'WindowsImageBackup' - defragmenting??

[martinlest]

Can a vhd file created by Windows 7 (image file) be defragmented, practically speaking? The file Windows has created is over 30GBs and, according to my defrag programmes, is in tens of thousands of fragments. Should I just ignore it? Is a Virtual Hard Disk file in any case a 'real' file which can be defragmented in the usual way? Is it actually defragmented in the same sense as a 'normal' file?

Even if it is theoretically possible, it looks like it would take days for my defragmenter (MyDefrag et al) to deal with it. Very tempted just to leave it (though Googling suggests that its high 'defragmentation' is a reason why I am unable to copy my Windows Image folder to an external USB drive - I get an error message (I posted about that here, but that's a separate issue ..

http://www.sevenforums.com/backup-r...cant-copy-paste-external-usb.html#post2030991

Thanks,

Martin

 

[kado897]

I's not a good idea to do anything with an image created by Windows Backup. It's fragile enough as it is. If you want it on an external drive, and you should, then create it there in the first place.

 

[martinlest]

Yes, I agree: I used to copy the image files to an external drive 'just in case', leaving the original on a (different, of course!) internal HDD... but I have now started creating the image files directly on the external USB drive - it will save a lot of hassle, and the chances of my Windows 7 installation and the USB hard drive failing at the same time are pretty remote (I guess!),

Martin

 

[kado897]

If you want to keep more than one image it appears to be safe to rename the WindowsImageBackup folder but you have to rename it back before the restore. I myself have given up on Windows Backup as an imaging solution and use Macrium Reflect instead. The link to the free version is in my sig. You may also like to read this tutorial by whs. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html?filter[2]=Backup%20Restore

 

[martinlest]

Yes, I used to do that on the hard drive backups - so that I had a current one and the previous one. The issue was copying any of them to a USB drive - it always copied across with no problem - now it won't. I wonder if it is because the image file was for the first time over 30GBs?

No matter, I just create the image file directly onto the USB disc now instead..

M

 

[kado897]

That's the best way.