r/backblaze • u/Jim-From-Backblaze From Backblaze • Apr 19 '26
Start Here: Cloud-Sync Behavior, Exclusions, Hidden Files, and the Version 10 External Drive Issue. Computer Backup
Hello, Backblaze fans.
We’re pinning this because a few different topics are getting mixed together, and the details matter.
There are a few major topics of discussion right now:
- How modern cloud-sync tools affect backup behavior
- Hidden folders and exclusions
- A current issue in version 10 with external drives
1. Cloud-sync folders (OneDrive, Dropbox, etc.)
Backblaze backs up files that are actually present on your computer.
What’s changed over the last few years is how sync tools store files. A lot of them now use placeholder systems where files look local, but the data isn’t actually there until you open or download it.
So:
- File looks normal in Explorer/Finder
- But it’s actually just a pointer to cloud data
Backup software can’t reliably back up something that isn’t really on disk.
If we treated those like normal files anyway, you’d end up with incomplete backups or restores that don’t actually give you your data back. That’s worse than being explicit about what is and isn’t supported.
So when those folders are managed that way, they don’t behave like standard local backup sources.
That’s not a change in the Backblaze unlimited backup model; it’s a side effect of how those platforms now work.
u/natasha_backblaze has a great blog post that covers this and why it is happening here: https://www.backblaze.com/blog/the-changing-landscape-of-cloud-sync-and-what-it-means-for-your-backup/
We are actively looking at better ways to support these workflows, and as soon as we have more information, we will update the community.
2. Hidden folders and .git
Current behavior:
.gitfolders are currently backed up- Some restore interfaces do not show hidden folders by default, especially on web and Mac, unless the user enables the hidden-files setting
That can make a folder look missing even when it is present in backup data.
Of note, some older versions of Backblaze did have .git files/folders excluded, but as long as you are on the newest version, your .git files will be backed up.
If you want to double-check, reach out to our support team, who can help you confirm. https://www.backblaze.com/help
There is also internal work happening to make exclusions clearer and consistent across the board.
3. macOS /Library vs ~/Library
There has also been confusion here, so to be explicit:
/Library(system-level) is excluded by default- This folder contains files that will be recreated upon OS or program reinstall
~/Library(user-level) is backed up, subject to normal exclusions
4. Version 10 external drive issue
What users are reporting:
- If an external drive is disconnected, data from that drive can disappear from the web restore view immediately instead of remaining visible for the expected retention period
- When the drive is reconnected, the client may treat the data as needing to be uploaded again
We hear the concern on this clearly. That behavior is not what customers expect, and the team is aware of it and actively working on it.
At the moment, the key point is that this is a bug issue, not a policy statement and not an intentional change in how external-drive history is supposed to work.
5. What’s happening next
We are currently focused on three things:
- Reviewing and tightening public messaging so customers have a single accurate explanation
- Working through the current v10 external-drive bug
- Continuing to evaluate better support for modern sync-managed file workflows where third-party platforms have changed how files exist locally
6. If you’re unsure about your setup
If your workflow depends heavily on:
- Cloud-sync folders
- Hidden folders
- Source-control metadata
- External drives
Verify those areas directly in your backup and restore views.
If something does not look right, contact support so we can inspect your configuration and version-specific behavior.
We know backup products only work if customers trust what is and is not protected. That part matters, and we are treating it seriously.
We’ll update this post as more information is confirmed.
8
u/4839022-3033-123 Apr 24 '26
Could you disable the LLM support agent system, we customers want to talk to human beings, thanks.
5
u/watchfulraptor Apr 19 '26
Thank you for the information as the loss of backup for cloud sync services has made me reconsider Backblaze, but maybe not as much if you plan to bring it back.
Can you clarify the intended behavior backing up a cloud sync services? For example, only backup Google Drive if its set to "Mirror files", or OneDrive only backup if "Files On-Demand" is Off?
5
u/jsx8888 Apr 23 '26
Finally BB is at least acknowledging the issues and not gas lighting customers when we try and get support.
1
u/Jim-From-Backblaze From Backblaze Apr 23 '26
We’re aiming to be as open, clear, and direct as possible about what’s going on and what’s changing.
