Back up onto partion

[Mitch656]

83gigs should be enough.

Lol i dont know what the imaging app is?

 

[gregrocker]

Win7 has built-in backup imaging. It makes a compressed image of your OS partition which you save to an external drive or a primary partition. Then if you need to reinstall your OS, instead you can just boot the DVD, select "Recovery Using An Image" and it will find the image and restore your HD exactly as it was.

Go ahead an choose the 83 gb which it has filled in there, click Shrink. Later you can run Disk Cleanup and Defragger to see if it gives up more space for a Backup Image partition.

 

[Mitch656]

okay so once i shrink my disc to 83 gbs, what do i have to do? Show how create a new partion?, and should u be going to bed its like 2 -3 in the morning for you

 

[gregrocker]

I chose this to show you because it has the steps in screenshots:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2674-partition-volume-create-new.html

Start with step 5, right click on Unallocated Space once it is shrunk.

 

[Mitch656]

i will look at this also, will it make it easier to install 7 if i back up all my stuff on a CD?

Or i can try and get my sis external hard drive for a night (she not good with PC so dont ask her for anything)


Dont wanna be a pain, but seems confusing.

i would leave 7 the way i have it, but cant stand freezing after sleep

 

[gregrocker]

I thought you were going to back up your files to the data partition?

If they all fit on the CD, then fine.

If you can get your sis's external, then store a Win7 Backup Image there. Type backup into the Start Search box and make it there. That way you always have a path back to where you are now. Just boot the DVD into Repair>Recover using an image and it will detect the image in external root and reimage HD.

 

[Mitch656]

i was going to use the partion and most likely am, but will using the CD or sis external make installtion easier?

 

[gregrocker]

Not really make installation easier. You have a really big HD so can afford to store Data and a System Image so you always have a way to recover to Win7. Otherwise most of the drive is wasted space.

But putting the data you cannot afford to lose on a CD is a really good idea in case of HD failure.

And having a backup of your System Image on your sister's external is good so that if you needed to recover your Win7 you could borrow it back and reimage instead of having to reinstall. It is a path back.

So you would have double backup this way.

 

[aem]

Can i suggest you invest in an external storage drive. Sooner or later you will need it, and it's best practice to have storage such a backup as image backup off the system.

 

[Mitch656]

i doubt she would let me keep a image there,

i was thinking put all my files i need and think clean install 7


Anyway what should i be doing? trying to create a partition to save my files?

 

[gregrocker]

Can you fit your files on a CD? It holds 700mb. A DVD holds around 4.7 gb

 

[Mitch656]

well i did have a DVD +R, but it never worked so i decided to get 2 CD

The shop dident have any DVD -R

 

[gregrocker]

Suggest you not use the backup center for file backup because it wastes a lot of space with files you don't use.

Just drag and drop your files via explorer into the CD.

Once you get the files backed up on CD, then you don't have to worry about them.

Spend as much time as you need to make sure you get them all.

 

[Mitch656]

My sister is coming home this week, but i dont know if she will bring her external... i dont want to ask her, coz she is a bit like my brother.

So i would rather use partion to back up or just some how use CD's

 

[gregrocker]

Whose computer is it that you are using?

 

[Mitch656]

Im using my computer that my brother build

 

[gregrocker]

OK well sleep on it and decide what you want to do.

I would also strongly consider making the backup image. You have a huge amount of space on that drive so if you can't get an external you could store the backup image in its own partition.

That way if your clean install doesn't work out, you can just reimage your current installation back onto the HD.

I've got a backup image on my computers in a primary partition and on external.

Gonna hit the sack here. Late now.

 

[Mitch656]

well i would probable prefer to do it on a partion

 

[gregrocker]

After you do Disc Cleanup and Defrag, how much space will Disk Management shrink that Vista partition?

 

[aem]

Im using my computer that my brother build

It's a personal choice really, but in the real world, important backups should be stored offsite. That is not on the system.