System Image - what does it not include?

[ckmerc]

Below is my understanding of creating a System Image Backup..please correct where I am wrong.

Creating a system image makes an exact "image" of your hard drive and backs up all of the following..

- OS settings and configuration (but NOT the actual OS)
- C drive data (including all files such as pictures, music, movies..etc.)
- All Programs in loaded on the OS such as MS Word, Excel, Itunes etc.

The reason I ask....is the actual back-up image file I created was quite a bit smaller than what my current hard drive stated that my "used" space was.
For example..my Hard drive shows 59 gig used...but the Backup System Image file was only 39 Gig.

Please let me know what I am missing.

 

[SIW2]

I don't use Windows System Image - but most image programs will image the entire contents of the drive - except the o/s auxilliary files ( pagefile and hibernation file) and shadow copies ( restore points).


That makes it quite a bit smaller.

It will include the entire o/s.

After restoring the image - you should be able to boot straight into it

 

[richc46]

I think you are confusing system restore, with system image; two different things. System restore does not include any personal information, files, email etc. System image is everything on your backed up drive. It is a clone, an exact copy.

 

[gregrocker]

There is compression in the Windows 7 Backup Image. It includes whatever partitions you check when you Create an Image. It reimages the exact image back onto the hard drive or a replacement. You cannot pick and choose what files or features to save in an image, only when backing up files (which is also included in the Backup Center).

On each of my computers, I make a primary formatted partition and save an Image backup there, which I also copy to an external drive in case of HDD failure. Instead of reinstalling then all I have to do is boot from the Windows 7 installer (or a repair disk) and in the Repair console choose "Recover using an Image" and it will detect the stored image in a primary partition or a plugged external drive (or DVD's). Then it takes about 15 minutes to flawlessly reimage the HDD or a replacement.

 

[zx81]

The System Image Backup, can you use to restore your computer to a previous state.

Even if you format your drive and delete partitions, if you created a system image backup of that drive, you will be able to restore your computer, and Windows 7 will work again like it did before the format.

To know more about system image backup, read link below.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/663-backup-complete-computer-create-image-backup.html

Best way to understand if the system image backup works for you, is to try it yourself.

To know more about system image recovery, read link below.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/675-system-image-recovery.html

I did it, and it worked perfect

Best regards,

zx81

 

[ckmerc]

So in my case those "auxilliary files " files are 20 Gig? wow

And I used a System Image Backup....and then after I did a system repair disk right away.

The System Image Backup cannot be an exact copy or the size of the System Image Backup file would have been the same size as what my hard drive says my used space is...

correct?.....unless the system image backup is a "compressed" version of what was on my hard drive at the time of back up...

 

[ignatzatsonic]

ckmerc:

You should try to think of images as consisting of ALL data on a PARTITION and NOT necessarily all data on a hard drive.

If the hard drive in question has only one PARTITION, (C), then the image would effectively contain everything on the drive. If the hard drive had two PARTITIONS, then the image may or may not contain all the data on both partitions or on the entire drive. It might contain info from only 1 partition.

The terms "partition" and "hard drive" are not synonyms, but are effectively used as synonyms IF AND ONLY IF the drive has just a single partition.

When you make an image, you typically have the choice of including one or multiple partitions.

As to size, imaging normally uses some degree of compression, so you should not expect an image to be as large as the partition that it represents.

 

[gregrocker]

So in my case those "auxilliary files " files are 20 Gig? wow

And I used a System Image Backup....and then after I did a system repair disk right away.

The System Image Backup cannot be an exact copy or the size of the System Image Backup file would have been the same size as what my hard drive says my used space is...

correct?.....unless the system image backup is a "compressed" version of what was on my hard drive at the time of back up...

Yes, there is image compression - not as much in Windows 7 Backup Image as in Paragon HDD Manager, for example, but it is free and is included.

 

[SIW2]

You have 6gb RAM .

Take a look at the size of Pagefile and Hibernation file and see how big just those two are.

 

[ckmerc]

Ok..so because my hard drive does not have any partitions (or just one BIG one)...then the System Image Backup created an exact copy of all of the data on my hard drive. And the reason the system image backup file is only 39 Gig vs. the 59 gig my computer says I have used is because the files are compressed down approx. 20 Gigs.