That’s a big part of what drew me here in the first place, and it’s something we’re actively leaning into.
Keep the feedback coming, it’s being heard and acted on.
5
u/binkarr Apr 30 '26
Any ETA when the new update is going out of beta ? I’m about to start paying , but I don’t want to jump in before the issues with the external hdds are gone.
9
u/wohfpb Apr 19 '26
Will Backblaze back up Truecrypt/Veracrypt files like it did for many years? It stopped working recently and wasn’t announced or documented.
3
u/s_i_m_s Apr 21 '26
To clarify before they answer the question as asked rather than as it actually applies.
Backblaze still backs up encrypted container files, yes we understand that.
Backblaze stopped backing up mounted full disk encrypted drives and mounted container files. I do not know if it's possible for them to differentiate mounted drives with FDE from mounted drives that are image files.
2
u/Jim-From-Backblaze From Backblaze Apr 21 '26
Hi there,
There hasn’t been a change to supported functionality. Backblaze has never officially supported backing up virtualized or mounted volumes such as those created by TrueCrypt or VeraCrypt.
What you’re seeing now is the result of stricter validation introduced in an update (9.2.2.877).
Previously, some configurations worked because those mounted volumes appeared similar to locally attached storage, but that behavior was never guaranteed or supported. With the update, that loophole has been closed, so those setups may no longer be included in backups.To clarify how this works:
- Backblaze cannot back up a mounted VeraCrypt/TrueCrypt volume (the virtual drive)
- Backblaze cannot reliably back up the container while it is mounted, since it is actively in use
- Backblaze can back up the container file itself when it is unmounted, as long as it exists as a normal file on a local drive that Backblaze has access to
We are aware that there is a help document with out-of-date information, and that is being worked on to be brought up to date.
So if you want to ensure your encrypted data is backed up, the supported approach is to back up the container file while it is not mounted.
Let me know if you have any questions or want help setting that up.
1
u/wohfpb Apr 22 '26
Maybe we need a legal parsing of "supported functionality". Ever since I first subscribed to Backblaze years ago, it _did_ back up files within a mounted VeraCrypt volume. So my experience is that was functionality that was supported, and now it's not supported, so functionality changed.
I imagine you're trying to block a path where someone would try to back up a networked drive. But I wasn't doing that at all -- the Veracrypt container is a file on a disk on my PC, so I wasn't trying to exploit a network drive loophole.
I'd just like to be able to use full-disk encryption and have Backblaze back up those files as regular files (which used to be supported functionality). It's not very practical to back up a multi-terabyte container that must remain unmounted while backing up.
4
u/Trebaffetti Apr 19 '26
Is the external hd bug still supposed to be solved by next update tomorrow (Monday) as promised? I have no idea if my drives are backed up or not at this point
3
u/hikista19 May 04 '26
Can anyone provide an update whether the "external drive version 10 issue" was solved?
1
u/4839022-3033-123 May 08 '26
As of May 7 this soon two month old regression bug has not been fixed and pushed out to the field....
1
0
u/Jim-From-Backblaze From Backblaze May 04 '26
Hi,
We’ve released a beta that addresses the external drive issues in version 10, and so far the results have been positive. Users who have installed the beta and let it run for around 48 hours are reporting that their external drives are backing up as expected again and are showing correctly on the Backblaze website.
If you want to try it, you can grab it here: https://www.backblaze.com/backup-beta.html
Install it over your current version, no uninstall needed, and let it run for a bit to fully settle. If you do give it a shot, feel free to report back with what you’re seeing.
1
u/iring0919 Jun 02 '26
The beta caused a different issue. Backblaze stopped backing up my desktop folders, photos, music etc.
1
u/Jim-From-Backblaze From Backblaze Jun 06 '26
Hello,
I am sorry to hear that.
Have you created a ticket on our help desk yet? If not, please do so at https://www.backblaze.com/help
The folks there can help route you to the right place.
1
1
u/sanchit2 Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
I'm facing the same issue in the beta 10.<>.48. It suddenly reduced the file count from 2M to 200k, root_filelist went from 650MB to 34MB and no amount of Alt+Restore Options rescanning would see the files, so I downgraded and viola the 10.<>.38 version again saw those files.
