Does Windows 7 backup work on files that are open or in use

Question

Does the Windows 7 Backup and Restore utility backup files that are in use while the backup is running?

For example, I want to back up a user's Outlook .pst file. Since, like most users, he is in his Outlook email most of the day the .pst file will be open when the backup runs. Does the backup complete okay while the file is open and in use?

Answer 1

Yes, it uses a technology known as Shadow Copy (VSS) in order to take a copy of files that are in use.