Embodiments of the invention relate to methods and systems for predicting what files and/or folders will be skipped during a backup based on the file system's meta-data. Various embodiments of the invention may determine based on a file system's meta-data that specific files and/or folders will not be backed up in accordance with a backup's current rules or configuration. The aforementioned information can then be used to notify a user or administrator what files and/or folders will not be backed up and based on that notification, they may make changes to the backup's current rules or configuration. This advantageously provides the user or administrator knowledge of gaps in the protection provided by a backup and the ability to configure it to meet their needs.