Concerns With Windows Backup Tool

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  1. Posts : 47
    Windows 7 Professional 64 Bit
    Thread Starter
       #11

    Thank you again for your time.

    Option 3 seems the best idea.
    My home network consists of 3 desktop's, 5 laptops, and a media player.
    This is all served by 2 NAS drives.

    I sort out the music, pictures, video and data folders on my C drive, then use Sync Toy to NAS 1, which is what the other pc's share.
    I also Sync Toy to NAS 2, which I keep as a pure backup of my data.

    So, in reality all I need Windows backup to do will be the system image.
    Its just to save me having to install from scratch in the event of a drive failure or other such event.

    I can see what your saying, its a comprehensive backup, but maybe more that what I actually need !

    Thank you for taking the time to explain it so well.
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  2.    #12

    Karl, I would rep you again if I could.

    The other method Karl mentions is worth considering even across a network:

    Place your User files on another drive which acts as a data vault separate from OS/Programs partition: User Folders - Change Default Location

    This allows the OS/Programs partition image to be more compact and less urgent to back up than the latest data set easily backed up separately from its own drive.

    In case Win7 becomes irreparable, it can be reimaged to it's partition in minutes while the data is all in place and waiting.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 47
    Windows 7 Professional 64 Bit
    Thread Starter
       #13

    gregrocker said:
    Karl, I would rep you again if I could.

    The other method Karl mentions is worth considering even across a network:

    Place your User files on another drive which acts as a data vault separate from OS/Programs partition: User Folders - Change Default Location

    This allows the OS/Programs partition image to be more compact and less urgent to back up than the latest data set easily backed up separately from its own drive.

    In case Win7 becomes irreparable, it can be reimaged to it's partition in minutes while the data is all in place and waiting.
    Thats how I used to work on my previous XP system.
    With the new system I started with just the one drive / partition, so got stuck into that.
    When I added the second 1TB drive, I split it into two 500 GIG partitions to do exactly that, with one half for data and one half for backup.
    But, the backup failed reporting not enough disc space !

    I guess i could delete the partition again on the second drive, split in half, copy data over 1st, then run the backup now I understand whats going on.

    Or, I need to add a partition to my C drive, without loosing data or OS in the process, which makes me a little jumpy :)
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  4. Posts : 330
    Windows 7 Pro/32 Academic. Build 7600
       #14

    Windows 7 has what is called backup "periods" The first time you run a system settings and files backup, it will take a while because it's doing a "complete" backup. From then on, whenever you run backup, it will be incremental, meaning, it will only back up what has changed since the last backup. However, (Big caveat, here) Every once in a while, Windows 7 will do another "complete" backup. There's really no rhyme or reason to when this will happen but it's important to understand that each complete backup is called a backup "period". These backup periods are separate from backup "images" in that you can select to keep only the most recent backup image, not the most recent backup period. Your disk is getting full because of periods, not images.
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  5. Posts : 10,200
    MS Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-bit
       #15

    Actually, the periods are defined. I've forgotten the algorithm, simply because it so easy to leave it to Win 7. Everything gets done correctly.
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  6. Posts : 10,200
    MS Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-bit
       #16

    Andy 01 said:
    Or, I need to add a partition to my C drive, without loosing data or OS in the process, which makes me a little jumpy :)
    In the long haul, repartitioning will be the ideal approach.

    For your Win 7 files, your MS Office installation, everything in your program files and program data, you can't ever use 100 GB. My C is 50 GB with 23.5 GB free. And I've got several other MS packages loaded besides a pile of appps.

    Wrapped up--you will need a very ultimate max of 100 GB. Here I'm allowing for all kinds of weird monstrous programs being installed.

    If later you become interested in this option, let us know. The procedure is easy, using the right tools and the right knowledge. And, as a side line, Greg Rocker is a pro at this kind of operation.
      My Computer


  7. mjf
    Posts : 5,969
    Windows 7x64 Home Premium SP1
       #17

    mborner said:
    Windows 7 has what is called backup "periods" The first time you run a system settings and files backup, it will take a while because it's doing a "complete" backup. From then on, whenever you run backup, it will be incremental, meaning, it will only back up what has changed since the last backup. However, (Big caveat, here) Every once in a while, Windows 7 will do another "complete" backup. There's really no rhyme or reason to when this will happen but it's important to understand that each complete backup is called a backup "period". These backup periods are separate from backup "images" in that you can select to keep only the most recent backup image, not the most recent backup period. Your disk is getting full because of periods, not images.
    Yes as most people will see for themselves multiple backups (zips not vhd images) will eventually get made. Clearly the algorithm MS uses isn't a random number generator but it could be more transparent (off hand I don't know what it is) . Of course it's easy with "backup and restore" to go in and delete old backup data sets.
    Well before you get to the size of the OPs personal files/folders you need in my opinion a different backup strategy (including images of course). I manage my photo image library separately. It may be that large data sets could be stored on their own partition and imaged regularly. I believe some imaging software will allow differential imaging. Also, images can be mounted and files extracted.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 10,200
    MS Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-bit
       #18
      My Computer


 
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