Aomei

If there are any Aomei backer uppers here please reply so I can post a more lengthy issue I have.
Thank you.
Peter

 

I use AOMEI Backupper. What's your issue with it?

 

Hello I have Win 10 and have read the tutorials for hours

I am trying to image my computer along with the reserve partition. I first chose 'disc image' and it did back up and restore with the rescue media. This disc image did the job with Macrium.

However, when I selected an incremntal backup to target that full image, it said the path was wrong -regardless of what I did.

I have since created a new image but this time I used 'sytem backup' instead of 'disc backup'. I have not tried to peform an incremental nor have I restored it with the rescue media because I need some advice about what I may be doing wrong.

** 1st I created a folder in 'This PC' and just date it. Previously I wrote "Aomei with the date" perhaps this is why the path was wrong.

Could you please help me to backup my system with the reserve partiion and be able to restore it. Also, how do I create an incremental backup that can be attched to the image I want? Everything was fine until I tried to backup the incremental. Maybe it was due to my restoring that image?

Thank you

 

OK. First, are you using an external hard drive for your backups? I use an external 500 GB USB connected hard drive labelled "Backups" just for the purpose because I back up four System Drives — however, I don't use incremental or differential backups. I can't distinguish the purpose of one from the other and doing either creates additional files that need to be restored.

A System Backup may not back up that System Reserved partition and/or the Recovery Partition (if you have one).

Once/month, I do a disk backup on each of those System drives using high compression, smart sector copy and VSS (I have those settings set as Global). I start by deleting the previous month's backup (file as well) and title the new backup so I know which disk I'm backing up along with the date (ex. WD1TB020116). and let AOMEI do it's thing after selecting source and destination. It doesn't take any longer than doing incremental/differential (high compression does make it take longer than normal compression but, the space savings are worth it).

I'm not one that does a lot with images, audio or office apps so, the way I use AOMEI Backupper suits my purposes.

 

BTW, I run XP Pro, 7 Enterprise, 8.1 Pro, 8.1 Enterprise, 10 Pro and 10 Enterprise on different partitions on different disks.

 

I used full system backup and it does back up the reserved partition.
It does recover both also. The problem I am having is that when I create an incremental to bring it up to date, there should be a "merge" in utilities per directions but is not there. So I don't know how to recover both the image and the incremental i created.

Unless I just recover the incremental when I see both?

Until I hear otherwise I will occasionally do a system image.

 

No, there is no merge function, at least, not in the freeware version of Backupper. AOMEI creates the initial backup file and if you do an incremental or differential afterward, a separate file is created. Whether on trying to restore you chose the incremental, differential or original image, I don't know. Someone who's used incremental/differential will have to chime in on that.

Yes, I selected System Backup and saw the System Reserved partition. But for me, I'd have to launch Backupper in EACH version of Windows I'm running on the two disks and five partitions my computer has for System Backup to work. I'm better off using Disk Backup. I may have a few Windows Updates and a few software updates I'd need to re-install but the OSes would be up and running again.

 

Aomei users please join

 

I am not as technically thorough (for explaining) as is mdonah, however, I use Aomei BU daily and I only do Full Data Backups and System Backups. I am able to immediately see the Reserve Partition when making the System Backup. "Maybe" your issue is PC vendor specific. You might want to contact them and ask why yours doesn't show up. Just a thought - I do not profess to be an expert on the "Reserve" partitions.

I too have a dedicated external drive. I simply practice rotating, so to speak. Once I know that I will no longer need an old backup I then delete it. I keep about 7 or 8 backups back. ADDITIONALLY, I keep a log in Word that tells me where I am at with each backup. Extra work??? Yes. But, at a glance I know which one to choose and what results to expect when choosing it. I do not do differ's or incre's.

I realize I may not be helping you but just wanted you to know that I am very pleased with AomeiBU.

Dekade

 

His System Reserved partition shows in System Backup as does mine in System AND Disk Backup. He's only got the one hard drive that he's trying to do incre/differ backups with and he doesn't know how to restore because AOMEI creates two files when either is done.

My situation is different. I have 3 versions of Windows on one hard drive (Main "C:\" drive) which has 3 partitions (plus the System Reserved partition [350 MB]) and two versions of Windows on a secondary modular bay drive which has two partitions (it used to have a Recovery Partition [500 MB] as well which I had to get rid of when I restored the disk from a Backupper image — the Recovery Partition became readily accessible in File Explorer — it's usually hidden except in Disk Management. I think Backupper changed the formatting of the Recovery Partition from FAT32 to NTFS.).

 

Thank you mdonah,

- I knew going in that you were more educated than me - thus, thank you for helping me to also learn more about the computing world. I guess I needed to absorb more of the thread than what I did.

Kind Regards,

Dekade

 

Let's get the basics sorted. Incremental backups store changes since the previous incremental or since the initial full backup if it's the first incremental. Differential backups always store changes since the initial backup. When you restore an incremental it restores the disk or partitions to their state at the time the incremental was created, so if you have several incrementals you can choose which to restore. The backup program does the merging for you. This works the same in all imaging programs.

 

@mdonah - when a system reserved or recovery partition suddenly becomes visible in Explorer it is not because its format has been changed to NTFS. The format is unchanged and you only need to remove the drive letter in Disk Management.

Typing on a phone here and it's a pita!

 

@Dekade,

YW. Wish I could have helped the OP better.

@Earthling,

Thanks for the explanation of incremental/Differential.

So, if the OP did differential, he couldn't select what to restore. He'd have to restore "the whole ball of wax". But, if he does incremental he could select which increment to restore and in Backupper, he'd select that incremental backup file which would also restore the original backup file. Am I correct?

 

Yes, that's about it, except with diffs you have two choices as you can restore either the baseline or the diff. The diff will include the baseline of course.

 

Thanks for the clarification.

@peterr,

I did some checking and as I stated, the ability to merge is missing in the freeware version of Backupper. The Pro version ($49.90US) gives you the ability to merge.

 

I have the standard version and it is deficient without merge.
It's OK for a n image that;s all.

 

I'm thinking about getting their bundle of Backupper Pro and Partition Assistant Pro (I use the standard version of that as well) for $58.80US. Have to see what finances for the month are like first.

 

I am going to use just the image back up and forget the incremental. I have my data on 2 separate flash drives so it's all I need.