A common question regarding backup solutions is whether items deleted by a user before a backup runs will be secured.
The answer depends on the specific service (Drive vs. Mail) and the status of the item at the exact moment the backup cycle begins.
Google Drive Files
For Google Drive, the "Trash" folder plays a critical role in whether a deleted file can be backed up.
| Scenario | Backup Outcome |
|---|---|
|
File is in Trash (User deleted the file, but did not empty Trash) |
Backed Up. The file still technically exists in the file system. CloudM Backup can access and secure it. |
|
File Permanently Deleted (User deleted the file and emptied Trash) |
Not Backed Up. The file effectively does not exist. It cannot be backed up. |
Mail Items
Email behavior differs because messages are often transient.
- Scenario: An email is received and immediately deleted (and expunged/removed from Trash) before the next backup schedule runs.
- Outcome: The system may be aware that a message ID existed (via sync history) but cannot retrieve the content because it is gone. The backup will log an error for that specific item indicating it could not be retrieved.
Recommendation: To minimize the risk of missing deleted items, consider increasing the Backup Frequency for critical users (e.g. setting Mail to back up every 1 hour instead of every 8 hours).