Windows Backup / system image

ok, i just set up windows backup for the first time today, after nuking my setup and having to re-install windows today... i have it set up on my external hdd.. so, here are my questions:

i chose to "let Windows choose which files to backup" was this the smart choice?

is the system image that it created a backup of my ENTIRE hdd?

the most important thing for me here is that i backup a complete image of the entire hard drive right now. future backups are of less importance to me. i have windows perfectly optimized right now and i want to preserve this state for future re-installs.


thanks.

 

Also, will ALL media, etc be on this system image?

 

Not sure about letting wondws choose the files -- I always just make an image of an entire volume (C: ). That image is everything on the C: drive, including third party software AFAIK.

It's worth noting, however, that if you want to restore that image you can't do it to a blank drive -- in other words, you can only restore an image using the same copy of windows that image was created from (at least that's how I understand it). So if you nuke your HDD again you'll have to use the original windows disk to first reinstall windows and then restore your image, or I think you can also do it from the recovery disk you have the option of burning after making the image.

I also believe you can only restore the image *from* the same volume it was saved to and *to* the same volume windows was installed on when the image was made.

Disclaimer -- I've always saved images but never had to use one to restore my system so I might have this all bass-ackward

 

i believe what you said is correct.

so i let my original back-up go overnight and it gave me an error that there was not enough space on disk drive (even though i was backing up 150gb worth of stuff onto an external with more space than that). so it didn't work and i decided to explore more options.

first of all, windows back up takes FOREVER(some people online are saying it will take days to complete). i decided to skip the "back-up" and only create a system image. this process took less than 2 hours for 150GB worth of stuff.

i plan on using this system image after doing clean installs.

 

So I can forget it to use this when changing to a new harddrive...I use SyncToy x64 anyway to keep all my back up files current on my external...then it's just a copy and past job.

I'll look at clonezilla....

 

you could probably use on a new hard drive as long as it's partitioned the same way AFAIK. I only take an image of systems/programs... all my data is simply synced with my NAS unit (also using synctoy).

 

For a NAS, I find Offline files far more convenient.

 

can anyone clear up this question for me: If i back up my 320GB notebook HDD with a system image to my external HDD, and lets say my 320GB HDD crashes and i replace it to a 500GB, will i be able to restore the system image to the new HDD??

 

i dont see why not (i know that dosnt really help but just thought i add my view)

cheers

 

Back in the day, backup software use to refuse to do this. Now a days, it shouldn't be a problem.

 

I believe so, as long as the new drive has a volume with the same letter/name as the original and you have burned a restore disc (which you'll need if Windows will not be installed on the new disc to start with).

But I could be wrong, so I await further confirmation from others