1. A data storage system for providing intuitive access to previous versions of files or directories, the system comprising: at least one computer processor; at least one memory; a file system stored on the at least one memory, the file system comprising multiple data structures logically arranged hierarchically, each data structure comprising a file or directory, the multiple data structures comprising: a root data structure; a target data structure; a non-ancestor subset of data structures which are descendants of the root data structure and which are not in a path between the root data structure and the target data structure; and an ancestor subset of data structures providing an access path between the root data structure and the target data structure and providing at least portions of access paths between the root data structure and the non-ancestor subset of data structures; and at least one executable software module executed by the at least one computer processor and configured to: generate a snapshot version of the target data structure; and generate a mini-snapshot version of the ancestor subset of data structures, the mini-snapshot version of the ancestor subset of data structures providing an access path from the root data structure to the snapshot version of the target data structure and not providing any portion of the access paths from the root data structure to the non-ancestor subset of data structures.