Windows 7 - Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup

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How to Create a System Image Backup in Windows 7

Information

By default, the system image only includes the drives required for Windows to run. This would be all NTFS formatted partitions or drives with a operating system installed on it (ex: C ) and the System Reserved partition are selected (checked) to be included in the backup and cannot be unselected.

This will show you how to create a system image (clone) backup of the entire hard drive or partition that Windows 7 is on, and any other selected drive or partition. You can use this image to be able to do a system image recovery to restore the hard drive or partition at boot back to the way it was at the time the backup image was created.

If you want to include additional drives in the system image, you can manually create a system image. If you manually create a system image, it can be saved on a USB flash drive, CDs, DVDs, or a hard drive.

If a system image was created through Windows Backup instead with the Include a System Image of Drives box checked, you can set Windows to retain as many system images as it has space for on the backup disk or to only keep the most recent system image. You should always keep the most recent system image

Note

Keeping different versions of system images

If you're saving your system images on an internal or external drive, or on CDs or DVDs, you can keep several versions of system images. On internal and external hard drives, older system images will be deleted when the drive runs out of space. To help conserve disk space, you can manually delete older system images.

Backup images are saved as backup periods in this format at the selected saved to location like the example below.

(backup location)\WindowsImageBackup\(computer name)\Backup (year-month-day) (time-hhmmss)

For example, if your computer name is Computer, your backup image location is on hard disk or partition (network or local) D: , and you backed up on 11/22/2008 at 1:00:50 PM (It uses 24 hour time), then that backup image would be located in the folder below.

D:\WindowsImageBackup\Computer\Backup 2008-11-22 130050

If you're saving your system images in a network location, you can only keep the most current system image for each computer. If you have an existing system image for a computer and are creating a new one for the same computer, the new system image will overwrite the existing one.

If you want to keep multiple system image versions on the same drive or partition, then you can then do the steps below before creating a new system image to be able to keep them all together.

1. Navigate to the location of where you saved the created system image that you want to keep before creating a new system image. (see above)

2. Right click on the WindowsImageBackup folder and click on Rename.

3. Rename it to something like WindowsImageBackup-Copy-1 and press enter.
NOTE: This way you can just easily change the 1 an the end of the name to 2, 3, 4, etc... for each new system image that you make a copy of.

4. You now have 1 image that you can leave at this location or move to another location..
NOTE:

If you renamed the WindowsImageBackup folder, then you must rename this renamed folder back to WindowsImageBackup in order to be able to restore the image.

If you moved the renamed WindowsImageBackup folder, then in addition to the above, you will also need to rename any other WindowsImageBackup folder at the original location before moving it back to the original location,.

Warning

Windows 7 can only include drives formatted with the NTFS file system in the system image.
Windows 7 cannot include the partition or drive that you are saving the backup image to in the image.
All "system" or "boot" drives/partitions are included in the system image by default, so you will not be able to save the system image to a system or boot drive/partition.
If you are saving the system image to a HDD or partition, then you can only save the system image on a separate hard drive (recommended) or partition than what Windows 7 is installed on. It cannot be saved to the C: drive.
Only the Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions can backup to a network location.
You cannot restore a 64-bit Windows 7 backup image on a 32-bit system.
You cannot restore a 64-bit Windows 7 backup image with a 32 bit Windows 7 installation DVD or recovery partition, or the other way around. You must use the same 32-bit or 64-bit Windows 7 installation DVD or recovery partition as the backup image is.
When restoring a system image from a dynamic volume, the disks on your computer cannot be formatted to match the layout of the disks on the backup. To have full functionality, select a volume (partition) on a basic disk as your backup location instead.
I would recommend to create a system image on a separate HDD, or a separate partition on a separate HDD, for the best reliability to restore from it. CDs or DVDs are just not as reliable. A scratch one just one of them could ruin the whole image.

Here's How:

1. Open the Control Panel (All Items View).

2. Click on the Backup and Restore icon.

3. Click on the Create a system image link. (See screenshot below)

4. If prompted by UAC, click on Yes.

5. Select the location to where you would like to save the backup image at, and click on the Next button. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: See the Warning box at the top of the tutorial. Only the Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions can backup to a network location.

6. If availabe, check any additional hard drives or partitions (ex: Vista) that you would like to include in the backup image with the Windows 7 (System and C: ) partition or hard drive, and click on the Next button. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: See the WARNING box at the top of the tutorial. If you do not want to add any additional hard drives or partitions, then just leave the others unchecked. You will not see this, if you do not have any other OS installed other than Windows 7.

7. Click on the Start backup button. (See screenshot below)

8. You will now see this window. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: If you wish to stop creating the backup image during this point, click on the Stop backup, Stop, and Close buttons.

9. When it is finished you will see this create a System Repair disc pop-up window. Click on No. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: For how to always hide or show this message, see this tutorial.

10. Click on the Close button. (See screenshot below)

11. Close the Backup and Restore window. (See screenshot below step 3)

That's it,
Shawn

Windows 7 - Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup

Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup

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