Windows 7 forum: How do I make and restore backups from Windows 7?

My own solution, which unfortunately isn't cheap, was to purchase HP's Windows Home Server computer. This is a computer which stands alone (no monitor or keyboard), attaches to my home network, and automatically backs up all of my computers every night - saving only unique sectors.

When the hard drive on my PC crashed, I installed a new drive, booted from a CD (which I had previously built using the WHS software), then restored the full "image".

When I just needed a couple of files restored, I went to the server interface and chose the files I needed.

The initial setup was most of the headache - after that, I'm home free.

I simply don't trust Windows with anything I want to be sure about.

I use a commercial product because of Windows.

I got Vista several years ago, correctly installed, correctly configured.

I tried using Vista System Restore probably 30-40 times and every time, it failed.

Whilst the system was functional, I always got the message that there were errors and Windows could not properly restore the system to the selected restore point. I tried several restore points and it was the same every time. And my system was running in almost perfect order (I was restoring to make sure a newly added programme was removed fully).

So, personally, it wouldn't enter my mind to use Windows to backup or restore anything I wanted to know was done correctly. Especially when it tells me repeatedly, it just can't do it. If it can't ever read it's own files and use them what on earth would it do to anything else you throw at it? Not willing to find out!!! (Not with Vista anyway.)

Unfortunately what the first few respondant did not state.......most free back-up or imagining solutions do NOT allow you to just back-up a certain area...they are designed to create a FULL system image of your hard drive in case something goes wrong like a hard drive crash. CNET offers plenty of free solutions, and maybe at this moment, one will allow you to just back-up or image a folder, as of 2 years ago they did not, you had to buy the "paid version"...Check CNET download area for: Paragon, Macrieum Reflect, Easus TODO etc and see if one of the FREE ones will allow a foldrer back-up.......if NOT ...you can BUY Norton Ghost, expensive or Acronis True Image cheaper which will do the job and buy one of the paid version mention, just rad the description beforehand to ensure it allows folder or just partition back-up.

You can also just copy folders or particular files you want to back up and their is a program or two that will help you do it, check CNET and other on line repositories.

There is a difference between backing up a copy and creating images of folders or the whole hard drive. If you have time try reading up on it...I did a few years ago when I also was confuse on the topic.

You may want to just make copies of folders or files you deemed critical to an exterenal hard drive orr USB drive and use W7 backup and restore every months or so.

The poster who said you need a bigger hard drive to put your image on was right if you do a snapshot image, which is a complete clone of the original drive. But Macrium Reflect will do compressed images that fit into an amazingly small folder. I bought a pocket drive for my 500 Gb system hard drive backups, and it was 650 Gbs. But I've hardly scratched the capacity of it, and I have several types of backups on it already! If you select XML option, it can be restored with a click!

You can do incremental image backups with Macrium, but I didn't see if you had to pay for Reflect to get it. The website says it has file and folder masks and differential and incremental backup ability as a core feature(many others as well). To me this means FREE!

Is so simple it is like using "My Computer" in XP(allmost). I exaggerate, but this link will help:

http://www.intowindows.com/using-windows-7-image-backup-tool/

After reading and understanding this procedure, and using it a while, using it or Macrium will be a piece of cake. The Microsoft videos I linked you to in your other comments leads to other good videos too.

Googling this on youtube should be even more fruitfull. Just use the term, " how to do an image backup" or similar.

I use Windows XP not 7, but it shouldn't be too different. I have used Image for DOS to make image backups (image means the entire contents of the hard disk) for 10 years or so. I am currently using version 2.68. I back up to an external 1 Terabyte USB hard drive, about once a month (or whenever I add a new program or update to my drive). I can restore the entire image, or I can copy individual files from the image. It's not the easiest program to use ( I am a retired computer technician, so I have no problem). It's not expensive.
I also do a daily backup of my data files, using Windows Briefcase. Just my Word docs and accounting package and photos and email files.

My external USB hard drive came with a backup program on it, but I've never used it. I stick with what works for me.

I have never used the built-in Windows backup. I use Acronis True Image, which works great. I only do images of my C drive (the drive with the system on it). I have my data on other drives. This does not sound like your setup. The advantage of this setup, though, is that I can restore just my system and leave my data alone if I have a problem.

I also subscribe to Carbonite. This is a service that backs up most of the data on your drives automatically. Normally, there is nothing to do except let it work. I use Carbonite for my data drives. If I lose something I need, I can open up the Carbonite interface and get the information off of the service's servers up to 30 days after I lost the original. It works well for me. I also make direct backups to DVD (no backup software) every 6 months or so, just to keep around.

My setup doesn't sound like what is best for you, but I described it just in case it ever is. For you, you want software that allows you to mount your backup as if it were a drive and then pull the files off of it. According to a previous poster, the built in Windows backup will do this. If this is true, then all you need is to find out how to do it. I have no experience with this software, so I can't tell you, but I'm sure there is someone out there who is willing to post some instructions.