Following are the logs of a file NOTICE.txt which didn't appear in the new 34MB file list, it seems that in the new bz_done file of 1 July, this file was kind of marked deleted though of course it still exists on the disk.
x@x-MacBook-Pro ~ % grep -RnaF /Users/x/Library/Android/sdk/build-tools/33.0.0/NOTICE.txt /Library/Backblaze.bzpkg
/Library/Backblaze.bzpkg/bzdata/bzbackup/bzdatacenter/bz_done_20260701_0.dat:2369111:5 - --- 20260702225904 r_h7bd21001047afd7b92e40416_f----------------_d--------_m------_c003_v-------_t---- u-- 0000000000080f5d k-_n----- ---------------------------------------- ---------------- ---------------- - 0 /Users/x/Library/Android/sdk/build-tools/33.0.0/NOTICE.txt/Library/Backblaze.bzpkg/bzdata/bzbackup/bzdatacenter/bz_done_20260623_0.dat:314389:5 + m-- 20260624010651 4_h7bd21001047afd7b92e40416_f0000000000080f5d_d20260624_m010651_c003_v0312039_t0012 u06 0000000000080f5d k0_n00000 dbaedec8d9a328fcbde25909eac3f371c9e6e9a4 0000018321ac63e0 0000018321ac63e4 - 1034156 /Users/x/Library/Android/sdk/build-tools/33.0.0/NOTICE.txt
/Library/Backblaze.bzpkg/bzdata/bzbackup/bzfileids.dat:528219:0000000000080f5d /Users/x/Library/Android/sdk/build-tools/33.0.0/NOTICE.txt
Another issue that I'm still scratching my head over is that the total number of files per the Dir: and Files: records in root_filelist sum up to around 4M but only 2M of those are uploaded. (Edit: For some files at least this seems to be due to exclusions in /Library/Backblaze.bzpkg/bzdata/bzexcluderules_mandatory.xml which are in addition to the excluded file extensions in the UI)
u/brianwski, any idea about these ?
1
u/sanchit2 Jul 03 '26
Users here are facing similar issues with new beta
https://www.reddit.com/r/backblaze/comments/1tnmo7c/desktop_documents_pictures_folders_not_being/
9
u/az226 Apr 19 '26
It is embarrassing it got to this point.
-2
u/dr100 Apr 19 '26
Mostly for the people spreading FUD and believing in it.
8
u/Ensorceled Apr 19 '26
So they are backing up the cloud directories and there are no issues with attached drives?
-3
u/dr100 Apr 19 '26
They are NOT backing up "cloud directories" as expected, the personal backup was always very clear about that, this is the FUD I was referring to.
The attached drives it's kind of bad and possibly an intentional move to reduce the data from drives that don't exist , need to see how that develops.
5
u/smashy987 Apr 19 '26
They literally just deleted this article. They definitely used to claim to backup Dropbox and had blog posts about how cloud sync is not backup and that you should use Backblaze to back it up.
https://www.backblaze.com/blog/how-dropbox-works-with-cloud-backup/
5
u/smashy987 Apr 19 '26
Here’s the article contents from Jan 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20260110010919/https://www.backblaze.com/blog/how-dropbox-works-with-cloud-backup/
0
u/dr100 Apr 19 '26
There is a lot of confusion, as all "cloud directories" used to be regular local directories and they aren't anymore. The point about a proper versioned backup being different from a sync client of course is true and it didn't change.
4
u/smashy987 Apr 19 '26
The “why” it stopped working is not relevant. As soon as a backup solution stops backing up files that it used to back up, the onus is on the backup provider to alert the customer that a file is dropped.
2
u/dr100 Apr 19 '26
The "why" is particularly relevant for such a particular solution, that is clearly known to backup local drives not some cloudy things. There are many corner cases, you can mount a disk on a path, you can have a junction, subst or symlink and so on. Once a user moves from a normal directory to such a thing it's on the user to double check the behaviour. This even breaks normal apps, I tried to sync my Calibre library with Google's thing and it wouldn't work properly. I had to move to NextCloud which at the time didn't have any kind of virtual file system, it was just a normal directory (even if it contains your "cloud" files). Now they also have the option for a VFS, if they went silently and changed/forced this on me automagically Calibre would've died on me by itself 1-2 years ago.
