# Backup config folder ? Config Symlink ? DeDup? Ghost of excluded data ? File Histroy and Change Track ? Checking backups? **URL:** \ **Category:** Support\ **Created:** [April 16, 2026, 7:56am UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/backup-config-folder-config-symlink-dedup-ghost-of-excluded-data-file-histroy-and-change-track-checking-backups/8856 "2026-04-16T07:56:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![uew93h](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/5e9695/32.png) [@uew93h](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/uew93h)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2026, 7:56am UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/backup-config-folder-config-symlink-dedup-ghost-of-excluded-data-file-histroy-and-change-track-checking-backups/8856/1 "2026-04-16T07:56:22Z")
# A. How to use same configs across different OS or when reinstalling OS ? 1. I use multiple disks(for multiple OS) on the same PC, and I want to backup data from same PC to same external disk from different. 2. **Weird question** - Everything I need except the configuration is in the repo ? If I loose access to current PC and just remember the password I will be able to restore ? # **B. cross-OS usage** Should I create a symlink ? # C. Set up like this - 1. [Forever full backups/DeDuplication](https://www.reddit.com/r/Backup/wiki/index/faq/incremental_and_differential_backups/#%3A%7E%3Atext=Forever+full+backups%2C-New) - Option Delete changes older than x, Where only fullbackup is taken once then incrementals are merged. I have heard terms like, snapshot and CBT but understand it. 2. how to Save a “Ghost” for excluded data i.e. only Filename, Metadata and Folder-Structure. 3. “File Change Tracker” to see summary of what files are moved/deleted/renamed between to backups. 4. “File History” to see previous version of files. # D. How to check Backups # E. Is it worth learning CLI ? Is Kopia Good enough ? What can I get extra after learning CLI, how much it would take ? wierd question 2 - Is Kopia considered enterprise level ? * * * **Setup** - I am backing up to local HDD. * * * _was unable to edit last post and i think it’s removed (if it’s not admin remove it): [Config data to backup from inside folders, Different type of Policies, Store repo's config file inside repo](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/config-data-to-backup-from-inside-folders-different-type-of-policies-store-repos-config-file-inside-repo/8846)_ ---
**Author:** ![kapitainsky](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/kopia.discourse.group/kapitainsky/32/535_2.png) [@kapitainsky](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/kapitainsky)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2026, 12:33pm UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/backup-config-folder-config-symlink-dedup-ghost-of-excluded-data-file-histroy-and-change-track-checking-backups/8856/2 "2026-04-16T12:33:33Z")
> [@uew93h](#): > > If I loose access to current PC and just remember the password I will be able to restore ? Yes. Only what you need to access your repo is its password. > [@uew93h](#): > > Should I create a symlink ? No sure what you mean here. > [@uew93h](#): > > Is Kopia Good enough ? Depends what you expect. > [@uew93h](#): > > What can I get extra after learning CLI, how much it would take ? Full access to kopia features. GUI is a bit limited - but enough for 99% of people. How long it takes depends only on your capabilities. Some people grasp it after few minutes and others maybe never. > [@uew93h](#): > > Is Kopia considered enterprise level ? Could you explain what enterprise level is for you? ---
**Author:** ![uew93h](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/5e9695/32.png) [@uew93h](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/uew93h)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 11:53am UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/backup-config-folder-config-symlink-dedup-ghost-of-excluded-data-file-histroy-and-change-track-checking-backups/8856/3 "2026-04-18T11:53:20Z")
Also when file is renamed, are those files backup-ed again ? ---
**Author:** ![kapitainsky](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/kopia.discourse.group/kapitainsky/32/535_2.png) [@kapitainsky](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/kapitainsky)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 12:38pm UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/backup-config-folder-config-symlink-dedup-ghost-of-excluded-data-file-histroy-and-change-track-checking-backups/8856/4 "2026-04-18T12:38:55Z")
Only metadata as content is deduplicated against data already in repository. ---
**Author:** ![uew93h](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/5e9695/32.png) [@uew93h](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/uew93h)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 3:08pm UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/backup-config-folder-config-symlink-dedup-ghost-of-excluded-data-file-histroy-and-change-track-checking-backups/8856/5 "2026-04-18T15:08:32Z")
@kapitainsky thanks for answering my question will you please also answer C section in main thread ---
