Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup

How to Create a System Image Backup in Windows 7​

   Information

A system image is an exact copy of a drive. By default, a system image includes the drives required for Windows to run. A system image would include all NTFS formatted partitions with an operating system installed on it (ex: C ), as well as the System Reserved partition. These system partitions cannot be unselected. It also includes Windows and your system settings, programs, and files. You can use a system image to restore the contents of your computer if your hard disk or computer ever stops working. When you restore your computer from a system image, it's a complete restoration—you can't choose individual items to restore, and all of your current programs, system settings, and files are replaced with the contents of the system image.

This tutorial 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.

   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.

drive letter:\WindowsImageBackup\computer name\Backup YYYY-MM-DD 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.

   Tip

If you want to keep multiple system image versions on the same drive or partition, then you can use either method below to do so.

METHOD ONE:
Change the maximum space used for system images on the drive letter you are saving the Windows Backup to by changing the maximum space used by System Protection for the same drive letter. This is the same setting.

You do not have to have System Protection turned on for the drive letter, but do need to adjust the maximum space to what you like.

The size of a system image can be quite large since it will include all system drives in the image by default plus any drives you have included. If you want to keep multiple system images, be sure to increase the max size accordingly.

METHOD TWO:

1. Navigate to the backup location above for where you saved a system image that you want to keep before creating a new system image.

2. Right click, or press and hold, on the WindowsImageBackup folder, and click/tap on Rename.

3. Rename it to something like WindowsImageBackup-Copy-1, press Enter, and click//tap on Yes if prompted by UAC.
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 a different system image version that you can leave at this location to be able to keep multiple versions.

NOTE: When you want to restore a system image in a renamed WindowsImageBackup-Copy-1 folder in the future, then you must rename the current WindowsImageBackup folder first, then rename the WindowsImageBackup-Copy-1 folder back to WindowsImageBackup in order to be able to restore it. The WindowsImageBackup folder must be in the root directory of the drive, and not within another folder.

   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.
• A system image that was created on a computer using EFI cannot be restored on a computer using BIOS. It can only be restored on a computer using EFI.
• 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 (icons 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 available, 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

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Backup User and System Files in Windows 7
• How to Do a System Image Recovery in Windows 7
• How to Backup and Restore the Windows 7 Registry
• How to Enable or Disable the Ability to Create a System Image in Windows 7
• How to Extract Files from Windows 7 System Image using Virtual PC
• How to Extract Windows 7 System Image Files Using Disk Management
• Imaging with free Macrium
• How to Restore your System with a Broken Windows 7 System Image
• How to Manually Extract Files from a Backup in Vista and Windows 7
• How to Enable or Disable Backing up to a CD or DVD in Windows 7
• How to Enable or Disable Backing up to Local Hard Disks in Windows 7
• How to Delete Windows 7 User Data and System Image Backup Files
• How to Create a "Create a System Image" Shortcut in Windows 7
• How to Hide or Show "Do you want to create a system repair disc?" Message
• How to Fix Backup Error 0x81000019 in Windows 7
• New Installation: How to Create a General System Image in Audit Mode

 

[kado897]

Yes. It stores the backups in the same WindowsImageBackup folder but in separate sub-folders named for each PC.

 

[mjf]

Yes. It stores the backups in the same WindowsImageBackup folder but in separate sub-folders named for each PC.

I've never knew or tried this. What about when it comes to recovery does Windows go into the WindowsImageBackup folder recognize the PC name and restore appropriately?
I prefer to keep a distinct WindowsImageBackup folder for each PC to I can rename and store in another folder on the partition if required. This is the clunky workaround using Windows imaging but can be managed.
How do you manage this process if everything is placed in the one WindowsImageBackup folder?
To be specific I may want to image different PCs at different times while maintaining a copy of the old image.
Sounds messy to me.

 

[Brink]

Hello Michael,

Sometimes it will and sometimes it won't, but you'll still be able to select the image you want to restore.

It helps to keep up with them when each PC's image is be saved under it's computer name subfolder in the same WindowsImageBackup folder.

I personally like renaming the WindowsImageBackup folder as well. It's more reliable in my opinion.

 

[Ex_Brit]

I see this was mentioned earlier in the thread. In a multi-boot, if you backup the entire system on C:, that's all that gets backed up, but then when you go to backup any other other OS's, C: gets included along with whatever drive letter you are doing as it's the OS with the boot sector.