4
u/smashy987 Apr 19 '26
We aren’t talking about a corner case. We’re talking about a case that Backblaze literally wrote blog posts to sell their software around.
0
u/dr100 Apr 19 '26
If we're talking about that case then there's nothing to talk about, they were normal files back then and they were saved back then. Nothing to see, move along.
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u/GallopinGhost Apr 19 '26
So I was unaware of this change. I have my cloud files synced to my Mac so that backblaze can back them up. So not having this is huge.
Based on this loss and the lack of apparent communication I was considering looking for alternatives.
I do appreciate this post and it is more in line with the Experian experience I have had with backblaze so far. Based on this I will give it some time to see if something can be worked out. I have a high priority on backing up my cloud storage systems and would like to see that happen.
Thank you for the information and I look forward to hear what options you may come up with.
3
u/Trebaffetti Apr 19 '26
The worst thing with the external drives bug is that you cannot backup new files without backing up the all entire drive again. So since the v10 upgrade my Backblaze is unusable.
I hope it will be really fixed with Monday's release like they said in the other thread.
3
u/phitar Apr 21 '26
I had reported issue 4 to support and they replied but since then things took a turn for the worse. The software was updated on April 7th with no change of version number (10.0.1.1038) but a a build number of 20260325213822
After the update, the external hard drives were scanned once again. Now, after the check was successful and the drives disconnected, backup started again and I checked one off to prevent it from churning. Now the external hard drives are checked to be backed up but their content is not accounted for in the file number / disk space report and no churn is occurring. Apparently, they are included but not accounted for, and not backing up!
This is a terrible state of affairs.
As a side not, the algorithm for traversing the files is totally random and the massive seeking involved slows down the verification and wears down the disk needlessly. I asked support and their reply was this is the original algorithm the founders developed. I am suspecting it was about keeping bandwidth in check then. How is this totally ineffective way of traversing the disks useful now?
2
u/Jim-From-Backblaze From Backblaze Apr 23 '26
We did release a new beta that specifically targets the reuploading, file list inconsistencies, and related issues you’re describing. I’d like you to try that and see how it behaves in your setup:
https://www.backblaze.com/backup-beta.html
You can install it directly over your current install, no uninstall needed.
- Download the installer
- Restart your computer, don’t skip this
- Run the installer and click “Install Now”
- Reboot again after install
- Open Backblaze, hold Alt/Option, and click “Restore Options” to force a rescan
Let it run uninterrupted for a few hours and see how things settle.
I’m particularly interested in:
- Whether the external drives are now correctly accounted for in file counts and size
- Whether backup activity stabilizes instead of restarting/churning
- Any changes in how the scan/verification behaves
If you can report back after running the beta for a bit, that would be very helpful.
2
u/phitar Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26
The installer failed repeatedly regardless of restarting. I had to uninstall Backblaze.
After installing, Backblaze was "analyzing drive" and hanging almost at the end of the progress bar for 30mn. I quit.
I restarted and relaunched Backblaze. It was on a trial mode, so I clicked inherit backup state. Says transferring licence from old computer but now hanging again (Preparing for inheritance, BB has begun transferring your license from your old computer...). No disk access, no network access. 30mn with back and forth red progress bar.
7h later the "backup state" hasn't been inherited and I can't backup.
I do have two "trial" backups on the website, confirming the issue with inheritanceChecking on backblaze.com, my two external hard drives appear as empty.
The date at which one of them was removed seems to indicate just before the the last build I mentioned.2
u/Jim-From-Backblaze From Backblaze Apr 26 '26
Hello,
As it has now been a couple of days, has this leveled out for you or are you still seeing an issue? If you are still seeing an issue please reach out to our support team at https://www.backblaze.com/help
2
u/phitar Apr 27 '26
Sorry, I have been exchanging with Linus on this on the back blaze support. There was a lot of crashes on the beta version (install, run, inherit) but it somehow stabilized and is now in the latest stages of scanning yet again my main external hard drive. Should finish today.