**Author:** ![kapitainsky](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/kopia.discourse.group/kapitainsky/32/535_2.png) [@kapitainsky](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/kapitainsky)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2026, 5:18am UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/backup-config-folder-config-symlink-dedup-ghost-of-excluded-data-file-histroy-and-change-track-checking-backups/8856/6 "2026-04-19T05:18:23Z")
> [@uew93h](#): > > [Forever full backups/DeDuplication](https://www.reddit.com/r/Backup/wiki/index/faq/incremental_and_differential_backups/#%3A%7E%3Atext=Forever+full+backups%2C-New) - Option Delete changes older than x, Where only fullbackup is taken once then incrementals are merged. I have heard terms like, snapshot and CBT but understand it. Yes this is how kopia works. > [@uew93h](#): > > how to Save a “Ghost” for excluded data i.e. only Filename, Metadata and Folder-Structure. Not sure what you mean by this. Please explain. > [@uew93h](#): > > “File Change Tracker” to see summary of what files are moved/deleted/renamed between to backups. > **[diff](https://kopia.io/docs/reference/command-line/common/diff/)** > > $ kopia diff Displays differences between two repository objects (files or directories) > Flag Short Default Help --diff-command diff -u Displays differences between two repository objects (files or directories) --\[no-\]files -f false Compare files by... > [@uew93h](#): > > “File History” to see previous version of files. > [@Is there a way to view a single file history across all snapshots?](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/is-there-a-way-to-view-a-single-file-history-across-all-snapshots/1378): > > Pretty much the subject. I would expect to get date of snapshot, size and checksum. Maybe a/c/mtime. ---
**Author:** ![uew93h](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/5e9695/32.png) [@uew93h](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/uew93h)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2026, 1:46pm UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/backup-config-folder-config-symlink-dedup-ghost-of-excluded-data-file-histroy-and-change-track-checking-backups/8856/7 "2026-04-19T13:46:01Z")
> [@uew93h](#): > > how to Save a “Ghost” for excluded data i.e. only Filename, Metadata and Folder-Structure I exclude data from internet but I want to know that data is excluded when I restore so I want to save/restore filenames, directory structure, and metadata like file created , last edited. ---
**Author:** ![kapitainsky](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/kopia.discourse.group/kapitainsky/32/535_2.png) [@kapitainsky](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/kapitainsky)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2026, 4:03pm UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/backup-config-folder-config-symlink-dedup-ghost-of-excluded-data-file-histroy-and-change-track-checking-backups/8856/8 "2026-04-19T16:03:18Z")
> [@uew93h](#): > > I exclude data from internet but I want to know that data is excluded when I restore so I want to save/restore filenames, directory structure, and metadata like file created , last edited. OK. Clear. No such functionality in kopia itself. It would be something you have to manage yourself. ---
**Author:** ![uew93h](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/5e9695/32.png) [@uew93h](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/uew93h)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 8:29am UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/backup-config-folder-config-symlink-dedup-ghost-of-excluded-data-file-histroy-and-change-track-checking-backups/8856/9 "2026-04-28T08:29:15Z")
@kapitainsky 1. I want to have 1 repo for 1 disk, snapshoting without any changes took 23min and estimate took 11min, how to **backup selective parts** of the disk without it creating another repo inside the current repo ? 2. When setting up repo - what does it mean when it says to **replace username and computer name** when restoring ? 3. When I backup from another OS will Kopia be able to handle has **each OS has different directory scheme** and different username and computer-name. 4. How to **restore selective** directories ? ---
