CrashPlan is designed to keep a second copy of the files on a device, not to store files that have been removed from it. Deleted file retention gives a set period in which to restore a file that was deleted by accident or lost to a hardware failure or ransomware. A file deleted from a device to free up space exists only in the CrashPlan backup, so keep any file you need on the device or on other storage you control.
How files kept only in the backup can be lost
A file that exists only in the CrashPlan backup can be permanently lost, even where Remove deleted files is set to Never, which CrashPlan Enterprise and Managed Service Provider (MSP) plans allow:
- Archive maintenance repairs the backup from the device: When archive maintenance finds data in the backup that it cannot repair, it removes that data so that the device can back it up again. A file that is no longer on the device cannot be backed up again, and is lost.
- Retention settings can change: If Remove deleted files is set to a shorter period, by you or by an administrator, deleted files older than the new period are removed from the backup at the next archive maintenance run.
- The backup ends with the subscription: When a CrashPlan subscription ends, the account's backup data is permanently deleted after a period, as described in Data retention after your CrashPlan subscription ends.
Restore files you have already deleted
If you deleted files from a device to free up space, and they are still in the CrashPlan backup, restore them to the device or to other storage you control, so that a second copy exists again.