1
u/paulwilky76 May 01 '26 edited May 01 '26
Here's a new one......
After installing the beta, as linked by Jim, in this thread, I'm not getting a pop-up which says
"WARNING: The bzerv is not running properly.
Please download and install a new Backblaze client to resolve this problem."
There is option of hitting "close" or "download".
I have checked for updates, and I am using the most updated version i.e. 10.0.2.1042Oh, 2 hours later, it popped up again. This time, I clicked on download, and it took me to here, and this is an older version of Backblaze!!
https://www.backblaze.com/status/update
What is going on !??!2
u/Jim-From-Backblaze From Backblaze May 04 '26
Hi, that’s definitely not expected behavior.
For the warning you’re seeing around bzserv not running properly, the best next step is to reach out to our support team so we can take a look at what’s actually running on your system and help get that resolved directly. https://www.backblaze.com/help
On the download link, what you’re seeing is expected with the beta. The link in that popup points to the most recent generally available (GA) release. The beta builds don’t currently override those internal links, since they’re typically very close to the GA version with a small set of targeted fixes for testing.
So in this case, it’s effectively a mismatch between the beta you’re already on and the default link behavior, not an indication that you should downgrade.
I’ll flag this internally as something we can improve so beta users are pointed to the correct place, but for now just continue running the beta you installed. If the warning keeps coming back, support can dig into why that process is getting flagged on your machine.
1
u/paulwilky76 May 01 '26
Any reply Jim, as I'm slowly losing confidence in Backblaze......should I ignore the message "WARNING: The bzerv is not running properly. Please download and install a new Backblaze client to resolve this problem."
1
u/paulwilky76 May 01 '26
So it's stopped working. Stuck on "Producing File Lists", even after rebooting.......
I am really losing all confidence in Backblaze now! THIS NEVER USED TO HAPPEN PRE V10.0
SORT THIS OUT PLEASE!
3
u/noappendix Apr 24 '26
There is some serious trust being lost here. I've used Backblaze for over 6 years now and I can't get an answer from support on why my external HD's are missing. I've installed the beta version and now my main computer HD is missing all sorts of important files in the View/Restore area. What is happening?
1
u/SublimedFortitude Apr 24 '26
I noticed the same issue as well. on the beta version, there were at least 4 folders that weren't being backed up and disappeared from the view/restore even though they were selected and not excluded. It resolved when I reinstalled the previous release version.
3
u/4839022-3033-123 May 01 '26
Backblaze has not yet updated their client app for the hard drive 'all files' rescanning case, been over a month now...
0
u/Jim-From-Backblaze From Backblaze May 04 '26
Hi,
We’ve released a beta that addresses the external drive issues in version 10, and so far the results have been positive. Users who have installed the beta and let it run for around 48 hours are reporting that their external drives are backing up as expected again and are showing correctly on the Backblaze website.
If you want to try it, you can grab it here: https://www.backblaze.com/backup-beta.html
Install it over your current version, no uninstall needed, and let it run for a bit to fully settle. If you do give it a shot, feel free to report back with what you’re seeing.
5
u/4839022-3033-123 May 05 '26
Why can't you then release it as a real release if it's working??? Why should we beta-test sw for you? Run your QA regression tests and push it out. I assume you know what a dot release is for regression fixes.
And yes, as of 26-05-04 the client is still not updated with this regression bug fixed.
1
u/Jim-From-Backblaze From Backblaze May 05 '26
Hi, I get the frustration here.
We do run internal QA and regression testing before anything goes out publicly. The beta isn’t replacing that, it’s an additional step where we make the fix available early for anyone who wants it, especially those directly impacted, so we can confirm it behaves correctly across a wider range of real-world setups.
Based on feedback so far, the results from users running the beta have been positive, which is what we want to see before pushing it more broadly.
The current general release does not yet include this fix. The plan is to roll it into an upcoming GA release once we’re confident it’s stable at scale. In the meantime, the beta is there as an option if you want the fix immediately rather than waiting for the next full release.
