Overview
In April 2023, Code42 is making updates to our global backup policies. These updates are designed to improve your experience by increasing agent performance and decreasing network bandwidth consumption on the endpoint.
As a reminder, the Code42 agent is designed to back up user files, not operating system or application files. For this reason, Code42 has always excluded certain system files from being backed up, and we periodically assess and adjust these policies as needed.
If you have questions about any of the changes below, contact our Technical Support Engineers.
Summary of changes
These changes reflect standard best practice and have been recommended by Code42 Professional Services for several years.
New backup exclusions
- Browser caches and temporary files (browser profiles are not impacted)
- Temporary system files and system logs
- Application data files
- Default locations of .pst files
New exclusions will be applied globally throughout the Code42 cloud, and cannot be overridden. See New exclusions below for the specific file types and directories being excluded.
Version retention updates
- Deleted file retention set to 90 days, where the current value is more than 90 days
- Backup frequency set to 30 minutes, where the current value is less than 30 minutes
- Version retention settings updated to keep fewer file versions
See File version retention below for complete details.
New exclusions
Code42 is designed to back up user files, not operating system or application files. For this reason, Code42 has always excluded certain system files from being backed up. On or after April 15, 2023, we will add new backup exclusions. The following paths are key examples of what will be excluded:
Windows
- C:/Users/username/AppData/*
- C:/Program Files/*
- C:/Program Files (x86)/*
- C:/Windows/*
- C:/ProgramData/*
Mac
- /System/*
- /Library/*
- /Users/username/Library/*
- /Applications/*
- /Users/username/Applications/*
- /Users/username/Application Support/*
Considerations
- These backup exclusion changes also apply to legal hold backup sets.
- These changes are being applied globally throughout the Code42 cloud, and they cannot be overridden in the Code42 console.
- If you have existing customized backup exclusions, they are not affected by these updates.
List of exclusions
To view the full list of what will be excluded, click the expander icon (+) above.
(?i).*/CrashPlan.*/(?:cache|log|conf|manifest|upgrade|backupArchives|metadata)/.*
(?i).*/Main Identity.*/Data Records/.*
(?i).*/VMMHIBER\.W9X
(?i).*/\.TemporaryItems/.*
(?i).*\.ldb
(?i).*/.*leveldb
(?i)^.*/(.*\.?leveldb)/.*$
(?i)^.*(/Apple.*/Installer Cache/|/Cache/|/.cache2?|/Caches|/Cookies/|/Music/Subscription/|/Plex Media Server/|/Steam/|/Temp/|/\.dropbox\.cache/|/\.git/|/iPod Photo Cache/|/node_modules/|/tmp/|/tsm_images/|\.Trash|\.hdd/|\.pvm/|\.cprestoretmp|\.nvm|\.npm|/\.gradle/).*
(?i)^.*(\.class|-journal|Win386\.SWP|PM_HIBER\.BIN|SAVE2DSK\.BIN|SYSTEM\.DAT|TOSHIBER\.DAT|USER\.DAT|\.bck|\.bkf|\.cdt|\.hdd|\.hds|\.icloud|\.ini|\.lrprev|\.manifest|\.mum|\.nib|\.nvram|\.ost|\.part|\.pvm|\.pvs|\.rbf|\.tibx?|/Lightroom.*Previews\.lrdata|/(cookies|permissions)\.sqlite(-.{3})?|\.crdownload)$
(?i)^.*(\.kgdb|\.db|\.srd|-shm|-wal|-lock|\.musicdb|\.tvdb)$
(?i)^.*(\.pid|\.tmp|\.lock|\.upd|\.avhdx|\.ova|\.vdi|\.vfd|\.vhd|\.vhdx|\.vmc|\.vmdk|\.vmem|\.vmsd|\.vmsn|\.vmss|\.vmtm|\.vmwarevm|\.vmx|\.vmxf|\.vsv|\.vud|\.xva|\.qcow2?|\.iso|\.pkg|\.cab|\.ppd|\.mui|\.etl|\.raw|memory\.dmp|\.backupbundle|\.sparsebundle|\.sparseimage|\.mrimg)$
.*/(?:42|\d{18})/(?:cp\.properties|cpbf\d{18}.*/.*|\d{18}|cpbp|cpfmf(?:(?:\.compacttmp[psx])|[psx])?|cphdf|cprp|cptl)
.*/(cookies|permissions)\.sqllite(-.{3})?
