Recovering Files from a Snapshot Using Windows
Any user who stores data/files on the M: drive or research space can access snapshots to recover older versions of files (for example, files that have been accidentally changed or deleted) without system administrator intervention. This feature is available for both UNIX and Windows users. The following procedure is for Windows users.
The most recent backup copy has the lowest value (i.e., hourly.0 is the most recent, and hourly.22 is the oldest). This is also true for nightly and weekly snapshots. The default timestamp, "Date modified", information in Windows is useless and incorrect for snapshots. Enable the "Date accessed" column in details view to see the timestamp of each snapshot's creation.
To restore files from the M: Drive
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Mount the following share as you would mount your M: drive or research space. Use the following share
"\\samba\dfs\home-snapshot" -
You will then see different folders corresponding to different backup times:
- Hourly - Start of every hour
- Nightly - Everyday at midnight
- Weekly - Mondays at midnight
- Choose the folder closest to when you deleted the files. You should then be able to copy them back to your M: drive.
To restore files from the research space (R: Drive)
If the R: drive is mounted, access the folder .snapshot. Within this folder there will be hourly, nightly, and weekly folders with copies of the old files. Choose the folder closest to when you deleted the files. You should then be able to copy them back to your R:drive.
Note: The .snapshot folder is a hidden one. You may need to enable "show hidden files and folders" within the folder options of your computer to see it.