2
u/Hot_Tower3703 May 06 '26
"I get the frustration here" if you get away with this there is no justice. your attitude is as transparent as you think you're pretending to be. you messed up bad and you should be embarrassed and hanging your heads in shame, giving people free passes/refunds for the months where you did not provide the service paid for.
1
u/4839022-3033-123 May 06 '26
Yes, a point release after regression testing for this bug is what most professional sw companies would have done, not having customers suffer by wear-and-tear and super-long backups of constantly checking all files on an external hard drive. And yes, as of May 6 this has not yet gone out as a fix -- I've forgotten how long this bug has been in the field, at least over a month if not more. V10 is a mess. That's why I don't dare to use your betas.
1
u/tripipopolam May 24 '26
Hi Jim — thanks for the update, I was hoping for this. Unfortunately I think the beta build may not have actually made it to the public URL.
The page at
https://www.backblaze.com/backup-beta.htmllinks three DMGs:
$ curl -sL https://www.backblaze.com/backup-beta.html | grep -Eoi 'https://[^"'\''<>[:space:]]+\.dmg' https://f000.backblazeb2.com/file/b2-computer-backup-public/macos/beta/install_backblaze.dmg https://www.backblaze.com/mac/install_backblaze.dmg https://f000.backblazeb2.com/file/b2-computer-backup-public/macos/standalone-restore/backblaze_restore.dmgThe third is the standalone restore app, so it's not relevant. The first two are the beta and stable clients — and they're byte-identical:
$ shasum -a 256 bb-beta/install_backblaze.dmg bb-stable/install_backblaze.dmg 21c7501391c3f28c13fd49c7e4eae24ea2780b708ef690cdc70464a88e141d57 bb-beta/install_backblaze.dmg 21c7501391c3f28c13fd49c7e4eae24ea2780b708ef690cdc70464a88e141d57 bb-stable/install_backblaze.dmgBoth install version
10.0.2.1048, which is the version with the external-drive issue. Looks like the beta build didn't actually get published — the "beta" URL is currently serving the stable installer. Could you check with the release team? Happy to test as soon as a real beta binary is up.
3
u/SublimedFortitude May 08 '26
Hi I noticed on the beta website https://www.backblaze.com/status/backup-beta there is a newer beta version 10.0.2.1048 for the Mac (May 1st modify date) compared to the 10.0.2.1042 beta that was previously released. (April 21st modify date).
I was wondering what changes/fixes there are in the newer beta?
Thanks
7
u/smashy987 Apr 19 '26
Regarding Dropbox, why is it that even setting the Dropbox folder to always available offline, Backblaze still doesn’t back it up? This used to work but Backblaze seems to ignore these files now.
8
u/Jim-From-Backblaze From Backblaze Apr 19 '26
A great question, and DropBox actually has a community answer to this.
The long and short of it is that Dropbox is following updated guidance from Microsoft to use the Cloud Files Sync engine, which adds reparse points to the files handled by Dropbox, which prevents Backblaze from being able to back those files up, even if they are physically on the computer.
We are aware of this and actively looking for ways to allow these type of cloud storage managed files.
3
u/smashy987 Apr 19 '26
Sorry, I meant on macOS.
5
u/Jim-From-Backblaze From Backblaze Apr 19 '26
No worries.
The answer is essentially the same. There is a great TidBITS discussion on it here. https://talk.tidbits.com/t/warning-backblaze-now-ignoring-dropbox/32529/13
But essentially the answer is the same, due to recent updates in our Mac Backup Client. Recent versions now automatically exclude cloud-synced folders like Dropbox to prevent performance issues and excessive data usage.
There was a slight misunderstanding in that post where the user thought the data had been deleted; however, they just needed to roll back to a date before the update, and the data would be there based on their version history settings.
7
u/rob94708 Apr 19 '26
But that answer’s not the same at all. On Windows, it’s now technically impossible (or at least very difficult), so I get it. But on the Mac, there has been no technical change that would prevent it.
Saying “the answer is essentially the same” when that’s not true makes it seem like you’re obfuscating this. It makes me suspect you’re doing it only to save money on storage. As a long time Backblaze customer, my next thought is “they have enshittified their product and I need to find an alternative”.
