Windows Backup

EdwardTeach · 3 Mar 2011 at 22:28

Does anyone use this, is it worthwhile?

I have never previously used it, but I just followed some action centre suggestions and set up up backup. I was surprised to see it has taken up 600gb of space, and I am wondering if it is worthwhile.

I recently had to re-install windows, and renewing all the drivers and getting all the security updates was a bit of a faff. I ran in to problems updating to sp1, therefore if in theory if I had a system in place which allowed me to roll back to a previously stable it would have been helpful. My understanding is that the sytem image would allow this?

Backup seemed to take a system image of both my C drive (boot drive) and my D drive (a 1TB drive for games/software). Any idea why it wants to take a system image of the D drive? surely this was not necessary?

Windows backup also suggested it would backup my data files - I am not sure this was necessary, I have 4hd's and important data is stored on more than one drive.

Basically I am really not sure if this was worth it. I certainly don't want to lose 600gb of hd space. Is there a simple (and clean) way of deleting the backup files?

LiamJ · 3 Mar 2011 at 22:31

Errr... Right click, delete?

It is also possible to select exactly what you want to back up down to each individual file with Windows backup.

SiriusB · 3 Mar 2011 at 22:32

Just change what Windows Backup takes an image of, as suggested by Liam. Or turn it off and use a third party solution, such as Macrium Reflect or Acronis True Image.

EdwardTeach · 3 Mar 2011 at 22:41

I can select which folders I want to backup but when it comes to system image, i dont seem to have the option to choose only a system image of my C drive (boot drive).

There is a tick box which states:

"Include a system image of drives: System Reserved, New Volume (D

, (C

SiriusB · 3 Mar 2011 at 23:15

Have you moved any documents folders there? [Music, Documents, Video etc]? Pagefile been moved?

Basically if a partition has Docs, Page File, Boot or Crash Dumps it is included in the system image. You can see what is going on using Disk Management.

EdwardTeach · 3 Mar 2011 at 23:27

I have moved the location of my music folder, desktop and downloads, but they are not on the D drive, they are on drive F which is actually the drive where the backup sits.

Downloads has previously sat on the D drive, but not since Windows was re-installed, so i dont think that should be an issue?

what should i be looking out for in disk management?

SiriusB · 4 Mar 2011 at 00:05

Partitions are labelled with:

System, Boot, Crash Dump, Page File and a few others. If any I listed are not on the C: drive or System Reserved drive, then you know why Windows Backup is adding D:\

EdwardTeach · 4 Mar 2011 at 00:40

Thanks SiriusB, there is nothing like that on my D drive, so i don't know windows backup wants to force me to take an image of it.

I am not liking the amount of space this is taking up. The image folder is 586gb! It took an image of the drive with my steam directory!

That being so, i dont think i will bother using backup. I have disabled the backup schedule. Will deleting the windowsimagebackup folder get me all my hd space back, or is ther anything else i need to delete?