Solved Using Backup and Restore

[Trident1]

For some time I have been using Backup & Restore to create an image to a Nextar external drive. When checking Properties on the the C: drive I would get, for example, 38.4GB used on the HDD, and checking the E: drive would show about 35.8GB (or close to it).
Lately, when checking each drive the E: drive shows about 2GB more than the C: drive. When restoring an image everything is fine, but I was previously informed that the image was about 2 to 3GB less than the C: drive because the virtual drive was not copied.

Has something changed?

 

[AddRAM]

How many backups have you put on the Nextar ?

 

[Trident1]

One, I delete the previous backups. I'll just ignore that, because the restored imaged is fine. Thanks!

 

[mjf]

If you make multiple Windows (inbuilt) system images with the same WindowsImageBackup folder then shadow storage will start to be used to store the difference components between the current image and the last. This may account for increased disk usage.

BTW I don't trust shadow storage for this purpose and only make one image using "create a system image". Then rename WindowsImageBackup before making a new image. I would not have the image option set in the backup schedule. Windows imaging is basic and has its limitations. See the tutorial for more info
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/663-backup-complete-computer-create-image-backup.html