Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup

Brink said:

Ooops, you're right, that's step 5 not 3. LOL


The only way that I know of for you to keep multiple system images on the same partition is to "move" or "Cut & Paste" the older WindowsImageBackup folder into a newly created folder, then create a new system image backup.

Even though the help file says that one can make/have multiple image backups without doing this? I reckon that I must be misunderstanding MS help file. I was under the impression from reading the help file in Windows System Image that it would make multiple images without the copy/paste method. I thought the copy/paste method only applied to those who saved to the network location.

Brink said:

I'm just saying that the way I mentioned is the only way that I know of to prevent older ones from being deleted.

In the WindowsImageBackup folder, you should have a dated system image backup for each one created though.

Yea, it only keeps the most recent contrary to what the help file says,lol. This gets even stranger. The online MS support file states this

What backup settings should I use to maximize my disk space?
"To change the amount of space that is used by system image backups, under System image, click Change settings.
You can then choose to have Windows save older system image backups or just the most recent system image backup."

Here's what one gets when doing that.



No way to change a setting to save older system image backup

Brink said:

Well, being that is through the Backup Files option instead of the Create a system image option that's in this tutorial, it may be a bit different. Try the option in this tutorial instead to see if you get multiple dates in the WindowsImageBackup folder after creating a few image backup over a few days.

The riddle is solved! One has to set the backup to auto/schedule. The options then appears for the space requirement.

Brink said:

Ah, ok. Is that the default setting?

That is the only two options. The help file states that it will use up to 30 percent of the free space available on the drive it is writing the image to. Now I have to copy all my saved images from a different drive back to the Free Agent drive. Then change the options to save to that drive since it will then have more free space. Brink, Thanks for sticking it out with me! I thought I was going crazy there for a minute. I was reading the help file which said I could but in reality I couldn't unless the auto backup feature was enabled. MS help file should be more explicit about that. Then again maybe it was and I didn't read it.

Greg, What a saga. Question: Have you ever tried a recovery with the images? If not, I strongly recommend that test. Make a small (2GB) test partition, copy some data in, Image, take some data out, recover, check whether all your data is back. I always do that because the recovery step may have more surprises in stock.
When you do it, there is one detail I would be interested in: Is the Recovery CD released from the reader after it has been loaded. Reason that I ask is that one user had the recovery CD stuck - and his image was on DVDs. Fatal.

Brink said:

Hello Greg,

A network location would be saving to say a hard drive on another computer on your network.





I always found doing the below the easiest way to keep mulitple copies of system images.

1. Navigate to the location of the system image.
2. Copy a older WindowsImageBackup folder into a new folder at a new location than where you are saving the new system image backup.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Hi everyone. Im new here, and my english is not the best so please forgive me if I write something senseless.

I tried to keep several images (4 in total), by moving the WindowsImageBackup folder to other renamed folders before creating the next image.

But I noticed this:

1.- only the first image WindowsImageBackup folder is around 20GB, the other 3 images I created after the first one are less than 8KB.

2.- If I keep the images in the same hard drive, no matter in what renamed folder I hide them, when I create a new image the old image folders are going to be updated or somehow modified. (I noticed it by modified date)

Am I doing something wrong?, will those 8KB images really work?, are the 8KB images appendx of the first image created and probably will not work if I do not keep the very first image?

Thanks for your help