Windows backup size

[tinmar49]

My friend has just got a 500gb USB3 drive for backups and I showed him how to partition it into 3 parts. His laptop has C and E partitions which total about 85gb. When he selected one of the partitions on the backup drive and ran the Windows backup the finished backup was 105gb. How can the backup be bigger than the original? He will be making another backup on another partition to find out if it as the same size or not, but not till next week.

 

[DavidE]

The built in Win 7 Imaging utility includes all partitions it sees as "system" partitions when a backup image is created.
Maybe it is including more partitions than you think it is?

You could try creating a system Backup Image with a free 3rd party program such as Macrium Reflect.
See what size image is created with Macrium.
With Macrium or other Imaging programs you have more control over what is included in the backup image.
You can include or exclude specific partitions very easily.
Here is a tutorial by whs for using Macrium, and it has a link to download Macrium:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html

If you're interested, you could also try mounting the W7 Backup Image as a VHD to see what is in it.
This tutorial by Brink can help with that:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/24771-system-image-extract-files-using-disk-management.html

I don't use the built in Win 7 Imaging utility because it is not controllable enough for me...

 

[bigmck]

I agree with DavidW7 above. Macrium Reflect FREE Edition - Information and download is a much better option than the built in Windows Backup. The Macrium Image is about half the size of the original files.

 

[tinmar49]

Thanks, I will give Macrium Reflect a try out and will pass on your advice to my friend. I have only used the Windows backup before but have never had a backup that was bigger than the original.

 

[bigmck]

Thanks, I will give Macrium Reflect a try out and will pass on your advice to my friend. I have only used the Windows backup before but have never had a backup that was bigger than the original.

Macrium doesn't really tell you at the website, but there is a Macrium boot disk that is part of the package. You need to make that so that you can boot your PC when there is a problem.

 

[tinmar49]

I have just downloaded Macrium Reflect free and made a system image which totalled 68% of C drive (I have only one partition on this pc for W7). I also made the boot disc.

 

[bigmck]

I have just downloaded Macrium Reflect free and made a system image which totalled 68% of C drive (I have only one partition on this pc for W7). I also made the boot disc.

Just to verify, when you made the Macrium image, did you make it on a different drive than C:. It is not advisable to keep the image on the same drive as Windows. If the Windows drive is corrupted so is your Image. You can either use an external drive or a second hard drive if you PC has one.