BT Cloud File Version History

[martinclayden]

Ok, so the web client has been updated - all well and good; it's a lot faster.

But where has the file version history gone - this was quite useful as it made it possible to download a specific version, not just the latest one.

The file version is still being used - as it is still possible to delete it and reclaim the space.

But it's only useful at the file level if access is provided to each version

So where has it gone ?

Martin

[ph3n0m666]

It is still there, I logged into the BT Cloud web, clicked into any of the left navigation items - photos & videos, all files, etc

Selected a file, using the left side checkbox, and a toolbar appears at the top, and one of the options says "Versions"

I noticed on narrower screens, the toolbar condenses items under "..." and when I clicked on that, but I could still see versions option

And when I clicked on versions, I saw this

[martinclayden]

Thanks for your reply.

On further investigation the "Versions" function is present for some file types and not for others. It's present for .jpg as per your example, .pdf, .xlsx and a few others, but not present for .pst, .xmp and a handful of others.

I backup my Outlook .pst file and was looking for an older version and could not access this older version (or any version). I cannot determine if versioning is actually being done for all file types. The rationale behind this random variability in function is opaque to me.

I've no idea where to locate a detailed statement of functionality for BTCloud - BT clearly do not monitor this forum. Perhaps some helpful soul will see this and reply😁

Martin

[delrose66]

I have been similarly perplexed by the change of interface, the old one certainly showed the version history of all file types including PST files. 

Sadly the Help function gets a 404 error !

One extra piece to the puzzle, in the absence of any BT Cloud documentation, is that it is retaining the version history of PST files. I completely deleted the PST file from BT Cloud and reclaimed many GB of space from the version history.  I cannot yet see if that is historic data or whether it is still versioning all file types but not allowing you to view / delete specific types, which must clearly be a bug in the software.

Hopefully this will be fixed to at least provide some of the original functionality, though it would be good if they provided improved features around versioning, which I think is an important function.

[martinclayden]

It's disappointing, although perhaps not surprising in the current circumstances, that BT have not contributed to this thread. I have directly messaged that topic administrator and have had no reply. 

Given the interface improvements I think BT have missed a trick in not publicizing the changes, nor seen fit to issue any documentation

I guess it's possible to test if PST files are being versioned - my PST file is around 2GB, a couple of changes (and therefore backups) would have an immediate and measurable effect of used space.

☹️

[billcubbon]

Anyone had any further feedback from BT on this "change" that has been done to file versions.

A very retrograde step as to why they would remove (or at least make inaccessible) previous versions of backed up files of many types.

[BJai]

I have had to use Google Backup recently as all my regularly changed files such as webpages and spreadsheets are no longer versioning.

Added to that I have never been able to successfully use search and delete functions without errors.

BT Cloud is very far behind other cloud providers.

I may have 1000Gb free as part of my package, but it is very nearly getting to be useless to me and I will have to re-subscribe to Google. 

[BJai]

Following on from above.

There have been big improvements. It actually seems to work now without errors.

However, there is still no versioning for some files.

I write a lot of website .php files. Also Excel xlsm. Neither are now supported.

It would be nice to know if there is an intention to restore versioning as before the upgrade.

I am still using Google Backup as a safety net, but would prefer to trust BT Cloud. 

[billcubbon]

Do so agree about the 'lack' of versioning for some types of files. What's even more ridiculous about the versioning change is that it still actually creates the versions for all files you just cannot access them for certain (most) file types, hence it ends up filling up the storage with inaccessible file versions that can only be deleted on an all or nothing basis.

Would be really nice if somebody from BT would deign to comment on this this totally illogical change. I could understand it if they had actually stopped creating versions for some file types, although I would prefer they didn't, but what they have done seems daft.