Solved Location of registry entry for Windows backup drive identification

[rzn6jw]

I'm running Win 7 Pro 64bit and am a gamer. I keep all my games on my E: drive (2 TB) so they don't interfere with Windows on my C: drive (500 GB). My backup drive is 1 TB.

A while back I was installing a game and noticed that it was also installing MS .NET framework on my E: drive. The next scheduled System Backup failed and the error stated there was no space on my backup drive for a System Image.

Wondering why a 1TB drive couldn't backup at 500 GB drive I noticed that, in the system backup configuration panel, it stated that, along with my personal files, Backup would also make a System Image of the C: and E: drives. No wonder the backup failed.

I uninstalled the game that installed the .NET framework but the damage has been done. Unless I physically remove my E: drive, in which case Backup only shows the C: drive for System Image, Backup will try to image C: and E:.

I deduced that, with the E: drive uninstalled and Backup only showing the C: drive for imaging, but both for imaging if the E: is installed, that there must be some registry entry showing which drives Backup needs to image.

If I can edit this entry to only reflect the C: drive, with C: and E: installed, that would save me from having to remove E: every weekend to do backups. Luckily I have a case where I can flip a lever and pull out individual drives but in order to do so, I have to shut down Windows and power off the system. Editing a registry entry would save a lot of time.

There's got to be an entry somewhere (I tried to look but never found anything under entries associated with Backup). Does anyone know?

 

[Victor S]

You might look at
Can I back up Windows 7's backup settings? - Super User

But won't restoring the image from before E: was included take care of it?
That's how I'd do it.

 

[rzn6jw]

Sorry for the late reply - we were out of town.

The 'install of .NET' on the E: drive happened quite a while ago and any backup of before that has been over-written.

Somewhere it has to be written what the backup program will be backing up. If I remove the E: drive and enter backup configuration, any reference to the E: drive is not there. I install the E: drive and the reference is back, so 'something' is writing 'something' 'somewhere' and, unless it's dynamically written into a running system program (which you can't edit), I would think that you could find some entry and change it.

Any ideas?

 

[Victor S]

I deleted the reg key in the link above after setting up backup and creating an image.
When I reentered backup it was a blank slate. Unfortunately trying to do another image resulted in an error - it wouldn't take an image. I didn't back the key up, so I can't fool around with it until I do my next restore.
You might try backing the key up, and editing/deleting the values until it works.
Can't say what the values are because only the destination drive is apparent.
I'd try removing all values in the subkeys, - instead of deleting the entire key as I did.
If it breaks backup, just restore your saved key.
Do this at your own risk.
Really though I'd not use Win 7 backup. It has "issues."