Folders with Reparse Point Attribute Skipped (code 1637)
Situation
A backup plan finishes with the following info message: Folders with reparse point attribute were skipped. The list of skipped folders can be found in logs.
What Is a Folder with reparse point attribute?
A reparse point is a special Windows folder type that doesn’t always store files directly on your computer. Instead, it can act as a placeholder that points to files managed by another service or location.
These folders are commonly created by:
Cloud storage services such as OneDrive and Dropbox
Features that save disk space by keeping files online until you open them
Because the files may not physically exist on the device, reparse point folders are handled differently during backup.
How to Identify a Folder with a Reparse Point Attribute
A folder has the reparse point attribute if:
It is marked with the Reparse Point file attribute in NTFS
It behaves like a placeholder and downloads files only when accessed
Windows command line tools (for example,
dir /AL) identify it as a reparse pointBackup or file system tools detect it as a redirected or virtualized folder.
How Reparse Point Folders Are Backed Up
OneDrive
If the OneDrive folder is included in your backup plan:
When “Do not back up On-Demand files” is enabled
All files are downloaded to the device and then backed up.When “Do not back up On-Demand files” is disabled
Files already stored on the device (offline files) are backed up
Online-only files are skipped
Dropbox
If the Dropbox folder is included in your backup plan:
Offline files are backed up
Online-only files are skipped
Other Reparse Point Folders
Other folders that use reparse points are skipped during backup, even if they are included in the backup plan. This prevents incomplete or misleading backups when files are not actually stored on the device.