Wont this present complications down the road if you only want to recover a secondary system, in my case L: Win 7, or N: Win 8? (My main OS is Vista on C.

Am attempting to backup each OS separately as the 3 are on different hard drives. I have partitioned each drive in half so that one can be backed up to the other and so on.

Just thinking ahead to if and when I get another HDD failure.

 

[Brink]

Hello Peter,

Yes, this would be an issue since you would not have a choice but to restore all system drives when doing a System Image Recovery. Only any included data drives in the system image would be optional to restore.

You might be able to using a 3rd party image program like "Macrium Reflect", but then you would have to worry about them being included in the boot manager if they were not all restored.

 

[Ex_Brit]

I thought as much. I'll try Macrium or Acronis TI, it comes free with my hard drives from the WD website. I can always repair the boot sector using the system disk.

In actual fact, I prefer the long way, format and reinstall, and I still have my personal file backups to fall back on anyway.

Thanks.

 

[Brink]

I hear you Peter. I find clean installs always give the best results as well.

 

[RonAshman]

Hi,

Thanks for this tutorial. I have one question though.

I open the backup utility when my external USB disk is plugged in. It appears in the list.
As this tutorial shows, the option to start the backup is there.

This external hard drive is a large drive where I keep personal data. I was hoping I could save this system image in a folder within this drive. Something like x:\Win7Backup\

Since Windows doesn't ask where I want to save it -it just lets me choose the drive- I'm not sure about something.

Where will the backup be created?
Will it delete any information I already have in the drive? I'm too afraid of that.


Thanks for your help.

 

[Brink]

Hello Ron,

By default, a system image is saved to the root directory of the drive you select like below, but substitute D for whatever drive letter it is for you instead.

D:\WindowsImageBackup

 

[RonAshman]

Thank you for replying.

So it will not delete any information nor change other files.
Will do my backup then.

 

[Brink]

Thank you for replying.

So it will not delete any information nor change other files.
Will do my backup then.

No worries. It'll only delete older system images saved there if it needs the space for the new one.

 

[hazel123]

Ok. I've just finished installing Windows 7 on a Vista laptop. It now has a clean install, all the drivers in place and antivirus software. So I want to make a system image.

Just a couple of questions I haven't seen mentioned: sorry if I'm being stupid!

1) I have antivirus software installed. Should I remove this before making the system image? (I can't quite work out - if you messed up your system and reinstalled from system image - what would happen if you reinstalled an old antivirus program that was out of date eg.)

2) Should I install Adobe reader and Flash before doing the system image. Or

3) Should I just make the image barebones - ie with fully updated Windows 7 and drivers in place?

 

[kado897]

If this is an image to get you back to a new install then I would do a fully updated Windows with a base install of applications you know you are going to keep. I'm not sure about the AV. I would think it would update itself fairly rapidly.

 

[marsmimar]

I leave my AV in place when I do a system image. (I create a new image once a week and keep four weeks worth of images on my external hard drive. So the AV is never outdated by more than a month.) Whenever I've used one of those system images the AV automatically prompts that it's outdated and asks if I'd like to update. As soon as I click "yes" it does the update in just a couple of minutes (the 4 week old image may take a minute or two longer to update.)

If you use a system image that doesn't have any AV installed, you're eventually going to have to go online to download your AV of choice. That puts your computer at risk. I think even 4 week old protection is better than nothing at all.

 

[hazel123]

Ok, thanks for that info!

 

[mjf]

I have NIS and Malwarebytes free. I leave them in place and when I do a system restore it's simply a case of running the database update.

 

[Maco88]

should not make a difference leaving the Anti-virus or any other program. All it should do is next time it runs an update check [all things being equal] should update with the latest definitions and engines.

 

[hazel123]

Thanks. Well my attempts at making a system image didn't work. First I tried to do it on discs - but sftaer wasting 5 discs, I called it a day - it seemed to just be starting again on each disc installed (ie repeating the first 4gb each time).

So then I thought I'd do it on a 32gb usb stick. And it told me I couldn't use that. So does that mean the only way to make a system image is on a portable hard drive?

 

[marsmimar]

See this Microsoft article. It says you cannot use a flash drive to save a system image. I think Microsoft is saying you can't use the native Windows 7 imaging tool and save to a flash drive. You could probably use a 3rd party software like Macrium, Paragon, EaseUs Todo, etc and have them work on a flash drive.

Where should I save my backup?

 

[kado897]

Macrium can definitely image to a flash drive if it is big enough.