10X Bloated Win 7 System Image

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  1. Posts : 1,251
    Windows 7 x64 Home Premium
       #1

    10X Bloated Win 7 System Image


    When I created the first System Image with my 6 month old Win 7 x64 computer it finished as a 24 GB image of the C partition. I have created several System Images since and each of them was about 24 GB.

    Starting a few weeks ago Windows 7 began to insist on including the D drive as well as another partition which I store Movies and Music named the J drive in the System Image thus increasing its size to over 240 GB!

    What has caused this to take place and is there any way of preventing Win 7 from including from including all these drives the System Image?

    ~Maxx~
    .
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 10X Bloated Win 7 System Image-create-system-image.jpg  
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 17,796
    Windows 10, Home Clean Install
       #2

    This will show you how to back up and to include only the drives that are needed.
    Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 1,251
    Windows 7 x64 Home Premium
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Rich46- Thanks for the link to the tutorial. The Create a System Image screen in my Win 7 Backup and Restore where you can select which drives to include used to look exactly like the one in the tutorial where I could just select the C drive partition where Win 7 is located and the System Image that was created was 24 GB.

    Now the same Create a System Image screen mandates that all of the partitions must be included in the System Image without giving me any choice to leave any of the partitions out as I was allowed to before which now requires 239 GB to make the System Image.

    I would like to know how to once again make a 24 GB System Image like I used to be able to do instead of the 239 GB one as Win 7 is now mandating. Here is an example of the 24 GB System Images that I used to be able to make...



    BTW- All of these partitions that are now being included in the System Image are listed with the word 'system' next to them although they did not have this designation before and I suspect that this is why all of them especially the J partition which contains 204 GB of storage only like movies and music storage are now being included.

    ~Maxx~
    .
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 10X Bloated Win 7 System Image-create-system-image.jpg  
    Last edited by Maxxwire; 23 Jan 2011 at 08:02.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 17,796
    Windows 10, Home Clean Install
       #4

    Never heard of one like this. Guess you did not either and that is why you are posting.
    First, change the read only.
    You may have to give your self permission and possibly ownership first.
    If that does not help the situation
    I would run a anti virus scan and download and run malwarebytes full scan and after update.
    If you cannot get anywhere with that scenario, I would consider a system restore from before the problem. As you know SR will not affect any of your doucments, etc.
    Wish you luck
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 1,251
    Windows 7 x64 Home Premium
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Bottom Line- My question is why does Win 7 now classify each and every partition on the C drive as 'system' and to be included in the System Image (239 GB) when up until about a month ago it only considered the partition that Windows 7 is on (24 GB) as part of the System Image creation? How can I get it to return to its original configuration?

    Thanks for any help with this...

    ~Maxx~
    .
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 4,517
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
       #6

    Maxxwire said:
    Bottom Line- My question is why does Win 7 now classify each and every partition on the C drive as 'system' and to be included in the System Image (239 GB) when up until about a month ago it only considered the partition that Windows 7 is on (24 GB) as part of the System Image creation? How can I get it to return to its original configuration?

    Thanks for any help with this...

    ~Maxx~
    .
    I noticed similar behavior with mine when I was testing the built in Imaging.

    I noticed, that if a program was installed to another drive (like Games that I have on another physical drive) it considered those as part of the system.

    Also, if I had moved a User folder to another physical location, those too were considered as system and it insited on backing all of it up, rather than just the C drive.

    If I moved all my user folders back to default location, leaving DATA on another drive, it would not back it up. Just the C drive.

    I know this probably doesnt answer your question, and I have no idea why it acts this way. But I found it annoying.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 1,251
    Windows 7 x64 Home Premium
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Wishmaster- Thank you so much for your reply! I am moving files off of the 200+ GB partition that I do not want backed up with the System Image as I type this and moving them to the 2TB Raid 0 external SATA Drive. Once that's finished I will do some tests and I will let you know if Windows still wants to include it in the creation of a new System Image.

    ~Maxx~
    .
      My Computer

  8.    #8

    Can you post back a screenshot of your full Disk Mgmt drive map, using Snipping Tool in Start Menu?

    It's highly unusual with one OS that more than one partition is listed as System as this label means it contains the boot-critical files. Win7 backup imaging is not known to require any other than System and Win7 partitions if they are different.

    It must be explained by something else such as what Wishmaster reports. Having programs on the OS partition is smart anyway, but if you have to more User folders back to overcome this you can link your files stored on another partition via Libraries.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 1,251
    Windows 7 x64 Home Premium
    Thread Starter
       #9

    Wishmaster- For some unknown reason Windows System Image still wants to include the J partition even after emptying all but 3 small files including one for Media Center video recordings along with the partition that Win 7 is on as well as the factory image. At least the System Image would be down to 29 GB.

    Can I trust a Win 7 Recovery from such a System Image?

    ~Maxx~
    .
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 1,251
    Windows 7 x64 Home Premium
    Thread Starter
       #10

    gregrocker said:
    Can you post back a screenshot of your full Disk Mgmt drive map, using Snipping Tool in Start Menu?
    I hope this is what you are asking for...

    ~Maxx~
    .
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 10X Bloated Win 7 System Image-disc-management.jpg  
      My Computer


 
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