Resolved Windows Backup: System image vs. File Backup vs. Both

I'm doing my first Windows Backup in Windows 7 Home Premium, 64-bit. I'm being given a choice between a "system image" or a "Windows Backup," the latter of which, if I read it correctly, includes both a file backup and a system image. This leaves me with questions.

For background, here is a quote from an MS Help article:

What is a system image?
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/What-is-a-system-image

"Although this type of backup includes your personal files, we recommend that you back up your files regularly using Windows Backup so that you can restore individual files and folders as needed. "

I've never used Win7's backup before. Up to this point I've been an Acronis True Image Home backup user. The system image that ATIH creates (alone) can be viewed directly in Windows Explorer and files can be extracted and restored as desired, which is what I want. But I'm interpreting the MS help article to mean that I can't use just a (Windows Backup) system image to restore individual files, but that I also need a complete file backup to do so. What I really want to do, which Acronis does perfectly, is to do only a system backup so I can restore the whole Windows system if needed, and restore individual files when needed.

Question: Do I really need both types in Windows Backup? If I use Windows Backup do I need both a system image and a file backup in order to do what I could do in Acronis in one shot with just a system image?

Thanks,
Frank D

 

Your right the latter does include both, always better to do this on another drive if possible!

Hi, I think the system image is mainly for your windows setup and the file backup is for programs and data on the HD.

Anything installed after the backup won't be recovered unless the files were stored in windows docs etc.. But the program no, I guess it's a bit like doing a restore program wise.

So I have always done both but have to this day not had to restore one on my own machines, I'm either lucky or careful.

I've never used acronis, any good?

It's a good idea to have this sort of backup and if you keep it up to date will significantly help in a system failure.

Thats pretty much all I know from restoring friends/families PC's!

Regards, Ian.

 

Ian,

Thank you for your reply.

I know what you're saying, but my questions are still unanswered. I know from my own experience that Acronis does exactly what I want in one package, while it appears that Windows Backup requires two separate, duplicated, parts, which means it should take up twice as much space as an Acronis backup that accomplishes the same thing in one package. In addition, it appears that the Windows Backup full package, with system image, will update the files in the file backup portion but not in the system image portion. Acronis does this all in one shot. What this does, it seems to me, is that if I need to restore my entire system (say due to a crashed hard drive) I first have to restore from the system image and then restore from the file backup. Am I wrong?

Does anyone have any first-hand experience with these aspects of Windows Backup?

Frank D

 

Hi again, all I can say is I've tried a restore from a program from "easeus" called "todobackup ", didn't work. Not even close!

When I've restored from Windows backups it has always worked, depending on the problem that caused the system failure in the first place.

If you get a bad virus repairing Windows can be difficult and a boot AV wont work unless Windows can boot! Because it might cause more damage if it deletes something infected that windows needs.

If my machines are at all slow I check everything, Windows upgrades and new software can cause a system to go a bit slower till everything in place.

Other than this I can't help, other than a backup of files as they exist is a good idea!

Regards Ian.

 

Ian,

I am continuing to use Acronis backup (in a "belt and suspenders "approach), but I want to see if I can switch over to Windows Backup because the latter is built into Windows, and if I need to restore my computer after a crash or system failure, all I have to do is put the Windows 7 install disc into my DVD drive and choose the "restore from a backup" option. Of course, this kind of option is also available with Acronis, but I want the comfort factor of using all of Windows' native capabilities, from A to Z. At this point I'm still in the dark about the way Windows Backup operates, and MS doesn't make it clear, IMO.

Frank

BTW, I've tried Easeus, Macrium and Paragon backup programs and for me none of them is as easy to understand and use as Acronis.

 

I think a lot of these programs are advertised with others in the attempt to get you to buy one IMHO.

If your careful about what you install and keep your HD defragged / optimised, I reboot before each new operation, boot AV checks from usb and AV software/malwarebytes/superantispyware you name it. Opera browser set to do not track, delete cookies on exit and loads of extensions to keep me safe.

I mention defragging etc because files can be all over the place and I don't do my backup until I'm sure the sysem is sound and working fine!

Threr's no point in backing up a system that's got problems, I do one when I install a new system sort of a back to basics thing.

I get all the fav progs back on and everything running peachy, then backup.

Periodically do it as your system changes but remember your data is more important than progs, so in addition I backup my files as they are to another drive.

They may not make it clear for a good reason so you don't get your hopes up. LOL.

MS backups have always worked for me so regardless off the extra space I continue to use this option. Belt,braces,parachute and two condoms!

Good night, Ian.

 

Update:

It looks like I may have answered my own questions. This afternoon I used the out-of-the-box Windows Backup's default settings to create a system image and back up my C drive's files, a total size of 105 GB. The resulting backup took about 2.5 hours and was only 58.5 GB in size, just about equal to the size of my initial Acronis system image. I tested its file search and restore capabilities and found that it was just as easy to use as the Acronis. I also set it to run daily at 9 pm, and at that time it automatically did an incremental backup, which took about 10 minutes. If everything runs smoothly in the next few days, as it did today, I'll mark this thread resolved.

Thanks to Ian and those who may have reviewed this topic, even if they didn't leave any comments.

Frank D

 

Update: Two days now. Windows Backup started up on schedule and did an incremental in about 15 minutes.

Curiosity point: Over the same time interval the Acronis incremental backup has added 3.2 GB, while Windows Backup has added only 0.6 GB, yet theoretically they are both doing the same thing. :?: I double-checked and all my latest files are up to date in both backups. Any thoughts as to why the difference in the size of the increments of the backups?

Frank D

Update: Three days now. WB started on schedule and did an incremental in about 15 minutes.

Over the same time interval Acronis added about 3 GB, while WB has added 0.6 GB (again).

 

Update:

Fourth day: WB started on schedule and did an incremental backup in about 12 minutes.

Over the same time interval Acronis added about 4.5 GB while WB has added only 0.7 GB.

Windows Backup shows my latest files have been backed up.

At this point I'm ready to discontinue using Acronis and making Windows Backup my default System Restore and files/folders restore program.

Does anyone have any comments, pro or con? Thank you.

Frank D

 

OK, I started using Windows Backup & Restore (system image + file backup) on 8/26/12 and today is 9/16/12.

Summary: I haven't yet had to restore the system image, but I have restored a few files from backups successfully. As far as I'm concerned, WB&R does everything I need that I formerly used Acronis to do. Additionally, WB&R adds only about 500 to 600 MB per incremental, while Acronis added anywhere from 1 to 3 GB. This means I can go much longer doing daily incremental backups using WB&R than Acronis, since my USB hard drive doesn't fill up as fast.

I'm marking this thread as "resolved. "

Frank D