I’ve just about lost my patience with Norton 360 Cloud Backup and the Customer Support I’ve experienced.
Norton 360 Version 22.23.10.10 includes the “Norton Backup Drive” that is listed under “My PC”
Having the “Norton Backup Drive” available in “My PC” is most important if you need to manage/delete files/folders within a Backup Set you have created, not just for the computer you are logged in, but all Backup Sets you have created in Your Account.
Having the “Norton Backup Drive” available in “My PC” will allow you to open any “Backup Set” you have created among all devices in your account.
You can open any Backup Set you have created, and select any individual file/folder within the Backup Set and delete it. I have created numerious Backup Sets amoug numerous devices, and, if the files/folders within these Backup Sets are not deleted every 30 days or so, my Norton Cloud Backup space will exceed the 650 GB limit.
By having the “Norton Backup Drive” and the ability to open any “Backup Set” and manage/delete files and folders within the “Backup Set” you can keep your Noton Cloud Storage below your allocated limit.
Without the “Norton Backup Drive” the only option is to login to your Norton Account and view the Backup Sets you have created. You are able to manage files/folders within a Backup Set that has been creaed from the computer you are logged in, but any other Backup Sets created from other devices will not allow you to manage/delete files/folders. The only optioni is to Download/Restore a Backup Set, or Totally Delete the entire Backup Set.
After having to restore Version 22.23.10.10 I did run update to Version 22.24.2.6 and the “Norton Backup Drive” was still available.
The only work around I have found is to turn off all automatic updates, then using the Norton Intelligent Updater. Get the latest definition updates if the virus definitions are not current even after downloading all the updates
I would urgte the technical team with Norton return the “Norton Backup Drive” under “My PC” so that you can manage you “Backup Sets”, ie, open a “Backup Set” and delete files/foders within a Backup Set you have created in your account.
@Keith_Casey Thanks for the post and candor. This is one of several reasons I reverted back to Norton 360 version 22.24.8.36 eons ago. With this version I too still have the norton backup drive listed in C:\ . I only have one laptop with version 25.xx just to be able to track its progress and assist here with that version.
The backup issues are stated to have been fixed more than once in the announcements that are posted but, that in reality isn’t the case. We are almost 10 months since the initial 24.xx release with the new Avast engine. This should not have been released until in house QA AND vetting had taken place. Some users find the latest version acceptable to some degree, some more than others. I have to respectfully disagree with that on my part as the product doesn’t meet 100% of the user functions being re-enabled that we had last year.
Hello @SoulAsylum. Any news on Norton finally fixing the new versions backup issues? If, not, would you have a recommendation on a replacement product, like McAffee, with similar/equivalent protection features, and inclusion of the mandatory requirements for controls to perform local drive backups, inclusion/exclusion of files/folders, date and time of backup, recovery on other PCs, etc that were removed from Norton 360? I’ve followed your instructions about staying on v22.24.8.36, faithfully updating the Symantec virus list every day, and getting the feeling there is no intention at Norton to fix their mistake of removing all the required local backup features. I have 8TB of local data and it is unfeasible/unwanted to do this on the Cloud, especially having a 12TB very fast SanDisk for local backups. Would greatly appreciate any info you have about this.
Not sure just what features you are looking for, but you did mention local backups. That feature was restored some time ago. There is still no Norton Backup Drive in Windows Explorer.
According to official Norton documentation and technical support updates for the 2025–2026 product versions, Local Backup remains a core feature of Norton 360, though it is now integrated into the “Cloud Backup” module.
Key Technical Details from Official Docs
The “N360” Folder: When you back up locally, Norton does not create a simple copy of your files. Instead, it creates a folder named “N360” on your external drive. This folder contains encrypted, chunked data that can only be read or restored through the Norton software.
Engine Rewrite (2025 Warning): As of mid-2025 (version 25.5 and later), Norton updated its backup engine. Official documentation notes that local backup sets created with older versions may be incompatible with the new engine. If your old backups are missing, you may need to create a new “Backup Set” specifically for the new version.
No Storage Limits: While Cloud Backup is limited by your subscription (e.g., 50GB or 100GB), Local Backup is limited only by the size of your external drive. Norton does not charge extra or limit the volume of data backed up to local hardware.
If the drive is a network-mapped drive, it may require a “Full Trust” setting in the Norton Firewall’s Network Trust level to be visible as a backup destination.
Check if the drive is recognized by Windows File Explorer; if Windows can’t see it, Norton won’t either.
The “Norton Backup Drive” that used to appear in Windows File Explorer (under “This PC” or “My Computer”) has undergone significant changes as Norton transitioned from version 22 to the newer v24 and v25 architectures.
What Happened to the Drive?
In older versions like v22, Norton created a Virtual Shell Extension that looked like a hard drive in Windows Explorer. This allowed you to browse your cloud and local backups as if they were regular folders.
The Engine Rewrite (2025): Around June 2025, Norton released version 25.5, which included a complete rewrite of the backup engine.
Removal from Explorer: In this new architecture, the virtual “Norton Backup Drive” was removed from File Explorer. Norton moved all backup management directly into the Norton 360 app interface.
Incompatibility: The new engine is often unable to see or manage “Backup Sets” created with the old v22 engine, causing the drive and the associated data to seem “lost” even if the files still exist on your disk.
Current Limitations
The removal of this drive has caused several functional changes that long-time users find frustrating:
No Individual File Deletion: Without the Explorer drive, you can no longer right-click and delete a single specific file from a backup set to save space. You can generally only delete entire backup sets now.
Encrypted Storage: Local backups are now stored in a folder called N360 on your external drive. Unlike the old system, these files are “chunked” and encrypted, making them impossible to browse without the Norton app.
How to Access Your Backups Now
Since the drive is gone, you must use the internal Restore feature to see your files:
Open Norton 360.
Click the Cloud Backup tile (even if your backup is local).
Select Restore Files.
Click View All to see a list of all your backup sets (local and cloud).
From here, you can browse the file tree and select items to restore to their original or a new location.
Pro Tip: If your old local backup set from v22 is not showing up in the new version, it is likely because the new engine doesn’t support the old format. You may need to create a new Backup Set and run a fresh backup to ensure your data is protected under the current version.
==========================
Norton Neo Browser AI personal assistant by Gen Digital may make mistakes . Note: for critical matters like billing, legal issues, or account security, it is always best to verify directly with Official Norton Support → Contact us
Hello @bjm thanks for trying to help. Please see the details of what I need in my post here: Version 24 has removed local backup - #156 by Mindwalker ! Norton just admitted many of the v22.24 features were still missing, and stated they will get back to me (no date, no specific release from a product roadmap. No great hope either. Will keep on pestering them to bring back the functionality.
Hey SoulAsylum. I have done the same thing with a clean lap top. Your advice on manual updates was a god send. I see schedules are back for scans and performance utilities, but still no ability to set day and time for backups. I hadn’t considered Roberto’s issue as he is 100% right. That Explorer drive was helpful in many instances. I also see that Norton is sending emails begging me to upgrade as they can’t with liveupdate turned off. LOL I haven’t moved on yet, so hope is still here that they put these back.
