'Previous Versions' - not in Home versions....

Is this actually true?

The article wrote:

but Microsoft's decision to intentionally hide backups of user data is just plain wrong. If Vista keeps backups of user data, the user is entitled to see, use, and remove them. Users shouldn't need an expensive upgrade to Vista Ultimate just to rescue their data backups.

So the backups happen anyway, but Home* users just can't get at them - sounds like Marketing driven feature removal to me

Can anyone spread any light on this, either on why the decision was made or how to re-activate the ability to get at shadow copies (of data files).

As far as I know this is only available in Bus. and Ultimate.  I have checked Home Prem. and it does not appear to be there at all.  Personally I wish it was.

I paid the extra £12 on my dell to get Home Premium (from basic) but I wish it had this feature.  Don't really feel like 'wasting' a Ultimate license on upgrade for this and the extras....

Actually, because I already have Home Premium can I upgrade to Ultimate cheaper? 

ben2004uk wrote:

I paid the extra £12 on my dell to get Home Premium (from basic) but I wish it had this feature.  Don't really feel like 'wasting' a Ultimate license on upgrade for this and the extras....

Especially as it is apparently making the backups already, you just can't access them.

Rossj wrote:


Especially as it is apparently making the backups already, you just can't access them.

System Restore uses the volume shadow copies, so you wouldn't want them turned off even without the Previous Versions functionality.

I wonder if one can write their own "previous versions" UI using this:

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa384648.aspx

AndyC wrote:



Rossj wrote: Especially as it is apparently making the backups already, you just can't access them.

System Restore uses the volume shadow copies, so you wouldn't want them turned off even without the Previous Versions functionality.

System Restore reverts data files as well as system files?

littleguru wrote:



DCMonkey wrote: I wonder if one can write their own "previous versions" UI using this: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa384648.aspx

I don't see any reader classes. Only writer. This seems to be exactly and only what you need if you add a backup software to the system, but doesn't seem to allow reading. Enlighten me, if I'm wrong.

I think the Writers both read and write.

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa384590.aspx

Rossj wrote:



AndyC wrote:  Rossj wrote:  Especially as it is apparently making the backups already, you just can't access them. System Restore uses the volume shadow copies, so you wouldn't want them turned off even without the Previous Versions functionality.

System Restore reverts data files as well as system files?

Volume shadow copy is used under the covers for both System Restore and Previous Versions.  However these features are separate from each other.  System restore only affects system files and previous versions is used to restore specific user files and folders.

On Home versions you get System Restore but you don't get Pervious Versions.

DCMonkey wrote:



I wonder if one can write their own "previous versions" UI using this:

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa384648.aspx

In the video on C9 about shadow copy they demonstrated how 3th party application could use shadow copy. If you look at a previous version of a folder you see an adress in explorer:

\\localhost\C$\Users\ZippyV\Music (Yesterday ‎12 ‎april ‎2007, ‏‎11:55)

Does this adress work in Home Premium?