Win 7 Backup & Restore Including Unchanged Files?

larrymcg · 10 Mar 2016

Using Win 7 Backup & Restore. During a backup, filenames are flashed right below the progress bar.

Are these the names of files being included in the backup?

I see tons of filenames of files that should not be backed up since they have never changed. I know that for a base level (terminology?) all files would be included but in the subsequent incremental backups only changed files should be included.

So, why do I see so many filenames for unchanged files during an incremental backup?

-- Larry

ignatzatsonic · 10 Mar 2016

I don't use Windows Backup and Restore, but my guess would be that what you are seeing is simply an analysis of the files that's necessary for comparison purposes. NOT files that are being written to a disk. Only a portion of those analyzed will be written---those that are new and those that are modified. Which can only be determined after a comparison.

I could be entirely wrong, but that's how backup apps generally work. Read all, compare all, write some.

larrymcg · 27 Mar 2016

I think you are right. I did a backup followed immediately by another backup. The second one took a lot less time so there is definitely a lot less work going on.