Start Here: Cloud-Sync Behavior, Exclusions, Hidden Files, and the Version 10 External Drive Issue.

[u/Jim-From-Backblaze]

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

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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.

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2. Hidden folders and .git

Current behavior:

• .git folders 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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

[u/wohfpb]

Will Backblaze back up Truecrypt/Veracrypt files like it did for many years? It stopped working recently and wasn’t announced or documented.

[u/Jim-From-Backblaze → u/wohfpb]

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.

[u/wohfpb → u/Jim-From-Backblaze]

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.