Identifying the volume

Shadow copies are taken for a complete volume, but not for a specific directory. Shadow copies work best when the server stores user files, such as documents, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, or database files.

Shadow copies are designed for volumes that store user data such as home directories and My Documents folders that are redirected by using Group Policy or other shared folders in which users store data.

Shadow copies work with compressed or encrypted files and retain whatever permissions were set on the files when the shadow copies were taken. For example, if a user is denied permission to read a file, that user would not be able to restore a previous version of the file, or be able to read the file after it has been restored.

Although shadow copies are taken for an entire volume, users must use shared folders to access shadow copies. Administrators on the local server must also specify the \\servername\ sharename path to access shadow copies. If administrators or end users want to access a previous version of a file that does not reside in a shared folder, the administrator must first share the folder.

Files or folders that are recorded by using Shadow Copy appear static, even though the original data is changing.