**Author:** ![kapitainsky](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/kopia.discourse.group/kapitainsky/32/535_2.png) [@kapitainsky](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/kapitainsky)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 2:55pm UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/backup-config-folder-config-symlink-dedup-ghost-of-excluded-data-file-histroy-and-change-track-checking-backups/8856/10 "2026-04-28T14:55:05Z")
> [@uew93h](#): > > creating another repo inside the current repo It is not possible:) You use some made up terminology making quite hard to understand what your real issue is. If you want to only backup subset of some data use exclusions - in other words you can tell kopia to skip some files and/or folders either specifying them explicitly or using patterns. > [@uew93h](#): > > When setting up repo - what does it mean when it says to **replace username and computer name** when restoring ? Snapshots are created with “username/computer name” as a marker to help you to remember what is what. You can use one repository to backup data from multiple sources. It can be always changed and is used for clarity only. > [@uew93h](#): > > When I backup from another OS will Kopia be able to handle has **each OS has different directory scheme** and different username and computer-name. Yes. Kopia works perfectly fine with Windows/Linux/macOS. > [@uew93h](#): > > How to **restore selective** directories ? If you have to restore multiple directories use kopia mount or CLI: > **[Restoring Files/Directories from Snapshots - Getting Started Guide](https://kopia.io/docs/getting-started/#restoring-filesdirectories-from-snapshots)** > > This guide will walk you through installing Kopia and setting up Kopia to backup/restore your data. Make sure to familiarize yourself with Kopia features before following this guide, so that you understand the appropriate terminology. As a reminder:... > **[restore](https://kopia.io/docs/reference/command-line/common/restore/)** > > $ kopia restore Restore a directory or a file. > Restore can operate in two modes: > from a snapshot: restoring (possibly shallowly) a specified file or directory from a snapshot into a target path. By default, the target path will be created by the... ---
**Author:** ![uew93h](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/5e9695/32.png) [@uew93h](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/uew93h)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 3:04pm UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/backup-config-folder-config-symlink-dedup-ghost-of-excluded-data-file-histroy-and-change-track-checking-backups/8856/11 "2026-04-28T15:04:37Z")
> [@kapitainsky](#): > > It is not possible:) You use some made up terminology making quite hard to understand what your real issue is. If you want to only backup subset of some data use exclusions - in other words you can tell kopia to skip some files and/or folders either specifying them explicitly or using patterns. by “ **backup selective parts** ” i meant I don’t want to spend 23m waiting for it to snapshot the whole disk with no changes, so is there a way to have Kopia tell “look here I made changes backup those” and in doing so I should consider the part-backup part of the whole disk backup so to not create a create “another backup inside the same repo with duplicate data” ---
**Author:** ![kapitainsky](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/kopia.discourse.group/kapitainsky/32/535_2.png) [@kapitainsky](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/kapitainsky)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 5:38pm UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/backup-config-folder-config-symlink-dedup-ghost-of-excluded-data-file-histroy-and-change-track-checking-backups/8856/12 "2026-04-28T17:38:07Z")
> [@uew93h](#): > > by “ **backup selective parts** ” i meant I don’t want to spend 23m waiting for it to snapshot the whole disk with no changes, Nope it is not possible. ---
**Author:** ![uew93h](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/5e9695/32.png) [@uew93h](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/uew93h)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2026, 9:01am UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/backup-config-folder-config-symlink-dedup-ghost-of-excluded-data-file-histroy-and-change-track-checking-backups/8856/13 "2026-04-29T09:01:10Z")
@kapitainsky Thanks alot for answer my questions, I was really confused about backup and still am a little. # 1. How to have multi profile using .kopiaignore in kopia ? **Example** I want to create “another profile” which backups “super important” to cloud with stronger password. Can I create .kopiaignore2 or .kopiaignorecloud. # 2. “only include” what is selected by e.g. .kopiainclude ? ---
**Author:** ![kapitainsky](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/kopia.discourse.group/kapitainsky/32/535_2.png) [@kapitainsky](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/kapitainsky)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2026, 1:19pm UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/backup-config-folder-config-symlink-dedup-ghost-of-excluded-data-file-histroy-and-change-track-checking-backups/8856/14 "2026-04-29T13:19:14Z")
> [@uew93h](#): > > 1. How to have multi profile using .kopiaignore in kopia ? You can use whatever files’ names you want. `.kopiaignore` is default one but you can specify something different or multiple files. When using GUI in policies: ![Screenshot 2026-04-29 at 3.15.16 pm](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/kopia/original/2X/1/15a991f718fb225defb24a5539c89d1d36f21a96.png) > [@uew93h](#): > > 1. “only include” what is selected by e.g. .kopiainclude ? There is no explicit include but you can use exclude all and negate what you want to include. Here you are some example: > [@Ignore folder except 1 subfolder](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/ignore-folder-except-1-subfolder/8758): > > Hello, What ignore pattern would ignore the subfolder \AppData except for \AppData\ThisFolder I have tried combinations of: \AppData !