Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup

74me said:

Thanks for the welcome Brink and Night Hawk.

I have been testing some more. Apparently it doesn't matter if I copy or cut the backup folder when changing its location (must have been something else). The following is what I have tried and have been successful restoring from:

1) Backup to separate internal hard disk Partition 1, copy or cut to Partition 2.
2) Backup to separate internal hard disk, copy or cut to external hard disk.
3) Backup to external hard disk, copy or cut to second external hard disk.
4) Backup to network location, copy or cut to external hard disk from network loc.
5) Backup to internal HD, copy or cut to network location, copy or cut to external HD.

OK, I've just read through this entire thread to only find what I think is my answer on the last page,lol. Still have some questions on this though. Does the copied/cut WindowsImageBackup folder have to be at the root level of a drive/partition in order for the recovery process to see it? Could it be pasted inside of a folder in the root of a drive/partition? I'm wanting to have multiple image backups and as we all know the previous image backup is overwritten.

Brink said:

Yep, it's saved incrementally as well. You'll notice under step 4C here, you can select a date within the incremental image backup to restore. :)

Is there a browse button when one gets to the step in 4C or does one have to type in the path to the folder with the WindowsImageBackup? This may really be what I'm wanting to know.

Just to be clear, Let's say that I have used System image 3 times on three different dates. During the recovery process are those 3 dates an option to choose from? I know that the files in WindowsImageBackup are overwritten. What I'm unsure about is if in overwriting the files are all 3 dates available for restoration or is it just the last, most recent date.

The only real way to find out if a fuill recovery will work out is literally copying the original image created into a new folder and seeing how that goes. Since the restoration option provides a browser option to locate "where" the backup imsge is I suspext it would still work.

The problems seen with a 3rd party program of using a complete backup at the time seemed to be with the program looking at the changes in drive layouts and lettering as well as date as being invalid for some reason. The Windows tools seem to be far more flexible along those lines.

Greg S said:

Night Hawk said:

Since the restoration option provides a browser option to locate "where" the backup imsge is.
.

That is what wasn't really clear in everything that I read and looked at. So it does have a browse option? The other thing that is not clear, why is one given the options to choose different dates if they exist, if the Image backup overwrites the previous backup? <---- That's what led to this question below

Just to be clear, Let's say that I have used System image 3 times on three different dates. During the recovery process are those 3 dates an option to choose from? I know that the files in WindowsImageBackup are overwritten. What I'm unsure about is if in overwriting the files are all 3 dates available for restoration or is it just the last, most recent date.

I keep 3 or 4 image backups. They all copy to a directory of my C: Drive root name. All I do after the backup I go and add a date to the directory or a statement like "All updated and clean" That way the next time I do an image it will backup with erasing anything.


Here is what my two backups are named.
Now the next image will be written to "Iggy-PC "

The browser is actually network locations in case you don't already have an image created. What Iggy did there was keep the images right on C while I went for broke on a totally separate drive where I tend to store files for other versions as well.

You will first be prompted to back up your existing files before proceeding. Once Windows doesn't find the image at the original location I suspect that you will then see a prompt to browse for the image similar to what is seen with the Windows Easy Transfer tool.

Night Hawk said:

The browser is actually network locations in case you don't already have an image created. What Iggy did there was keep the images right on C while I went for broke on a totally separate drive where I tend to store files for other versions as well.

You will first be prompted to back up your existing files before proceeding. Once Windows doesn't find the image at the original location I suspect that you will then see a prompt to browse for the image similar to what is seen with the Windows Easy Transfer tool.

Actually Night Hawk I have a backup internal HD that I copy my images.
I don't thinkit will allow you to image to the C: Drive. Must be anything but C:

Greg S said:

Ah, you both have cleared it upped beautifully! Thank you
I'm using USB external HD and will go the route of Iggy-PC. Now that I can see it for myself, I feel stupid for having asked the questions,lol

Glad it helped. For awhle I was just copying over my old image until I saw the light.

For the 1tb drive here seeing about 141gb between Windows and all else as far as files the full image turned to out to be 131gb in size. I wasn't going to fit all that on 11 dvd-rws anytime soon!

The restoration of an image on a clean install of Windows not the present copy would be the one where you would likely see the option to browse. When going to look here right after the recent image the prompting to backup the present files in order to continue came up first.

Unfortunately I don't have a drive free at the present time to throw on a fast install to see how restoring the present image would go. That would show what is seen as far as locating the present image with a free screens to add here and if it can still use it. That's when you go to the other guide for System Image Recovery

Another guide provides some warning when restoring a drive or partition from an image which shows two options for the latest images created or locating the image manually once you have restarted the system after the initial screens in order to continue on. Windows 7: How to Restore Windows 7 Partition or Hard Disk Partitions from a System Image