Reason I am asking is because I currently have a system image backup AND a backup of all of my music and picture files....If the system image backup has all of my music and pic files contained in it.. I probably don't need to do both...just the sys image backup.

"Take a look at the size of Pagefile and Hibernation file and see how big just those two are."
- not sure which files these are..I just went through all of my files and folder of the back up and I only found one file that was very large..it was approx 38 gig...nearly all of the backup image size...

 

[richc46]

If you do not have an image of just your personal data, and you accidentally lose someting in documents, or it corrupts. You cannot just restore that item. In addition, your system image may not be up to date. You use it to reinstall your personal files, you may be making changes to your system, too.

 

[SIW2]

I think it is smaller mainly because of the excluded files as I have already explained.

Up to you if you want to make separate backups of your pics/docs quite often , then only a system image much less often

 

[ignatzatsonic]

There is no "or" about it.

If you have a usable drive, it has at least one partition.

If you go downtown and buy a new drive, it has no partitions and is as functional as a rock.

I think you should backup by both methods and think it is particularly foolish to rely on an image as the only backup of personal data--as opposed to Windows or your "system files".

So no, you don't "probably don't need to do both". You do need to do both.

In my opinion, after learning the hard way.

 

[zx81]

Ok..so because my hard drive does not have any partitions (or just one BIG one)...then the System Image Backup created an exact copy of all of the data on my hard drive. And the reason the system image backup file is only 39 Gig vs. the 59 gig my computer says I have used is because the files are compressed down approx. 20 Gigs.

Reason I am asking is because I currently have a system image backup AND a backup of all of my music and picture files....If the system image backup has all of my music and pic files contained in it.. I probably don't need to do both...just the sys image backup.

The system image backup is only the last system image backup created.

The backup of your user files, can also be used to go back a period in time, so it is more flexible then a system image backup.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/615-backup-user-system-files.html

See tutorial below, as you can see, you can restore user files from a period, opposite to the System Image, which only the last version can be restored.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/648-restore-backup-user-system-files.html

Best regards,

zx81

 

[aem]

Before the intro of the built-in System Image backup utility, people use third part apps such as Norton Ghost to do there imaging. I find to date Norton Ghost offer a better, faster, easiest way to do imaging and reimaging. Everyone has their own preference, just do what you are comfortable with and one that works for you. As for compression, i never take notice of it.

 

[gregrocker]

BTW, if you plug in your external drive and leave it, Windows 7 Backup Center will let you backup whatever files you want plus an update to your image on the schedule of your choice, even when the computer is idle.

Set it and forget it. And it's done to an external drive (or secondary internal) so you're covered from HDD failure.

 

[ckmerc]

K...so use Backup User and System files for just your personal data and system settings... I am assuming that files saved using Backup User and System files can be restored to any computer with the same W7 operating system...correct.

I.E. if my computer is stolen or damaged beyond repair, I could restore my Saved Backup files to my laptop...right?

 

[ckmerc]

Great info. here guys..thanks again for your responses

 

[ignatzatsonic]

If your laptop is stolen, presumably you would get a new one with Windows 7, and then just copy back your personal data from any location that was not stolen, probably an external drive.

Or you should be able to restore the most recent image you had to the new laptop. You may or may not want to do that.

Or you could drill into your backup image and restore whatever files you found in there--most likely you would not do this unless another method failed.

If your most recent image was a month old, you might not want to restore it to the new laptop and instead just copy your backed up personal data to the new machine, folder by folder, and then reinstall applications.

If someone reached inside your laptop and stole the hard drive, you would replace it with a new drive. You could then restore your most recent image from an external drive to this new laptop drive, or install windows from scratch and then copy your personal data from any backup you may have, imaged or otherwise.

 

[richc46]

.

If your most recent image was a month old, you might not want to restore it to the new laptop and instead just copy your backed up personal data to the new machine, folder by folder, and then reinstall applications.

.

When I make a image backup. I list all the changes that I made between the back up just made and the next one. If there is a problem, I restore from backup and I then use my list to make all the other changes.