Volume Shadow Copy

What is Volume Shadow Copy?

Shadow Copy Restore is a component of the intelligent file storage technologies in Microsoft Windows Server 2003 deployed on the Medicine Faculty file server files1-med. It enables the prevention of data loss by creating and storing previous (shadow) copies of files and folders on the network at regular intervals. Shadow copies can be accessed by computers running Windows XP Professional and Windows 2000 Professional (with the client installed).

As multiple previous versions of files are saved on the server, you can easily restore the previous version of a file if you have deleted a file, or overwritten a file with bad data. You can restore the files yourself, without having to log a call with the Service Desk for MCSU to restore from tape. Shadow copies are made on the Faculty file server three times a day - at 9am, 11:30am, and 2:30pm. So a snapshot is made of your files at those times, and you can restore your own files in a number of previous states.

To see previous versions of your files and folders, simply go to the file server, often this will be mapped to M or N drive. Right click on the file or folder and choose properties. You should see a screen like the following:



For detailed instructions on restoring files and folders, please see below.

Recovery of Files or Folders

There are three fundamental situations in which you will most often find yourself at one time or another when you use the file server. These scenarios include:

• Accidental file deletion, the most common situation.
• Accidental file replacement, which occurs for example, when you forget to use Save As.
• File corruption.

It is possible to recover from all of these scenarios by accessing shadow copies.

Recovering a Deleted File

To recover a deleted file, use the following procedure:

1. Navigate to the folder in which the deleted file had been stored.
2. Position the cursor over a blank space in the folder. If the cursor hovers over a file, that file will be selected.
3. Right-click the mouse and select Properties from the bottom of the menu. Select the Previous Versions tab.
4. Select the version of the folder that contains the file before it was deleted, and then click View.
5. View the folder and select the file that will be recovered.
6. Drag and drop or cut and paste the shadow copy to the desktop or folder on the end user’s local machine.

Recovering an Overwritten or Corrupted File

Recovering an overwritten or corrupted file is easier than recovering a deleted file because the file itself can be right-clicked instead of the folder. To recover an overwritten or corrupted file use the following procedure:

1. Right-click the overwritten or corrupted file and click Properties.
2. Select Previous Versions.
3. If you want to view the old version, click View. To copy the old version to another location, click Copy... To replace the current version with the older version, click Restore.

Recovering a Folder

To recover a folder use the following procedure:

1. Position the cursor so that it is over a blank space in the folder that will be recovered. If the cursor hovers over a file, that file will be selected.
2. Right-click the mouse, select Properties from the bottom of the menu, and then, click the Previous Versions tab.
3. Choose either Copy or Restore.
4. Choosing Restore enables the user to recover everything in that folder as well as all subfolders. Selecting Restore will not delete any files.

If you have any problems or questions please log a call with the UNSW Service Desk on 9385 1333.