Exclude only machine-local files that are unnecessary for recovery and can be recreated reliably—typically selected caches and temporary files. Do not treat everything stored in a local system directory as disposable: configuration, keys, security data, and application state may be essential to rebuild a working machine. Decide by what each item does, not by its path or filename.
What counts as machine-local metadata?
“Machine-local metadata” is not a single technical category. It can refer to transient cache and runtime files, but local directories may also hold configuration, encryption keys, security state, or application data. Those items have very different recovery value. A file being local to one computer does not, by itself, make it safe to omit.
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For each proposed exclusion, consider whether the item can be recreated after hardware failure, an operating-system reinstall, or migration; whether it contains settings or access material; and whether excluding it meaningfully reduces backup work. The goal is to omit known disposable material while preserving what is needed to restore the machine and its services.
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Which local files are usually safe to exclude?
Selected caches and temporary files are common candidates when they can be regenerated and are not needed to restore application state. Borg’s version 1.4.5 quick-start example backs up important files from /etc, /home, /root, and /var, while excluding cache and temporary content. It is an example to adapt and test, not a recommendation to copy blindly or a complete operating-system backup. Borg 1.4.5 quick start.
#1 Best Overall
- Easily store and access 2TB to content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Restic offers --exclude-caches to exclude the contents of directories marked with CACHEDIR.TAG, while retaining the marker itself. Its backup command also supports explicit exclude patterns, pattern files, and --exclude-if-present. These are tool-specific behaviors; check the documentation for the version you run. Restic backup documentation.
What should you keep or protect separately?
Do not casually exclude configuration, keys, security data, or application state just because they live in a machine-specific directory. Borg’s development documentation lists distinct platform-specific locations for configuration, cache, data, runtime files, keys, and security data, underscoring that local paths can have different purposes. Its Windows documentation distinguishes local (non-roaming) AppData for machine-specific data, cache, and runtime files from roaming AppData for configuration, including keys. That distinction is specific to the documented platform and version; it should not be generalized to other systems. Borg directories documentation.
Rank #2
- Easily store and access 1TB to content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive.Specific uses: Personal
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop. Reformatting may be required for Mac
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Encryption keys and security state need particular care. Ensure they can be recovered through a secure, appropriate process; do not assume that including them in an ordinary backup is always the right solution, or that excluding them is harmless. The recovery plan should account for how authorized access will be restored.
How do exclusion rules behave in Borg and restic?
Borg: exclusions and host identity
Borg’s quick-start example uses cache exclusions and omits var/tmp. It names archives with {hostname}-{now} and scopes pruning to {hostname}-*, so pruning one machine’s archives does not inadvertently affect another machine’s archives. Stable host naming also matters to Borg’s cache handling: its cache documentation notes that unstable host grouping can prevent it from finding a matching archive when rebuilding the files cache. Borg 1.4.5 quick start and Borg cache documentation.
Rank #3
- High capacity in a small enclosure – The small, lightweight design offers up to 6TB* capacity, making WD Elements portable hard drives the ideal companion for consumers on the go.
- Plug-and-play expandability
- Vast capacities up to 6TB[1] to store your photos, videos, music, important documents and more
- SuperSpeed USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps)
Restic: explicit sources and patterns
Restic’s exclude patterns do not filter a file or directory that was itself passed directly as a backup source. If you pass a directory as the source, patterns can still filter content beneath it. Review the exact source paths and the pattern rules together; a pattern that looks right may not have the intended effect when a matching path is supplied directly. The restic documentation describes this behavior alongside pattern files, cache-marker exclusions, and dry-run support. Restic backup documentation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to choose and verify exclusions
- Classify each path by function. Separate regenerable cache or temporary content from configuration, keys, security data, and application state.
- Check the recovery consequence. Ask whether you could recreate the item reliably after a failed drive, reinstall, or migration, and whether omitting it would leave a service or application unusable.
- Confirm pattern behavior. Check how your backup tool applies exclusions to nested files, explicitly named sources, and any pattern files you use.
- Check filesystem boundaries. Restic’s
--one-file-systemavoids traversing into other filesystems and subvolumes, but this can omit mounted media. Borg cautions that device-number checks may not align neatly with mountpoint expectations, so inspect what the backup actually includes. Restic backup documentation and Borg filesystem-boundary guidance. - Inspect the selected files and test a restore. Use the tool’s dry-run or listing features to see what the rules select, then restore representative files to confirm that required data is present. Borg explicitly recommends checking that the needed files are backed up and that pruning retains and deletes the intended archives. Borg 1.4.5 quick start and Restic backup documentation.
When ordinary file copying is not enough
A file-by-file backup can capture data while it is changing. Borg notes that logs and caches may not be perfectly consistent, which is rarely a concern on relatively inactive systems. Databases, virtual machines, and containers may require consistency-specific backup methods; do not assume that copying their live underlying files produces a restorable result. Choose a method that accounts for how the application writes and recovers its data. Borg 1.4.5 quick start.
Quick Recap
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