Adding a root folder to profile

Although it is possible, we do not recommend adding a root folder as a top-level folder to a profile. By root folder we mean

• C:\ - Entire C drive on Windows
  
• D:\ - Entire D drive on Windows
  
• / - Root drive on Linux/UNIX or Mac OSX

This article assumes you are using Syncrify client on a Windows machine. The same principles apply on Linux/UNIX and Mac OSX.

There are couple of reason why adding a root folder is not recommended

Reason 1

When you add a root drive, for example C:\ drive it may contain folders like:

• C:\Windows - Contains files that are installed by the OS
  
• C:\Temp - Contains temporary files that will eventually get deleted
  
• C:\Program Files - Contains installed programs
  

Keep in mind that a backup is only valuable if you can restore it. If your machine crashes and you need to recover files, restoring files belonging to the operating system does not make any sense. By simply copying the entire Windows folder won't restore your machine. Similarly, by restoring files in your Program Files folder won't install your programs on a new machine. Most programs will only run if you install them correctly.

Reason 2

Every top level folder you add in Syncrify client runs in a batch. Therefore, when you add a root drive, the entire drive runs as one big batch, which is a lot slower than running several smaller batches.

Recommended solution

Instead of adding a root drive, add individual folders that you want to backup.

Not recommended		Recommended

Exception

One exception to this rule occurs when you have an entire hard disk dedicated for data. For example H: Drive that is used to store user documents.