Backup Exec old IMG folders consuming ~3 TB cannot be deleted

Question

Backup Exec old IMG folders consuming ~3 TB cannot be deleted

MS 0

Hello,

At one of our clients, we have a Backup Exec disk storage that contains a large number of IMGxxxxx folders. Some of these folders date back to January 2025, while others are several months old.

These old IMG folders are consuming approximately 3 TB of storage space.

According to the customer, these old IMG folders do not appear to be part of any currently active backup jobs.

The customer wants to delete these old IMG folders in order to reclaim the storage space, but is currently unable to delete them.

Disk Storage Lockdown is enabled on the Backup Exec server.

Thank you

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1 answer

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Answer 1

Dear MS,

I would not recommend deleting the IMGxxxxx folders directly from Windows, especially while Backup Exec Disk Storage Lockdown is enabled. Disk Storage Lockdown is designed to prevent any modification or deletion of backup data outside of Backup Exec, which is why the folders cannot be removed manually. [docs.backupexec.com], [veritas.com]

Before any deletion is considered, verify whether these IMG folders are still associated with existing backup sets, retention policies, catalog entries, or recovery points. The recommended approach is to review the disk storage and media inventory within Backup Exec and remove expired or obsolete backup sets through the Backup Exec console, allowing the application to safely release the underlying storage. If the IMG folders are no longer referenced by any Backup Exec objects, this may indicate orphaned data or a catalog inconsistency that should be investigated before manual cleanup.

If reclamation of the space is required, Disk Storage Lockdown can be temporarily disabled using the Backup Exec Service/System Logon Account credentials, but only after confirming that the folders are not required by any active or retained backups. If there is any uncertainty regarding the ownership of these IMG folders, I recommend opening a case with Veritas/Arctera Support before proceeding, as manual deletion may impact backup integrity and future restore operations.

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Kind regards,

HL.