Be aware that getting the files off the backup is not the same as a restore. Restore will replace everything with whatever is on the backup. You are absolutely correct about that. Pulling the files off of a backup is a different procedure. I hope that someone can tell you how this is done.

After reading through the posts, I think that most people do not understand what you are asking for.

I know that Acronis True Image will allow you to mount your backup as a drive and extract information from it, without having to restore the backup and wipe out your other data. I do not know if you can do this with the Windows 7 built-in backup.

Subscribing to Carbonite would also give you what you need. You could make your regular backups, just as usual, in case of a complete system meltdown. You could then rely on Carbonite to keep your data backed up regularly. It isn't entirely intuitive, but it does work well. Type "Carbonite" (without the quote marks) into a search engine to find it.

If you would rather just buy a program, Acronis True Image will allow you to remove data from a backup. You will need to read the instructions to find out how, but it isn't difficult.

The free backup program called Easeus ToDo (available from CNET Downloads page) will walk you through the steps for creating a "Backup Image" of your entire setup. Another good program is Acronis True Image for around $30 in stores or online from www.newegg.com and others.

However, as another poster here already said, it can be argued that the best method is to use Windows 7 built-in Backup and Restore program. In its simplest form the program has a couple of quirks, but it will make an exact copy of your entire Windows, documents, photos, music, etc. and there is very little effort involved on your part.

Now, about those quirks. I will describe them. Your computer stores everything (including Windows 7) on a device called a hard drive. The capacity of a hard drive is measured in GigaBytes (GB, for short) and TeraBytes (TB for short). A typical computer may have, for example, a 500GB hard drive (or maybe even a 1000GB which equals 1TB). Windows plus all your "data" (documents, photos, video, music, etc.) might take up, say, 200GB total space. That leaves 300GB of unused space. So far, so good.

A requirement for using Windows 7 Backup and Restore is that you have another hard drive of sufficient capacity to hold the Backup Image/copy/clone that you want to make. This is where a Windows quirk comes in. The Backup and Restore program sees your 500GB hard drive and requires you to provide another hard drive with at least 500GB of space on it even though all your stuff only takes up 200GB of space on your main hard drive! What you really want is to make a backup that only needs 200GB of space, you see?

There is, of course, a way around that quirk. If you use that Acronis program or Easeus ToDo I think they may just require 200GB on the spare hard drive to hold the Backup copy.

With Windows 7 you can do a few extra steps before starting the Backup and Restore program to accomplish the same thing. Basically, you tell Windows 7 to shrink the 500GB "partition" that Windows occupies down to a smaller size, just a bit larger than the the stuff you want to copy, say 202GB or so. Then, Backup and Restore will only require the spare hard drive to accomodate 202GB for the Backup copy, thus saving almost 300GB of space on the spare drive for your next Backup or for other data.

To do this:
Click on Start
Right-click on Computer and select Manage. A new window opens.
On the left side of new window click on Disk Management and wait for the chart to open.
Right-click on your main hard drive (usually labeled C: drive) and select Shrink Volume. A new window opens
Here it will tell you how much you can shrink the size of your C: drive partition. Choose any number up to that available maximum and proceed.
When it's done you have shrunk the 500GB C: drive down to a smaller size.

Now, close all the windows.
Click on Start and type Backup and Restore and select that same result in the list above where you typed.
The Backup and Restore window opens
On the left side menu click on Create a System Image
Follow the instructions, selecting the spare hard drive as the "target" location where you want to save/store the Backup "System Image".
When it has finished you should use the Create a System Repair Disk option in the Backup and Restore program. If Windows ever totally crashes or won't boot up you can use the Repair Disk you created to boot up the computer and Restore the System Image (the Backup copy) from the spare hard drive, no problem.)
Good luck !!

Will this work for WindowsXP Professional?

And another good one too! Isn't that one mostly free? I mean free but still useful - not a gutted version? The name of that one slipped my mind - thanks Andrew!

It might be helpful to read some of the pros and cons on Easeus' site.
I personally came away very confused - in my case, not hard to accomplish!

and I can attest that it is way easy and has full backup capability. The paid version just has fancy whistles and bells for IT professionals.

I'd bet if you read the user reviews on Easeus at CNET, you will find that the majority of folks think the world about it. IT Pros everywhere recommend it. I haven't tried it, or I'd say honestly what experience I've had with it.

CNET is the best source ever for reading about software. I don't really put much credence to what the editors at CNET think about the product. They run counter to what is actually happening sometimes.

Some of this post is not correct, or at least not with my Win 7 pc.

called "Treesize". This handly utility will give you a simple graphical representation of all your data separated by type and size, in Gb, Mb or whatever is necessary; and where in your files, it resides.