Restoring deleted or previous version files with Shadow Copy

Shadow Copy (also called Volume Snapshot Service or VSS, or Previous Versions in Windows Vista) is a feature introduced with Windows Server 2003 and is in all releases of Microsoft Windows thereafter, that allows taking manual or automatic backup copies or snapshots of a file or folder on a specific volume at a specific point in time. It is used by NTBackup and the Volume Shadow Copy service to back up files. In Windows Vista, it is used by Windows Vista’s backup utility, System Restore and the Previous Versions feature. Shadow Copy technology requires the file system to be NTFS. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

1. If running Shadow Copy by default it schedules snapshots of your files at 7 AM and 12 noon each day. These shadow copies record any changes made to files as well as allow recovery of deleted files and folders. The shadow copies will have a number of versions depending on usage and the space allocated for them.

Restoring a Previous Version of a File

1. Open your shared network drive

   

2. Select the file you would like to revert to a previous version, right click and choose properties

   

3. Select the Previous Versions Tab

   

4. If you have made any saved changes to this document, they will appear in the list. You may view and previous version copy it, or restore it over the previous version.
   

Restoring a Deleted File or Folder

1. Open your shared drive

   

2. Select the folder where your deleted item resided, right click and choose properties (HINT, if you deleted a folder or file from the root of your F or G drive, open my computer, right click your F or G drive and choose properties)

   

3. Select the Previous Versions Tab

   

4. All previous versions of the folder will show up in this list. Select the snapshot you would like to restore from and choose view to navigate into the shadow copy