Windows 7 - Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup

Does this compress files before it creates the image? If so, anyone know at what ratio? Or does it tell you somewhere during usage how much space you need or how many DVDs you need?

Hello Darryl,

The system image is placed into a VHD (vitual hard drive) file, so there's only a small amount of compression. I'm not sure how much, but it's not much.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Hello Brink !

Thanks for your tutorial, very clear, no problem here.

Richwa

You're welcome Richwa.

Hi I have just put a new hard drive in for Windows 7 so I can keep vista just incase now I am thinking of partitioning the vista drive to use as a backup for Windows 7 . 2 things is this a good idea and how much space is needed next to how much in on the main Windows 7 drive to do a backup

I think you will find Windows Image backup demands the same amount of space on the target location as the used space on the source.

The image will ba alitt;le smaller than that, but not much.

It is a good idea to make an image of your Vista partition.

For better compression and flexiblity, you might look at using a free 3rd party alternative to the windows one.

http://www.sevenforums.com/software/...tml#post324736


Macrium Reflect FREE Edition - Information and download

Shawn:

If it stores the image as a vhd file, can that be opened by using Virtual PC?

Hi Darryl,

Even easier.

System Image - Extract Files Using Disk Management

One thing I don't understand. What I'm seeing in the Backup & Restore center is that only the default data file folders are backed up along with the system image. It also does not backup program files since "these can be restored easily from the original disk" or something similar. I'm not quite understanding this. Does this mean the backup is not quite complete?

With Vista I was able to do a full backup, get a new hard drive, and restore the full backup (the entire C: drive -- I lost nothing, no matter what the folder and I never had to go searching for a manufacturer's disk). Is this doing the same thing as that backup did, or am I misunderstanding something?

Many thanks.

Hello Ben, and welcome to Seven Forums.

I think you mean you are seeing what is in this tutorial instead of the tutorial on the first page of this thread.

A system image creates a clone of the hard drives or partitions that you select, while a normal backup only backups your user and system files instead of a clone.

Hope this helps,
Shawn