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Question

Erasing specific files from laptop backups - is it possible?

  • September 10, 2026
  • 3 replies
  • 34 views
Explorer
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Hi there!

In the retention settings for laptop plans you can set how long deleted items are kept, but what if there is a specific file that needs to be removed from the backups completely, so the retention rule doesn't apply to it at all?

The use case could be a GDPR "right to be forgotten" request - the file is deleted from the laptop, but it also has to disappear from the backups.

I found references to Erase Data by Browsing, but the documentation I came across is old and describes the CommCell Console. Is this available for laptop clients/plans, and where would I find it in Command Center? Does it need a separate license?

Cheers!

3 replies

Vaulter
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  • PradeepVaulter
  • Vaulter
  • September 11, 2026

Hi ​@drPhil 

 

For laptop clients and plans managed through the Command Center, there is no direct equivalent to the "Erase Data by Browsing" (also known as "Delete Data by Browsing") feature that is available in the legacy CommCell Console for file system agents. 

 

    Vaulter

    Hi ​@drPhil ,

    Commvault meets GDPR regulations and assist Enterprises to meet them,

    GDPR Compliance | Commvault

    The delete option and "right to be forgotten" is fully supported in CommandCenter 

    I just confirmed on my 11.46 lab,

     

    Thanks,

    Abdu

      Explorer
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      • drPhilExplorer
      • Author
      • Explorer
      • September 11, 2026

      Hi ​@Pradeep  and ​@AbdulRahman AlSindiony - thank you for your contributions.
       

      Indeed, it is possible to delete backed up items when browsing during a restore, as written by ​@AbdulRahman AlSindiony 

      However, we are not sure whether the data is physically deleted from the disk/tape library, since the blocks could very often be part of a deduplicated store shared with other data etc.

      Therefore, we would need an answer from a Commvault employee familiar with the compliance side of things (GDPR etc.):

      If after deleting an item from Command Center, is the data physically removed from the storage, or does this only make it unrecoverable? And is any special licence or advanced feature needed to achieve actual physical removal?

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