User Files pre-restore

[RetSurfer]

Hi Guy's, newbie here...
I'm about to do a full restore on my Dell 6520.
I went to copy my user files to my attached WD HD before I ran the system restore and it told me I was backing up 56 gigs!
I went into the file and looked at it and the biggest file was my Picture file that holds my Lightroom catalogue and it's only 6 Gigs.
Any idea what I'm missing just selectively sliding over files to my HD before I restore?
Thanks in advance....
Mark

 

[Britton30]

Welcome to Seven Forums RetSurfer. Did you use Win 7's built-in backup utility or making simple copies? You should only need to make backup copied of your personal data, eg, Documents, Music, Video, Pictures, and anything you have on your desktop.
If you used the backup feature what happens is Windows makes an image of your hard drive which includes your data and programs, profiles, and settings.

 

[RetSurfer]

No, I just slid "Users" over from my computer to the external HD I have connected. Thats when it showed 60 Gigs being transfered. I canceled it.
Mark

 

[whs]

How big is your total "Users" file? I would just copy the user folders individually. Then you know what you are doing.

Another method is to move them to a seperate Data Partition before you reinstall.

 

[essenbe]

If you are a member of a workgroup or homegroup, you can have the same files in your user folders & public folders. I have mine on a seperate HD and found that there were 3 copies of user folders.

 

[RetSurfer]

Thank you!
I just slid over my important files.....
Mark