We get an occasional request for the ability to delete individual files from the Rebit storage. While under consideration, this feature request is not on the roadmap.
Further feedback on this topic is welcomed.
Rebit Support Forum » Feature Requests
Delete files from Rebit
(10 posts)-
Posted 1 year ago #
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First off, I've bought Rebit and love it - for the most part.
I think the option to delete specific backup files is a valid thing to add to the roadmap. The issue at hand in my case is security. I have client files occasionally on my machine that Rebit backs up automagically. As a result, though I normally save them to an unwatched drive, sometimes files come in emails or through lack of attention end up in the generic download location, or get saved to a watched partition when I'm not thinking about it.
As a result, it is sometimes imperative the files be deleted once discovered. Have the option to delete, with a warning of "are you sure" would be very pertinent to the purpose of Rebit. Yes we want to back up our files and yes we don't want to "think about it" mainly because we are fallible. But once we do think about it and realize our manual mistake, we should have a FEW advanced options.
Rebit for instance has "greyed" out folders that contain file names of 0 bytes. It knows that at some point I deleted them from my normal system and has at some point deleted the data but not the file names from my backup automatically. I have no idea at this time if they will ever "go away" completely.
Obviously there is something in the software that notices hey, this has been deleted, and then allows a certain time to pass and then deletes it from the back up. So there should be no reason why I cannot have that option to control when that time occurs.
Please reconsider the option for the road map as it is tiresome to have to delete the back up in full to simply erase one file and then wait two days for the whole backup to complete again from scratch.
Posted 8 months ago # -
Another issue could be privacy or business espionage. And preserving disk space for backup data.
Like: Adobe Flash player stores all kind of cross-browser details about visits to sites that use some Flash. On Apple Time Machine, one could specifically exclude that. On Rebit, not so much. (Though Rebit backups can be secured with a password, but I guess that does not actually encrypt the data itself?)
And a real life story: a MySQL development installation on my Mac once had issues, causing log files to be flooded. Whenever I had MySQL running, Time Machine would backup that continuously growing huge file hourly (no block-level differences in Time Machine). I only discovered this after quite some time, meaning those useless log files used a lot of disk space on my backup disk. I was happy to be able to remove all occurrences of that file: both Time Machine and Rebit are not only useful for disaster recovery, but also to restore files that were lost long ago. Removing the large MySQL log files ensured my backup disk could keep its history for other files.
Posted 8 months ago # -
My issue is not exactly the same as the initial one. While I think it is important to keep Rebit simple - not only the user interface, but also the software itself, I also have questions about privacy.
What exactly about temporary files? Do the backup files contain the surfing history and even copies of cookies - even if I delete these files regularly? I understand that not too many things should be excluded from backup, if Rebit should be able to restore a computer to the exactly the same state it has been at a certain time before. But there are things one wants to have deleted definitely, not saved for years.Posted 7 months ago # -
Like, for example, the cross-browser traces Flash stores on your computer, even when using some private browsing mode.
Since version 10.1, Flash might be clearing that history in the 4 major browsers, but I never tested that. Adobe is still improving other privacy issues, but the fact that they only started doing so after complaints maks me think that soon other things will be abused for the same thing. Like HTML5 Local Storage, which cannot even be cleared from Safari!
Posted 7 months ago # -
Yes, that's interesting, but let's suppose I know which files could be problematic and I delete them regularly or when the programs are closed - the files are still backed up ...
Posted 7 months ago # -
@beginner, I agree very much. I guess the feature request is twofold:
- Being able to exclude files and folders from being written to the backup. (Privacy; security; copyright; large files such as VM images.)
- Being able to remove the above from a backup if already backed up earlier.
As for the first: note that Apple's Time Machine also allows third party software to exclude itself from being backed up. For example: VM software often allows a user to exclude VM images, and then sets thecom.apple.metadata:com_apple_backup_excludeItem"extended attribute" on the files that need to be skipped. It might be nice if Windows software can exclude itself from being backed up by well known backup software too.(Sorry for posting kind of the same thing twice earlier; I didn't see I already commented on this. That was stupid...!)
Posted 7 months ago # -
I would like the ability to delete files from the Rebit backup, with a very prominent warning message! The reason I found this message was because I was trying to delete some files that were backed up that I know I will never need again and they are just taking up space and adding clutter when I am trying to find something.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Sir,
I would like to include a feature "EXCLUDE FOLDERS". It will help save time in backup and recovery. I have many programs in the disk which i don't need to use. I have backup of those files if I need it.Posted 3 months ago # -
We have had quite a few requests for this feature, and the developers are looking into adding this into a future release.
Posted 3 months ago #
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