right place on this PC, so the job keeps working after a Windows reinstall or on another PC.
Your folders
| Item | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Documents, Desktop, Pictures, Videos, Music, Downloads | the Windows folders of those names |
| Whole user profile | everything under your user folder; caches and temporary files are left out |
| Outlook data | .pst and .ost files, in both places Outlook keeps them. Needs open-file support while Outlook is running. |
An item that does not exist on this PC is greyed with Not on this PC.
Apps & browsers lists only programs whose data is on this PC:
| Item | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Browser profiles | bookmarks, saved passwords, extensions and settings of the browsers found (Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Brave, Vivaldi, Opera); caches are left out |
| The apps found | for example VS Code, Windows Terminal, PowerShell profiles, SSH keys, Obsidian, Joplin, Sticky Notes, OneNote, Thunderbird, Signal, Bitwarden, 1Password, KeePassXC, game saves, Lightroom, Calibre, Zotero and your fonts; each says what it takes |
Tip
Keep a job that holds SSH keys or password-manager data encrypted.
Code has one item, Code projects. It is found by a quick search of your internal drives and your user folder for project markers such as .git, package.json, go.mod, *.sln, Cargo.toml and pyproject.toml. Ticking it also turns on the Developer junk preset, so node_modules, build output and similar folders stay out.
Browse this PC#
A folder tree with tick boxes, and the files of the open folder beside it.
- A ticked folder keeps picking up new files inside it. New files and sub-folders are in the next run without you doing anything.
- A ticked file is just that one file. The header counts them: 3 of 12 files ticked.
- A row a rule already leaves out is greyed and names the rule, so you can see the filters before the first run.
- A folder Windows will not let the app read says no access. See Needs administrator.
Add folder… and Add files… at the top open the normal Windows pickers instead.
Type a path#
For \\server\share\folder paths, hidden $ shares and anything the tree cannot browse. Type the path and click Add. A path that ends in a file extension is added as a single file. A path that does not exist says … doesn't exist on this PC. Check the spelling.
What you picked#
The Selected list shows every folder (with subfolders) and single file in the job, each with edit and remove buttons.
Filters & exclusions#
The Filters & exclusions button at the top opens the filter editor; its badge counts the job's rules. See Filters and exclusions.
The .gitignore offer#
Tick a folder that holds Git repositories and a card appears: 7 Git repositories here — apply their .gitignore as exclusions?
- Click Preview to see the rules, each scoped to its repository. A pattern several repositories share is applied once, under the folder they sit in.
- Click Apply to add them, or close the card to leave them out.
Lines with no equivalent, such as negations, are left out and counted in the preview.
The estimate#
Estimated size, Files, Folders ticked, Single files and Excluded, updated as the selection settles. n inaccessible counts folders the app could not read. It comes from a scan, not a promise; the first run's report has the real figures. If the destination drive has less free space than the estimate, a warning says the first backup won't fit.