RE: Windows 7 Backup -- Am I reading this correctly, does NOT back up your programs?

Hello. Yes, I just want to make sure that Windows 7 Backup does not indeed backup your program files. I have read no news to this, but during setup when YOU (not Microsoft default setup) are selecting the objects to backup, like my whole Windows 7 Professional operating system, that it will NOT backup or image that folder within Windows 7? I found out through a friend. I need to know the truth!!! I also heard there are a few more exceptions or exclusions, like the Recycle Bin and even some odd stuff that it will not touch! Well, that stinks!!! I am not about to re-install all my programs again if I had to use Windows 7 Backup to recover my system!!! There are definitely better products that will DO IT ALL!!! WHEN I MEAN A BACKUP, I MEAN A *FULL* BACKUP!!!

Please clarify!

Thank you!!!

 

Windows backup will not backup program files.

However, you can create an image of your computer which backs up files and programs as of that moment. It's not something i would run on a regular basis like a normal backup, but you could make an image now, and then just do regular backups, so that if you had to revert to a backup, you could restore the system image and then restore the backup files themselves.


Just goto this area below I have shown to make a system image.

 

@motc7:

Okay, so your saying that there are "2" separate processes or even programs if you will about backing up built into Windows 7???

One is a file backup system (a.k.a from experts (not Microsoft's language): "Hard Disk Backup and Restore Utilities" and the other is called "Hard Disk / Partition Imaging Software".) Windows 7 has both?!? (I assume the answer is: "YES".)

See, I thought it was all one process that excluded program files.

So, the hard disk/partition imaging software WILL make a copy or backup of the program files -- actually everything. BUT... ...the hard disk backup and restore utilites WILL NOT back up a copy or backup of the program files.

Am I correct in saying that?

And there is even AN ORDER to do this as you describe?


Please reply to confirm or correct me.

Thank you!


***

Okay, let me ask this too:

Why are 3rd party programs like Acronis True Image often preferred than Windows 7 Backup as I hear people say? Features different and better in Acronis? Please comment.

Thanks again!

 

RE: Windows 7 Back Up - System Image Issue - Error: 0x80780119???

Hello. I am trying to use Windows 7 Back Up to Create a system image. Now, I get an error message at the initial start of creating a system image. Please see attached screen clipping. It is a long paragraph description. It concerns: 0x80780119. I was told to create the system image first then go ahead and back up files. So I click on "Create a system image" on the "Backup and Restore" screen. Now, this is the first time I am making a System Image backup. Mind you, I did not make a complete regular file/data backup yet. I actually cancelled it while it was backing up because I wanted to make a System Image backup first (like a baseline), then I will go ahead and makeup smaller file/data backups AFTER that.

Now, it sounds like the Windows message is saying that I do not have any disk space. That is not true at all!!! Is Windows 7 Back Up giving me some crap or is there something going on I do not see??? I have created earlier a clean 250 GB partition space on another hard drive and the partition is empty. I started to create a file backup earlier as I said above (That I cancelled.) and it contained some files. I cleaned them out to make way for the System Image file. This is a rather new Windows 7 install so the small size of the 50.3 GB of 146 GB OS system partition. I do have that System Reserved 100 MB partition on this same hard drive Windows 7 is on. Does that System Reserved partition cause any issues?

Am I doing something wrong? Maybe. ...Or is Windows having issues?

Please help. If you have any questions, please ask me.

Thank you!

 

Re: Windows 7 Back Up - System Image Issue - Error: 0x80780119???

Hello. I think I MAY know the problem... ...I have been doing some thinking... ...I think it has to deal with that partition System Reserved. If you read the Windows message carefully, there is a part of it that does relate to the issue at hand... ...that System Reserved partition. In my case, it was the 100 MB system partition that Windows setup during theinstallation that was under capacity. As it says, if you have a volume under 500 MB, the minimum is 50 MB of free space. In my case, my 100 MB volume only had about 31.7 MB free when I was trying to do the system image... ...and thus it wouldn't work. And at this point, from what I understand, this System Reserved partition is essential to my Windows 7 operating system. I guess it CAN BE deleted somehow, but fixes to the main Windows 7 partition need to be performed as well in the process. I am not sure how?

The solution may be that if I were able to extend the partition of System Reserved to OVER 500 MB's, then Window's System Image creation may work. However, in Disk Management, the option to EXTEND the System Reserved partition is not possible. It is grayed-out. Strangely, the "Shrink Volume..." option IS available however. So, I have to get a way of either deleting the System Reserved partition SAFELY, extending the System Reserved partition OVER 500 MB, or use another 3rd party product compatible Windows 7 backup product like Pegasus above commented on. Of course, the safest is to use another 3rd party compatible Windows 7 backup product.

Please, anyone comment.

Thank you!

 

Re: Windows 7 Back Up - System Image Issue - Error: 0x80780119???

I really think you should study Help and Support about this subject, as it will answer most if not all of your questions.

 

Re: Windows 7 Back Up - System Image Issue - Error: 0x80780119???

@Earthling:

Thank you for your reply.

