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Can you rename the backup image folder (WindowsImageBackup) without breaking them?

Answered Can you rename the backup image folder (WindowsImageBackup) without breaking them?

  • Sunday, October 25, 2009 5:08 PM
     
     
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    Can you rename backup images (WindowsImageBackup) without breaking them so that you can save multiple full image/backups? Or will the system backup utility just save new backup images in the same folder but just date them differently and be able to select a date of an image during a restore or do new images overwrite old ones? I would like to know the best way to go about saving multiple complete system drive images on an external hard drive without breaking them unusable. Example- Could I rename "WindowsImageBackup" to "Windows7Image_2009-10-25" and still have it usable without naming it back? Thanks.
     

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  • Monday, October 26, 2009 6:39 AM
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    I tried the steps you mentioned and got following result.

     

    I tried to move the WindowsImageBackup file to a sub-folder or rename it. It will not be recognized after move or rename. But will be recognized after rename or move it back.

     

    Thus I think we can do the following steps as a workaround.

     

    1. Perform a backup to create the system image.

     

    2. Move and rename the file. But remember the original location.

     

    3. Create new backup images, rename and move if you need.

     

    When we need to run restore, we will need to get into Windows Recovery Environment. As no system image can be found, it will ask us manually select an image. It will provide an option to help install driver is any external device is needed to be installed. In that status we can browse files including USB device and DVDROM. So we can easily move and rename system image file back and the file will be recognized.

     

     
  • Wednesday, October 28, 2009 2:45 AM
     
     
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    Ahhh... It would be nice if they all stored in the same folder but with times and dates like setting System Restore points, but entire system backup images (I'm under the impression that new backups overwrite previous backups if not moved or renamed). Then you could select what image from what date you wanted to restore. Really I don't know why I'm too worried, I went some four+ years on a single XP install without having to reinstall. Regular old System Restore did save my butt a few times and sometimes it's nice to just start fresh (clean install).
     
  • Wednesday, October 28, 2009 10:50 AM
     
     
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    emig5m:

    Windows Imaging does work like you described in your last post. The first image saved to a particular backup location is a full image. Subsequent images saved to the same location are incremental. You can choose any of the backup sets when you restore an image.

    Images are saved as virtual hard disk files (*.vhd) and the visible .vhd file is always updated to the current state of the drive(s) as each image is saved. Changed sectors from each incremental are stored in shadow copy storage and are not visible in Windows Explorer. But when you boot to the Windows 7 DVD to restore an image you will be able to see and select from any of your previous image dates, much like System Restore.

    Note that when you save your first image to a backup location, Windows Backup will reserve 30% of the disk space for shadow storage for the changed sectors in each incremental image. In my tests on a 60 GB disk used as a backup location, it took about a month of daily full images before the shadow copy storage was filled. YMMV.
     
  • Wednesday, October 28, 2009 11:05 AM
     
     
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    And all this will work from a external USB drive? I'm using a external 2TB USB 2.0 drive for backups but would hate to be stuck in a situation where I didn't have a driver on hand and a unusable drive from a recovery disc. I could just save system images to a internal drive/partition if need to be. I know being stuck without a SATA driver in XP during a install was a definite showstopper for me one time as I had either lost or packed away real good my original motherboard SATA diskette. I would assume with Windows 7 being cutting edge that USB would be fully supported with any needed drivers being built in? I've never used a recovery disc before - normally I just wipe clean with a format and start over. But if I'm going to rely and take the time to make system images/backups, I need to know beforehand, heh.
     
  • Wednesday, October 28, 2009 12:29 PM
     
     
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    Yes, it will work fine using an external USB disk as the backup destination. For recovery, Win 7 has a lot more drivers built into the recovery environment than XP did. You can use your Win 7 DVD for a bootable recovery medium, or you can make a recovery disk. Type "System Repair Disk" in the search box to make one.
     
  • Thursday, November 05, 2009 7:55 PM
     
     
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    emig5m:

    Windows Imaging does work like you described in your last post. The first image saved to a particular backup location is a full image. Subsequent images saved to the same location are incremental. You can choose any of the backup sets when you restore an image.

    Images are saved as virtual hard disk files (*.vhd) and the visible .vhd file is always updated to the current state of the drive(s) as each image is saved. Changed sectors from each incremental are stored in shadow copy storage and are not visible in Windows Explorer. But when you boot to the Windows 7 DVD to restore an image you will be able to see and select from any of your previous image dates, much like System Restore.

    Note that when you save your first image to a backup location, Windows Backup will reserve 30% of the disk space for shadow storage for the changed sectors in each incremental image. In my tests on a 60 GB disk used as a backup location, it took about a month of daily full images before the shadow copy storage was filled. YMMV.

    This is really valuable information.  Thank you.

    "Note that when you save your first image to a backup location, Windows Backup will reserve 30% of the disk space for shadow storage"

    What then is the effect if you rename WindowsImageBackup to "Windows7Image_2009-10-25"?  Is 30% held in reserve for your original?  If so and you then create a new WindowsImageBackup, it would appear another 30% may be held in reserve. This could add up quickly.

