b4a failing to properly backup files
Something odd is happening. I'm using b4a to backup my Ark single player instance, so that if something goes wrong I can restore the backup from before it happened.
But instead, it keeps storing old files, and when I run its restore it restores older files far before the latest backup.
Its source is set to backup folder D:\steam\steamapps\common\ARK\ShooterGame\Saved. For the test, I'm comparing file D:\steam\steamapps\common\ARK\ShooterGame\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor\GameUserSettings.ini
It's been almost 2 days that I had edited it, removing the config StructurePickupTimeAfterPlacement=30.000000 and adding AlwaysAllowStructurePickup=True in its place.
I had just remade the change and created a new full backup. But when I restore it on another location and compare the files, the restored one still has StructurePickupTimeAfterPlacement config.
Looking at the file's metadata, it was modified on 15/03/2021 3:03 PM, but in zip backup it was modified on 14/03/2021 5:13 PM. This zip with full backup was modified on 15/03/2021 3:04 PM. This shows that this backup is storing an older file version from yesterday, while the file was just modified now.
It looks like that even the full backup doesn't notice files are changing and instead just replicates files from previous backups.
Yesterday I had deleted all instance files and started a new one. I played it for some hours, then today I made a backup then tried to disable some mods which resulted in a lot of items that relied on those mods I had disabled to be deleted. So I restored the backup to revert the changes I made, but instead of reverting back to before disabling these mods, it reverted back to 2 days ago, when the old instance was still in place, and all the time I played on the new instance is gone! Latest backup was even before the GameUserSettings.ini change!
That's when I started making these tests and saw that new backups are ignoring current files and keeping old ones. At first I thought that smart backup was messing it, maybe the deletion of previous instance confused it, but even the full backup is storing old versions of files.
But instead, it keeps storing old files, and when I run its restore it restores older files far before the latest backup.
Its source is set to backup folder D:\steam\steamapps\common\ARK\ShooterGame\Saved. For the test, I'm comparing file D:\steam\steamapps\common\ARK\ShooterGame\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor\GameUserSettings.ini
It's been almost 2 days that I had edited it, removing the config StructurePickupTimeAfterPlacement=30.000000 and adding AlwaysAllowStructurePickup=True in its place.
I had just remade the change and created a new full backup. But when I restore it on another location and compare the files, the restored one still has StructurePickupTimeAfterPlacement config.
Looking at the file's metadata, it was modified on 15/03/2021 3:03 PM, but in zip backup it was modified on 14/03/2021 5:13 PM. This zip with full backup was modified on 15/03/2021 3:04 PM. This shows that this backup is storing an older file version from yesterday, while the file was just modified now.
It looks like that even the full backup doesn't notice files are changing and instead just replicates files from previous backups.
Yesterday I had deleted all instance files and started a new one. I played it for some hours, then today I made a backup then tried to disable some mods which resulted in a lot of items that relied on those mods I had disabled to be deleted. So I restored the backup to revert the changes I made, but instead of reverting back to before disabling these mods, it reverted back to 2 days ago, when the old instance was still in place, and all the time I played on the new instance is gone! Latest backup was even before the GameUserSettings.ini change!
That's when I started making these tests and saw that new backups are ignoring current files and keeping old ones. At first I thought that smart backup was messing it, maybe the deletion of previous instance confused it, but even the full backup is storing old versions of files.
Re: b4a failing to properly backup files
This is really very odd. I cleaned all backups to assure b4a doesn't replicate old backup files instead of using current ones and made a brand new backup, then verified directly on the zip.
The file is still the outdated one from day 14.
I looked if there's any GameUserSettings.ini elsewhere, and only file found is on folder WindowsServer, but it wasn't modified since 2019.
I have no idea where b4a is taking this day 14 file.
I used rar.exe to create a rar from the folder, and the file inside it is properly updated. I guess I'll have to restart playing and use rar to make backups while I don't understand what's wrong b4a :/
But now I fear that same issue is happening with other jobs. I can't test each of them looking for outdated files.
The file is still the outdated one from day 14.
I looked if there's any GameUserSettings.ini elsewhere, and only file found is on folder WindowsServer, but it wasn't modified since 2019.
I have no idea where b4a is taking this day 14 file.
I used rar.exe to create a rar from the folder, and the file inside it is properly updated. I guess I'll have to restart playing and use rar to make backups while I don't understand what's wrong b4a :/
But now I fear that same issue is happening with other jobs. I can't test each of them looking for outdated files.
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Adrian (Softland)
- Posts: 1950
- Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:46 pm
Re: b4a failing to properly backup files
Hi,
Please follow these steps:
1. Create a new backup job to back up only that .ini file.
2. Before running the backup, open Backup Properties->Advanced page.
3. Uncheck the "Backup open files" option.
4. Press Save and run the backup.
Is the correct file content backed up?
Please follow these steps:
1. Create a new backup job to back up only that .ini file.
2. Before running the backup, open Backup Properties->Advanced page.
3. Uncheck the "Backup open files" option.
4. Press Save and run the backup.
Is the correct file content backed up?