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Issue abstract: I am really struggling to add any new folders to my existing backup sets in Norton 360. I can see some oldish posts going back 6 months saying Norton V24 has a problem to be fixed but does it now work and how?
Detailed description: I have an existing back up set (several in fact) totalling around 50Gb of data. I thought that because I had included a Folder, then anything added to that folder (a sub folder in this case) would automatically be included in the existing backup to make the backup a bit bigger.
This does not appear to be working. I have tried manually adding the new folder from within the Desktop Norton app and it suggests that it is syncing but the new folder does not appear in the backed up set either in the desktop app or in the web version.
Has the problem been fixed and if so where are the updated instructions (if there are any) or can someone offer guidance.
If the backup feature is NOT working, Norton should stop advertising it as a part of the Norton 360 package.
Product & version number:Norton 360 10 device subscription version 25.1.9816 (build 25.1.9816.908)
OS details: Windows 11 pro up to date
What is the error message you are seeing? No message - just a failure to do what is required
If you have any supporting screenshots, please add them:
Not worth adding the screenshots because it LOOKS like it is working but simply does not.
Anyone got any further info or suggestions on this please?
are backups labeled 23.01.30 from 2023?
they’re v22 backups?
Edit…just noticed 5 hours ago…so, ?
I’ve dumped all my v22 backups soon after v24 release.
at the time as I recall. v24 was not working with v22 backups.
Maybe, I just wanted to start anew.
that was months back…so, maybe things have changed since initial v24 release.
maybe, v24+ manages v22 backups…sorry…I don’t have any v22 backups to test.
were my machine and I needed files from v22 backup sets. I’d download the files to a designated folder and re-work them from there
Well if the reason is that V22 backups do not play nicely with V24 that is a simple (but VERY annoying) answer. Most if not all my backups have been set up for a long time - in the case of the one I used in my answers they have been in place since 30th Jan 2023 and I assumed (foolishly in retrospect) that any changes to my live folder content would be reflected in the backups next time they were run. That is the main reason to set up the backup function.
I can’t remember seeing any notifications from Norton when my installation was updated to V24 - if there were any then I missed them. If there were none, then very poor from Norton by not spelling this out.
Anyway, as ordinary end users that is where we are. Just asking for one more piece of advice about “dumping” the old backups, is there a recommended method OR how did you achieve the now working solution. I am looking mainly at how to remove / delete the old V22 backups once downloaded as “restores” somehwere else so that my backups are completely “flushed” clean before starting new V24 ones.
OOPS - pressed the wrong key and posted half a question. To continue:
Questions:
1 - The existing help / how to files in Norton help on line show images of an older version of the backup system. Is there a “new” post v24 set of user instructions / manuals? Existing help articles show a version of the home page (in Norton on my desktop) which is not available in V24 onwards unless anyone knows how to get it back.
2 - It looks as if the V24 of backup will only allow a single backup set. Is this correct? In the past I have had multiple sets with different files and folders in each one. Do I now have to add every folder / file to a single backup set (and try to make sense of / keep control of that)?
I am quickly losing patience with this situation. I am a long time Norton user and the old Cloud Backup (multiple backup sets) worked fine for me. Along comes V24 and I have been royally “abandoned by Norton” (or at least that’s how it feels unless anyone can help with my questions above).
All I seem to get from Norton now is notifications that an extra add-on (at a cost) will cure all the problems with my PC. Having joined the company that I believe is also responsible for AVG the customer focussed Norton of old has turned into a money grabbing monster that doesn’t particularly care about their user community.
Rant over but now looking at other security suite and backup options - I will wait in case anyone can help with my questions and offer usable (by me) answers but at the moment…
We’re all hoping Norton publishes and maintains an online, current, in-depth, indexed, searchable, illustrated/videos…Norton 360 User Guide
Do you want to revert back to v22?
Yes, Norton v22 documentation remains published as we’re finding v24+ documentation.
Yes, by my user experience…at this time. Cloud Backup has one working/synching cloud backup set = Manage
Reset to Default allows you to start over with a new one working/synching cloud backup set.
