backup "let me choose"

[soulfood]

if i'm doing a backup and i do a "let me choose" option, does that backup all files and programs on D:drive as well as the c:drive local disc? thank you

 

[Brink]

Hello Soulfood,

When you select "Let me choose" in Windows Backup, you'll get to select what folders you want to be included in the backup.

If you like, step 8 and 9 in the tutorial below can show you more on this.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/615-backup-user-system-files.html

 

[soulfood]

I'm confused are programs made of folders and files ? i.e are iTunes, paint.Net, Office 2010, etc folders and files?

 

[Brink]

Nope. Windows Backup doesn't back up installed programs. You're basically just selecting to back up the contents of selected folders.

 

[soulfood]

i.e iTunes is an installed program, (that i really like) so if my system crashes does that mean i can only backup those folders, (artists, albums, songs, etc) but not iTunes the program itself ?

 

[Brink]

It sounds like you are wanting to create a system image instead. This will include everything.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/663-backup-complete-computer-create-image-backup.html

 

[soulfood]

when you say everything, you of course mean both c:drive and d:drives and any other internal drives. and partitions. and also when i'm doing the "let me choose" page i can include all c:drive folders. right ? thanks

 

[Brink]

Correct. By default all systems drives are included in the system image, but you can also select any other drives to be included as well.

 

[Pauly]

Just to clarify on a typical system c drive will be included by default and cannot be excluded (as it is the system drive with windows on it) and all other drives (eg your d drive) can be manually added to the system image if you wish but this will probably make a quite large system image, if your d drive only holds user files and folders and not any installed programs then you can backup it up manually by simply dragging and dropping etc

 

[soulfood]

sorry to not get back to you after a awhile, responding to what brink said, that windows backup doesn't backup installed programs, only folders. basically i want to know why i can't backup programs (3D games"skyrim", pictures programs"XnView", music programs "iTunes", video etc.) and how can i back them up? thanks

 

[ignatzatsonic]

sorry to not get back to you after a awhile, responding to what brink said, that windows backup doesn't backup installed programs, only folders. basically i want to know why i can't backup programs (3D games"skyrim", pictures programs"XnView", music programs "iTunes", video etc.) and how can i back them up? thanks

You CAN back up installed programs.

To do that you have to make an "image" of the partition on which the installed programs are found.

See Brink's post 6 in this thread. You can use Windows built-in imaging or a third party program.

Imaging backs up EVERYTHING on a partition--installed programs, configuration details, licensing info, any personal files, etc. An image file can contain just a single partition or multiple partitions.

For partitions that contain ONLY personal files like mp3s, videos, etc, there's no particular reason to use an image for backup purposes. You could just drag and drop that stuff or use a non-imaging "file by file" backup program.

 

[whs]

I think the misunderstanding comes from programs and folders. Some program files are stored in folders - e.g. in Program Files and Program Data. But there is more to it - e.g. registry entries and the associated DLLs. So backing up program folders will give you only part of the story.

The way to solve that is to make images as was suggested. That will backup the whole system and a restore will supply a working system.

 

[Brink]