Can backups of the ehome folder be used to restore data?

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lostgreycells

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Can backups of the ehome folder be used to restore data?

#1

Post by lostgreycells » Fri Mar 24, 2017 8:32 am

I've set up daily backups of the ehome folder but don't have a clue whether it can be used to restore my programming if I have to replace the OS after a hard drive failure. (C\ProgramData\Microsoft\ehome\)

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12noon

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#2

Post by 12noon » Fri Mar 24, 2017 8:51 pm

It should be able to. I've done it before, but IIRC, I had a little tweaking to do. I had to set up WMC, then shut it down, and copy in my backed up eHome _mcepg_ folder. I think you'll also have better results if you try to restore only your scheduled recordings. There's a tool called mceBackup that purports to do it for you, but it's rather out of date and again, IIRC, I had to do my restore manually.

I'm sorry I can't be more clear and give you exact steps. Perhaps someone else here can do so.
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lostgreycells

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#3

Post by lostgreycells » Sat Mar 25, 2017 6:31 pm

Thanks 12noon. The fact that you were successful in restoring your scheduled recordings after having made the switch to EPG123 is good news. I'll continue making mirrored backups of my ehome folder and hope Garyan or someone else comes up with a backup program or directions on how to restore data.

Pretty sure mcebackup is toast. A few years back, after a re-format, I successfully restored programming schedules with mcebackup; but after switching to epg123, it stopped updating. It "said" it was but the backup data never changed. So I uninstalled it, deleted its data, then did a fresh reinstall. The UI assured me again it was making a backup but it didn't produce.

BTW, I LOVE EPG123!!!

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12noon

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#4

Post by 12noon » Sat Mar 25, 2017 8:07 pm

Oh no, to be clear, I did this when I re-installed WMC7 a few years ago. You can NOT restore your scheduled recordings after you switch to EPG123. This is explained elsewhere but the gist is that the program IDs are different between Rovio and Schedules Direct. You must re-create all of your scheduled recordings after switching to EPG123. (After you switch, you can back up your new scheduled recordings and restore them in the event of a catastrophic hardware failure.)

I agree with you about mceBackup. It doesn't really do anything you can't do manually anyway.
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lostgreycells

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#5

Post by lostgreycells » Sun Mar 26, 2017 4:13 am

Thanks again. I did my homework before installing EPG123, so completely understood I'd be starting over from scratch. Prior to the switch I created an xml file with all wanted programs and their channels. After a few months almost all of them are now showing up in the new schedule. It's a dynamic process though. Like most of us I'm dropping some programs and adding others. Your statement, "(After you switch, you can back up your new scheduled recordings and restore them in the event of a catastrophic hardware failure.)" addresses the issue I'm trying to solve, (hoping that doing mirrored backups of the ehome folder will keep everything current and can be used to restore data in case of a crashed system disc).

If this won't work, another possible solution might be to install another small SSD drive and make it a mirror to C drive? Win7's native mirroring capabilities only come with Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions. Since I only have the lowly home version, more homework... ?

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#6

Post by 12noon » Sun Mar 26, 2017 6:02 pm

Yeah, after exploring drive imaging, mceBackup, and other strategies, I concluded that the number of times my 7MC has crashed (zero) outweighs any benefit I get from such a backup. Instead, I keep meticulous instructions on how I set it up, and I replace my drives (SSD and HDD) on a schedule--instead of waiting until they crash. So far, so good. (fingers crossed) I also have a second 7MC that I can press into service if necessary. ;) Of course, my strategy isn't for everyone; we all have to find our own way. :)
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