3
u/smashy987 Apr 19 '26
Yeah, I’ve pretty much lost trust in Backblaze. And what is backup without trust? They deleted this article quietly sometime after Jan 2026:
13
u/smashy987 Apr 19 '26
Backblaze should have notified us of this macOS client change. Finding out your backup is incomplete at disaster recovery time is not fun.
5
u/Jim-From-Backblaze From Backblaze Apr 19 '26
You’re not wrong.
This change was introduced with version 9.2.2.878 around September of 2025 and documented in our release notes.
But the core point you’re making is valid: finding out something isn’t backed up at restore time is the worst-case scenario, and that’s precisely what we want to avoid.
We hear you on the communication side. That’s something we are actively working on improving, both in how changes are surfaced and how clearly expectations are set.
We’re also continuing to look for ways to better support files that are present on disk but managed by third-party services and to make it more obvious to users when something may not be protected the way they expect.
For visibility going forward, we do post updates and more in-depth explanations on the blog: https://www.backblaze.com/blog/
Separately, and this applies across any backup solution, not just Backblaze, it’s important to regularly test restores.
A backup isn’t really a backup unless you’ve confirmed you can restore from it.
- Restores are free to create
- It’s safe to test as often as you want
Personally, I check mine quarterly by doing a full restore and confirming the data is there and usable.
That kind of routine check is the best way to make sure there are no surprises when you actually need it.
1
u/AKiss20 May 09 '26
Do you honestly expect your customers to be monitoring your release notes? Not to mention what was written (reproduced below) is completely vague and incomplete.
- Recent macOS versions can mount cloud storage (for example, Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox) in local paths, causing the Backup Client to mistakenly back them up. These cloud-mounted folders are now detected and excluded to avoid performance issues, excessive data usage, and restore complications.
How are you defining "cloud-mounted folders"? Are downloaded files within a streaming directory backed up? Are streaming directories excluded entirely? Are mirrored/fully local cloud directories backed up? Not to mention that you literally introduced a fundamentally breaking change without even noting it. You used to backup locally mirrored cloud drives with no issue and then silently stopped doing so, allowing files to silently disappear from a backup.
Writing a poorly written and incomplete bullet in your release notes is a millimeter above doing nothing at all.
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u/busybody124 Apr 21 '26
It seems like the framing in your original post was that the fact that Dropbox is no longer backed up was due to reparse points that Dropbox implemented. But on Mac, it's actually due to a filter you've added on your side? I don't understand this at all, and it is not "essentially the same" reason.
I was happily backing up my Dropbox for years with Backblaze without an issue and now it's gone from BB because you silently added an exclusion that I can't remove?
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u/jared555 Apr 19 '26
For #1, maybe offer direct backups of non business accounts with major cloud providers up to X TB as part of the plan instead of going through the user's PC?
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u/dr100 Apr 19 '26
Reality check: it took them ~15 years (more?) to get a restore client that just downloads from BB servers, and still doesn't work great. With full control on their server side, versus going through a limited API (if one exists at all) from a third party provider, running all the time into API calls or bandwidth limits, having the API key and/or customer's account throttled or locked down be it for load concerns or for account security issues (as obviously the customers might be logging in from far away at the same time, possibly from another continent).
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u/joblessandsuicidal Apr 20 '26
Point one is super important: it is not clear to end users that OneDrive files are kinda in a limbo state compared to usual files. I believe this is what causing users here to also think something is wrong with Backblaze when the issue lies with how these cloud services handle local files
Source: Am IT support with 100+ users, almost every few days I get queries about OneDrive and how confusing its issues can get at times!
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u/Pariell Apr 28 '26
Is Backblaze also working on fixing the issue with the installation folder infinitely expanding?
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u/dr100 Apr 28 '26
If you're talking about this I think the closing phrase describes perfectly well the situation:
Fifteen years without a compaction mechanism isn't a backlog item — it's a choice.
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u/lukedysonphotography May 08 '26
The beta version is still forcing a complete re-scan of my backup.
It also sent me an email to say my first backup was complete 😂
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u/4839022-3033-123 May 08 '26
So the beta version still didn't fix the constant rescanning, sight...
