Backup/Restore Questions (Apple user switching back to Windows)

Hi Guys,

I have been a on a Windows hiatus and using Mac for some time now, but now I am switching back. I am little confused about the backup restore feature in Windows 7 Ultimate even after doing a search of this forum and Microsoft’s website. From my understanding a System Image pretty much clones your dive including all files and pictures in my document.
1. If this is so why does the Backup/Restore utility also ask if I want to back up other files in my C Drive like My Documents extra? To be honest I find backup my documents, photos, and music the most important.
2. By including the la carte backups am I just double backing up since it’s included in the system image?
3. Can I extract single files from system image? One thing I really like about OS 10.6 and 10.7 was that Time Machine would back up the entire drive to a network every house of so to a Time Capsule and I could enter the backup to recover emails and documents many versions back. (Please don’t flame me for complimenting Apple, I must like Windows more if I am switching back)
4. Finally has anyone restored their entire drive using System Restore Image? [Does it work?] The reason I ask was because I had a Windows Vista Ultimate that included backup and restore, but why my computer crashed because it ran out of power during a Service Pack Update (my fault), I was able to restore the drive, the computer wouldn’t boot as it startup halfway then restart. (Switched to Mac after that)
Thanks for entertaining all my question.

Hi triplecore and welcome to Seven Forums. I will attempt to answer your questions.

1. Good question. Most of us recommend just using the create an image link on the restore dialogue. You can remove the image from the scheduled restore and include what folders you want.
2. If you leave things as default then yes.
3. You can. See this tutorial. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/24771-system-image-extract-files-using-disk-management.html
4. I have done so several times without problems.

To go a bit further many on the forum recommend third party tools such as Macrium Reflect Free for imaging. The link is in my signature. The reason for this is that it is more flexible that Windows backup. There is a tutorial on using Macrium here.http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html?filter[2]=Backup%20Restore

I also recommend Macrium because it is much more flexible and you are able to see inside the images. You can also clone a partition, a whole disk, or image all disks in the system.


As you point out, the windows Backup really doesn't let you know what it is doing.