    WoodyS
     
  • Thursday, November 05, 2009 8:09 PM
     
     
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    emig5m:

    Changed sectors from each incremental are stored in shadow copy storage and are not visible in Windows Explorer.
    If this is true, is how you delete a WindowsImageBackup folder important?  That is, I'm supposing these hidden files are associated with this directory, somehow.  Maybe they are included, but hidden, in the directory or sub directories.  If you simply delete the WindowsImageBackup directory using explorer, do these hidden files get deleted too?  If this is the case, is this a reason to delete the directory from within Backup and Restore instead of Windows Explorer?

    I wish these files wern't hidded.  When computers do too much that's hidden it sometimes creates more problems than it solves.  Is there a way to seem them?

    Thank you.  I appreciate your understanding and help.
    WoodyS
     
  • Friday, November 06, 2009 12:19 AM
     
     
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    "Note that when you save your first image to a backup location, Windows Backup will reserve 30% of the disk space for shadow storage"

    What then is the effect if you rename WindowsImageBackup to "Windows7Image_2009-10-25"?  Is 30% held in reserve for your original?  If so and you then create a new WindowsImageBackup, it would appear another 30% may be held in reserve. This could add up quickly.

    WoodyS
    Woody:

    There is only one shadow storage space per volume. You can control the size using the sliders in the System Restore control panel; 30% is just the default size. You can get to this setting by typing "Restore Point" in the Start Search box, and choosing "Create a Restore Point".
     
  • Friday, November 06, 2009 12:22 AM
     
     
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    If this is true, is how you delete a WindowsImageBackup folder important?  That is, I'm supposing these hidden files are associated with this directory, somehow.  Maybe they are included, but hidden, in the directory or sub directories.  If you simply delete the WindowsImageBackup directory using explorer, do these hidden files get deleted too?  If this is the case, is this a reason to delete the directory from within Backup and Restore instead of Windows Explorer?

    I wish these files wern't hidded.  When computers do too much that's hidden it sometimes creates more problems than it solves.  Is there a way to seem them?

    Thank you.  I appreciate your understanding and help.
    WoodyS
    Woody:

    There are a nice set of management screens available if you type "Backup" in the Win 7 Start Search box and select "Backup and Restore". From there you can create a system image, manage its size, view how much space is occupied by the base image and the incrementals, etc.
     
  • Tuesday, February 23, 2010 5:11 PM
     
     
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    How irritating.  It won't let me pick my own place and store the image in a single file.  What a joke.  It overwrote my clean install image, even though it said "it MAY overwrite it", and clicking for more info said it would only overwrite old ones when the disc is running out of space.  Well, my backup device has over 500GB of free space, and I'm backing up a 40GB drive, so why the ____ did it overwrite the image?  Who designed this?
     
  • Wednesday, March 23, 2011 6:53 PM
     
     
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    How irritating.  It won't let me pick my own place and store the image in a single file.  What a joke.  It overwrote my clean install image, even though it said "it MAY overwrite it", and clicking for more info said it would only overwrite old ones when the disc is running out of space.  Well, my backup device has over 500GB of free space, and I'm backing up a 40GB drive, so why the ____ did it overwrite the image?  Who designed this?


    "me too": ample space available, and...booom, previous image gone !

    :-(

     

     
  • Saturday, March 26, 2011 5:24 AM
     
     
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    Hello Emig5m,

    Do not rename the Windowsimagebackup folder. Instead open the Windowsimagebackup folder and rename the child folder, which is the name of your computer (ex:TomsPC) to 2011-03-25_01_TomsPC.

    Now you can do more software installations and create more images, where the next image will also have 'TomsPC' child folder in the 'Windowsimagebackup' folder.

    For instance, now you installed AutoCAD. Go create another image and once done go to the Windowsimagebackup folder and find the 'TomsPC' child folder and rename it to '2011-03-25_02_TomsPC_AutoCAD'.

    Now you see how you can manage many images based on what software you installed, where you can switch back and forth between images using the 'Restore' image. It would be must easier if you add a 3rd hard disk drive, where you store all of your data files, so you do not have to constantly back them up from the 'C' drive.

    Then when 3 months go by and Microsoft has added many more OS updates, then you can 'Restore' the 1st image '2011-03-25_01_TomsPC'. Then go download and install all of the updates. Now create an new image and go to the 'WindowImagebackup' folder and rename the 'TomsPC' child folder to '2011-06-25_01_TomsPC_microsoft-updates'.

    As you can now see, it is best to do a fresh Win7 install from scratch, download all of the updates, install your anti-virus (recommend Microsoft Essentials), install your email software, (recommend Win Live Mail), then add your email accounts and move the 'DBSTORE', which is your addressbook, onto drive 'E' or 'F' along with moving the email folder to 'E' or 'F' drive, which is done within Win Live Mail 'Options' 'Advanced' 'Maintenance' 'Store Folder'.

    By moving your addressbook and email folders from the 'C' drive to another drive, such as 'E' or 'F' and when you do a 'Restore' image, then you do not have to back them up prior to doing a 'Restore' image.

    Also, when you do a 'Restore' image, you will see the list of images with the new names you give them.

    • Edited by usnetxp Saturday, March 26, 2011 4:14 PM removed a copy of the total
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  • Thursday, December 06, 2012 4:17 AM
     
     
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    I have a few renamed WindowsImageBackup directories, and I recently had the wonderful opportunity to restore a system image. Unfortunately, the "Browse" command did not find any of the other system images. I could restore only the WindowsImageBackup image.

    Later posts say that we should open the WindowsImageBackup directory and rename the folders inside that.

    Which is correct, please?