Could you please be as so kind to point me in the direction of where Microsoft Help & Support will answer most if not all my question regarding my issue? I have done a lengthy search with that and I have not found any relevant issues regarding my issue. If you're implying over the System Reserved issue and why some users get it and others do not, I know all about that one. I am looking for answer to resolve the System Image issue failure.

This is the conclusion or in essence, the cause and effect:
It appears if you have the System reserved partition (created at the time of Windows 7 installation), therefore you cannot use Windows 7's System Image feature (because of this). I may have made a deep revelation for some users out there. Yet, I have to think that Microsoft MAY KNOW about this ALREADY. Just there is not too much information available on the web over this issue. ...and I KNOW I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE HAVING THIS ISSUE OUT THERE. Some users are not putting 2 and 2 together yet.

Anyways, please reply Earthling or anyone else who knows about this issue and even knows the location on Microsoft's Help and Support website(s). I would love to read it.

Thank you!

 

Well we can't accuse you of that certainly, but the trouble is that in doing so you are coming up with five and three quarters

I don't use the Windows 7 backup system because, like most here, I wanted imaging capability long before Microsoft thought fit to include it with their operating system (W7 is the first version of Windows to have this capability). So I am not able to give specific step-by-step instructions on its use. However there are a few basics about imaging that it might help if you had a better understanding of -

1. You cannot store an image of W7 on a recovery partition, which is what you appear to be trying to do. Not only is the partition far too small, as you have discovered, but on most machines it is not formatted NTFS, which it has to be for W7 backup to work. Possibly it is on your machine though, but you still can't use it.

2. It is possible but not advisable to store your image on a different NTFS partition on the same hard drive, or you can store it on a different hard drive, either internal or external, or you can store it on DVDs, of which you may need four or five. Earlier you stated you had created a 250GB partition on another drive. If that is so then that would be an excellent place to store your image, though precisely how that is done in W7 Backup I can't advise. It is certainly possible though.

3. The presence or absence of a recovery partition is completely irrelevant in this context. All a partitioning program wants to know is which drives or partitions are to be included in the image, and which hard drive or DVD drive the image is to be stored on. Different imaging programs offer a number of options during this process, such as compression, but at this stage you don't need to get into any of that.

4. An image is purely for disaster recovery and is not a substitute for or alternative to regular file backups. If your computer fails and won't boot to Windows an image may well recover the situation without a reinstall. However its usefulness rapidly diminishes due to updates and new software installations so to be of much use it needs refreshing at least once a month.

Keep these points in mind and you should start to be able to move forward.

 

Since posting that I've been having a quick look at W7's imaging system and it does look pretty straightforward, as the very first screen after clicking Create System Image shows all the drives you have available and what free space they have. You just need to choose one with a minimum of 25GB free and it should work fine. Either that or use DVDs.

 

ERRATA - I meant imaging of course, not partitioning. Sorry!

 

Apparently Windows 7 allows you to create an image. Who knew? Not me.
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/4241/how-to-create-a-system-image-in-windows-7/
and http://www.andyrathbone.com/2010/03/15/creating-a-system-image-in-windows-7/

 

Don't waste your time plodr. Stick with Acronis

 

I don't run Windows 7 so it isn't for me. I help some truly clueless seniors running Windows 7 - this would be for them because any image is better than no image!

 

Hello. I apologize for not getting back sooner. I have had other issues that have/are getting resolved and been all round super busy anyways.

@ Earthling:

I want to clarify what I am saying. I may have confused you what I was doing and I want to set the record straight. I apologize if I have confused you. I am learning that other users "out there" who are experiencing this same issue, and there has been MANY I am finding online, are not connecting two different components of Windows 7 that are conflicting with each other. ...and Microsoft needs to fix this issue. It has been a BIG learning experience for me. I have gone from not even knowing what backups on Windows 7 to how to get it done with issues. I am sharing this with others so they can avoid that System Reserved partition. I learned the hard way!

@ for all:

I created a thread on Microsoft Answers for you to read and I think you will understand the circumstances. Everyone I have spoke too (even outside this forum and Microsoft Answers all agree that Acronis is better than Windows 7 back-up systems -- I agree and will use it, but I would like to have this operational as well as a second backup. Nothing wrong with that.). Here is the link:

http://social.answers.microsoft.com...7628847/#92b2bca6-ac66-4025-928d-65c8e202aa23

Please remember as I said in my post:
***This has been a learning lesson for me and everyone else out there: DO NOT MESS AROUND WITH THE SYSTEM RESERVED PARTITION IF YOU GET ONE OR YOUR SYSTEM IS TOAST!!! TRY TO AVOID IT IF YOU CAN BEFORE YOU INSTALL WINDOWS 7 BY HAVING ANOTHER PARTITION ALREADY ON THE SAME HARD DRIVE YOU PLAN TO INSTALL WINDOWS 7!!! This way you can use Windows 7’s System Imaging program too and make successful backups too!!!***

Here a great website to learn how to avoid the system reserved partition when installing Windows 7 from DVD disc:

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/...reserved-partition-when-installing-windows-7/

I used "Method: 3". It seems to work the best for me, maybe you too.

I hope I have helped someone out there!!!