linux:(?i)^/(usr/(?!($|local/$|local/crashplan/$|local/crashplan/print_job_data/.*))|opt/|etc/|dev/|home/[^/]+/\.config/google-chrome/|home/[^/]+/\.mozilla/|sbin/).*
linux:^/(cdrom/|dev/fd/|devices/|dvdrom/|initrd/|kernel/|lost\+found/|proc/|run/|selinux/|srv/|sys/|system/|var/(:?run|log|lock|spool|tmp|cache)/|proc/).*
linux:^/lib/modules/.*/volatile/\.mounted
mac:(?i).*/Google/Chrome/User Data/Default/IndexedDB/.*
mac:(?i)^.*(/iTunes/Album Artwork/Cache/|/Network Trash Folder/|/Photos Library.*/Thumbnails/|/backups\.backupdb/|/iP.* Software Updates/|/iPhoto Library.*/Thumbnails/|/iPhoto Library/iPod Photo Cache|/migratedphotolibrary/Thumbnails/|\.imovielibrary/.*/Analysis Files/|\.imovielibrary/.*/Render Files/).*
mac:(?i)^.*\.photoslibrary/(private/|resources/|database/).*$
mac:(?i)^.*(\.DS_Store|\.plist|\.strings)$
mac:(?i)^/(Users/(?!XCode)[^/]*/Library/(?!($|Application Support/$|Application Support/(Firefox|Google|Microsoft Edge)/$|Application Support/Microsoft Edge/.*$|Application Support/(Firefox|Google)/(Profiles|Chrome)/.*))).*
mac:(?i)^/(usr/|opt/|etc/|var/|Users\/(?!XCode)[^/]*\/Applications\/|Users\/(?!XCode)[^/]*\/\.sonarlint\/|Users/Shared/|dev/|Library/(?!($|Application Support/$|Application Support/CrashPlan/$|Application Support/CrashPlan/print_job_data/.*))|proc/|Users/.*/.vscode/extensions/).*
mac:.*/Code42/Code 42 Service\.app/.*
mac:.*Private Directory Data.*/.*
mac:^.*(/Trash/|/\.fcpcache/|/\.?MobileBackups/|\.Spotlight-.*/|\.fseventsd|\.hotfiles\.btree|/bin/|/home/|/sbin/|/cores/|/private/|/var/).*
mac:^/(Applications/|Desktop DB|Desktop DF|Network/|Previous Systems|System/|Users/.*/\.cisco/vpn/log/|Users/.*/\.dropbox/|\.DocumentRevisions-V100/|\.PKInstallSandboxManager-SystemSoftware|\.adobeTemp/|\.vol/|afs/|automount/|lost\+found/|net/).*
win:(?i).*/Packages/Microsoft\.Windows\.Cortana.*
win:(?i)^.*(/I386|/System Volume Information/|/Temporary Internet Files/|/Windows Update Setup Files/|\$RECYCLE\.BIN/|/NTUSER|/Safari/Library/Caches/|/Windows Defender/|/cygwin(64)?/(bin|dev|etc|lib|sbin|tmp|var|usr)/|UsrClass\.dat).*
win:(?i)^.:/(Config\.Msi|pagefile\.sys|HIBERFIL\.SYS|HIBRN8\.DAT|autoexec\.bat|boot\.ini|bootmgr|bootnxt|bootsect\.bak|config\.sys|io\.sys|msdos\.sys|ntdetect\.com|ntldr|swapfile\.sys)$
win:(?i)^.:/(swsetup/|Recovery/|boot/|ESD/|Recycler/|Dell/|Intel/|Oracle/|PerfLogs/|Program Files/|Program Files (\(x86\))?/|ProgramData/(?!$|CrashPlan/$|CrashPlan/user_settings/)|Users/All Users/|Users/[^/]+/Apple/MobileSync/|Users/[^/]+/\.sonarlint/|Windows(\.old)?/|\$WINDOWS.~(BT|WS)/|\$SysReset/|\$GetCurrent/|_RESTORE/|_SMSTaskSequence/|safeboot/|swsetup/).*
win:(?i)^.:/Users/[^/]+/AppData/(?!($|(Roaming|Local)/$|(Roaming|Local)/(Mozilla|Google|Microsoft)/$|(Roaming|Local)/(Mozilla|Google|Microsoft)/(Firefox|Chrome|Edge)/$|(Roaming|Local)/(Mozilla|Google|Microsoft)/(Firefox|Chrome|Edge)/(Profiles|User Data)/.*$)).*
win:.*DfsrPrivate.*
win:.:/winnt/.*
win:^.*(/Local Settings/Temp|/Local.*/History/|/LocalService/|/MSOCache|/NetHood/|/NetworkService/).*
File version retention
The file version retention changes below do not apply to legal hold backup sets.
Deleted files
On or after April 15, 2023, the deleted files retention setting will change to 90 days, if your current setting is more than 90 days.
When the Code42 agent observes that a file selected for backup no longer exists on the device, it is identified as a Deleted file. Deleted files are retained in backup archives based on your file retention settings. At the end of the deleted file retention period, deleted files are permanently removed during archive maintenance, which runs once for each archive every 60 days.
Code42 always keeps at least one copy of a file as long as the original remains on the device.
Backup frequency and file version settings
On or after April 15, backup frequency and version retention settings will be updated as follows:
- Backup frequency set to 30 minutes, where the current value is less than 30 minutes
- Version retention settings updated to:
- Keep 1 version per day after 7 days, where current value is more frequent
- Keep 1 version per week after 90 days, where current value is more frequent
- Keep 1 version per month after 1 year, where current value is more frequent