Then prior backup set/s = Restore
for example:
We users agree.
Personally, I thing v24 should have been offered by invitation…with a clean install.
I think Norton needs a public beta channel.
Yeah…download all or what’s needed to a convenient location/folder…maybe, store files on thumb drive. Then delete old/v22 backup set online. If you want…to clean things up &or create space.
Note: Local Backup offers Create new backup up to 10 backups
I deleted all my old / existing backups that would not work under Norton 360 V24. I had taken a note of what these backups contained (from my desktop machine) and have added them all to the new, single backup which took several hours to complete.
I now find that various folders have NOT been backed up (plus I assume various individual files but I haven’t even tried looking through those). I tried forcing it to sync again but still no change.
In my case, I chose a folder containing around 40 folders and I find that several (at least 5) have not been backed up at all. Hence the content has not been backed up. As far as I can see there is no difference between different folders to explain why this should be.
WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH WHAT USED TO BE A REASONABLE PRODUCT???
It has morphed into what appears to be an unreliable, difficult to understand / use piece of garbage. This may all be due to me not understanding how to operate it correctly but without updated user manuals / instructions, just what are users supposed to do?
If it cannot be relied upon to do the most basic task (initial backing up of current folders and content) then it is pretty much useless.
I would recommend anyone who has tried to use this to cross reference their master set on a computer to what has been backed up - you may be in for a nasty shock.
So if DOWNLOADS are “Uncommon File Types” then what else is the same?
Anyway, in the interim I have signed up for a service called iDrive paying a huge $2.95 per year for 100Gb of storage.
I will try that (with the same folder that did not back up correctly in Norton) and see if that appears to work. If it does then I am simply going to move on. I will post an opinion when I have tried it and it has backed up.
Well, I have tried the iDrive software and it is simple to use and effective - with one issue arising. Some files and folders were not backed up. The files that Norton did not back up are (generally) the same as those omitted by iDrive.
Anyway, iDrive has a better reporting tool than Norton which generates a Log File for each backup or recovery. Looking in the Log Files I found that the missing files did have an error message saying that the file did not have the right permissions set for it to be backed up. Having no idea what to do, I contacted iDrive support who responded by suggesting on on-line chat in which an agent accessed my computer and pointed out that the suspect files were all LOCKED. This is indicated in Windows Explorer by the file type icon at the LH end of the file name having a small yellow padlock.
The solution for this is to right click on the file and in the options list that appears there is a File Ownership option right at the bottom of the list above Properties. Right clicking the File Ownership offers an image of an unlocked padlock (in blue) with the words Personal. Left click this image / message and the file is magically unlocked. The next time you right click on the file itself (the context menu I believe) the File Ownership item near the bottom of the list has disappeared.
As an aside, this log file / chat seemed to be very effective so currently I am very happy with the support from the iDrive team (considering I paid a whole $2.95 for a year’s worth of 100Gb backup).
I then found that a whole folder can be unlocked in the same way by right clicking on the folder and being given the same File Ownership options near the bottom of the list.
I have spent a couple of hours searching the internet for the reason why these files / folders became locked - I could not find a sensible, simple reason. What had I done? What had Windows or Excel done? No clear answer for me.
So, iDrive and Norton now backed up the missing files after forcing a re-sync. I am not comfortable with all this and will keep a very watchful eye on this for a week or two in both applications.
If this is was a problem of my own making then I hold my hand up - but I have no idea how I did it (or if Windows / Excel / Word did it themselves).
AI Overview
“LH” at the end of a file name typically indicates a “Locked by [User]” status, meaning the file is currently being edited or accessed by a specific user and should not be modified by others; it’s a common convention used in some file management systems to prevent accidental data corruption.
Key points about “LH” in file names:
Meaning:
The “L” likely stands for “Locked” and the “H” could represent the user’s initials or a unique identifier related to their session.
Context:
This practice is often seen in collaborative environments where multiple users might access the same file simultaneously.
How to handle:
If you encounter a file with “LH” at the end, it’s best to contact the user who locked it to request access or wait until they release the lock.