\AppData\ThisFolder and !\AppData\ThisFolder \AppData But it just ignores ‘ThisFolder’ regardless. It uses git style exclusions. If not familiar then do some google. There is plenty of info on Internet. and here kopia docs: > **[Ignoring Files and Folders in Snapshots](https://kopia.io/docs/advanced/kopiaignore/)** > > Fast and Secure Open-Source Backup Software for Windows, Mac, and Linux ---
**Author:** ![uew93h](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/5e9695/32.png) [@uew93h](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/uew93h)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 5:52pm UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/backup-config-folder-config-symlink-dedup-ghost-of-excluded-data-file-histroy-and-change-track-checking-backups/8856/15 "2026-05-04T17:52:22Z")
> [@kapitainsky](#): > > > [@uew93h](#): > > > > When I backup from another OS will Kopia be able to handle has **each OS has different directory scheme** and different username and computer-name. > > Yes. Kopia works perfectly fine with Windows/Linux/macOS. I backedup the same disk from windows and it took 6 Hours 12 Minutes ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/kopia/original/2X/c/c215487063980e2b85526ac462457cc7ca49421b.png) ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/kopia/original/2X/d/d638771fdc475d47277836bbe24ad5faca2e5961.png) ---
**Author:** ![kapitainsky](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/kopia.discourse.group/kapitainsky/32/535_2.png) [@kapitainsky](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/kapitainsky)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 7:07pm UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/backup-config-folder-config-symlink-dedup-ghost-of-excluded-data-file-histroy-and-change-track-checking-backups/8856/16 "2026-05-04T19:07:50Z")
> [@uew93h](#): > > I backedup the same disk from windows and it took 6 Hours 12 Minutes Are you backing up mechanical disks? It would explain why it is rather slow. When new data is backed up it has to scanned by kopia - meaning that everything has to be read, chunked, hashed and checked against data already in the repository. Subsequent backups should be much faster though as only new/changed files will be fully read. ---
**Author:** ![uew93h](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/5e9695/32.png) [@uew93h](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/uew93h)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2026, 7:34am UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/backup-config-folder-config-symlink-dedup-ghost-of-excluded-data-file-histroy-and-change-track-checking-backups/8856/17 "2026-05-05T07:34:48Z")
I barely made any changes mostly more .ignore files were added, 6hours is too much compared to 23min on Linux with no changes. Should I report it on kopia github ? ---
**Author:** ![kapitainsky](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/kopia.discourse.group/kapitainsky/32/535_2.png) [@kapitainsky](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/kapitainsky)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2026, 2:19pm UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/backup-config-folder-config-symlink-dedup-ghost-of-excluded-data-file-histroy-and-change-track-checking-backups/8856/18 "2026-05-05T14:19:32Z")
First backup is always slow. Have you tried to run it again? ---
**Author:** ![uew93h](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/5e9695/32.png) [@uew93h](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/uew93h)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2026, 12:52pm UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/backup-config-folder-config-symlink-dedup-ghost-of-excluded-data-file-histroy-and-change-track-checking-backups/8856/19 "2026-05-06T12:52:50Z")
Backup from a new OS with same data takes same amount of time as 1st backup, yes susbsquet backups from Windows took less time. ---
**Author:** ![uew93h](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/5e9695/32.png) [@uew93h](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/uew93h)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2026, 12:54pm UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/backup-config-folder-config-symlink-dedup-ghost-of-excluded-data-file-histroy-and-change-track-checking-backups/8856/20 "2026-05-06T12:54:35Z")
Does Kopia backup metadata changes ? Metadata of audio, video, .docx, .xlsx and attributes like hidden, read-only, system @kapitainsky [Next page](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/backup-config-folder-config-symlink-dedup-ghost-of-excluded-data-file-histroy-and-change-track-checking-backups/8856.md?page=2)