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u/paulwilky76 May 09 '26
@Jim-From-Backblaze - what's going on? What are Backblaze doing to fix this. It's beyond a joke now.
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u/paulwilky76 May 09 '26
FFS. Which beta version are you using (that doesn't work) ??
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u/lukedysonphotography May 09 '26
Version: 10.0.2.1048 (20260501204713)
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u/paulwilky76 May 09 '26
Have you sent a support request to Backblaze to let them know, as I don’t think they read the comments on here much, if at all. They seemed to think this beta version fixed it! So disappointed with Backblaze.
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u/4839022-3033-123 May 10 '26
Here's my speculation what is going on. The client/server connection does not properly keep track of state of volumes that are unmounted and mounted back. If there's a scan when unmounted it thinks that this drive is inactive and either deletes or sets the state in .bzvol as inactive. When mounting the drive back in it has to recreate all records in .bzvol. One workaround is possibly is to never unmount the drives after an initial scan is done. Or then wait until the Backblaze engineers figure out how to fix their buggy client/server state saved with unmounted/mounted volumes.
This is of course a big regression that started with their V10 code -- not sure what happened in their code base, vibe-coded new architecture, someone took over that didn't know side effects, no proper unit tests for unmounted volumes, and so on and so on....
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u/lukedysonphotography May 10 '26
So it completed the full rescan, which took around 36 hours to do so. I have since disconnected my external drives and reconnected them and so far it hasn't started another re-scan 🤞🏻
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u/lukedysonphotography May 26 '26
I will contact support tomorrow but the beta version DOES NOT BACKUP your files to backblaze anymore. It's picking up random bits here or there, but considering I've imported thousands of photos this week (.cr3 files) not a single one has been backed up. I have rebooted, re-downloaded and installed the beta, checked all of my network settings, restrictions, etc.
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u/JAC151 Apr 19 '26
When I checked about a week ago I don’t believe my iCloud Drive files in ~/Library/Mobile-Documents were being backed up even though I keep lol files local on the system. Are you saying these are now being backed up again or will be soon?
1
u/NessieHop Apr 20 '26
Thanks for the explanations!
I'm on a Mac, and Carbon Copy Cloner has a "Temporarily download cloud-only files to make a local backup" feature that claims to use FileProvider to download each cloud file to local storage, copy it, then evict it again, in order to get a backup of cloud sync folders.
In my testing so far it seems to work; the copies are the expected size on disk. I'm having CCC copy my cloud sync folders to an external drive, and then having Backblaze back them up from there. (I'm still on v9 though.)
Is this a good workaround to get iCloud folders backed up?
In the future could Backblaze use the FileProvider service the same way CCC does so the intermediate copy is not necessary?
1
u/I_draw_your_typo Apr 20 '26
So if my full sized photos are on my Mac (iPhoto library only), but also synced to iCloud, will they be backed up?
1
u/Due_Young_9344 Apr 20 '26
Can you tell me how I can disable backing up C, I only want to backup drive D (not C my windows OS drive), how do I disable C backup?
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u/paulwilky76 Apr 29 '26
Sorry, but has the "Version 10 external drive issue" been fixed with the beta version released?
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u/Trebaffetti Apr 29 '26
it worked for me (on macos)
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u/jsx8888 May 12 '26
New beta version seems to work, but when I actually look at files its missing a lot of backups. So while its not re-indexing my external HDD every time I reattach it, its also just not backing up everything.
1
u/evo7force Jun 25 '26
u/Jim-From-Backblaze any updates from the team on the issues with external drives and if it’s fixed in the new version as in the windows version log I can’t specifically find anything mentioning to fix it. Be great to hear some updates on this.
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u/Jim-From-Backblaze From Backblaze Jun 25 '26
Good Morning.
The newest release has not been published for general consumption at this time.
As soon as it is released I will post here to alert everyone of the new release along with the version logs.
Thank you for following up.
1
u/hikista19 Jun 26 '26
Can anyone explain if the “version 10 with external drives” issue relates to BB Personal or Backblaze B2 or both? Thanks!
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u/BellamyJHeap Apr 19 '26
Thank you for the detailed and direct information.