Windows backup uses a system image, whatever that means, that somehow manages to compress an entire system and save it. Does this degrade the quality of media files? How reliable is the recovery? Are there usually errors or failures?
Anonymous
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Better make absolutely certain it does both the operating system, and data.
It may just save Windows, and not your pics, and text, etc.
For data backup, I use Cobian (freeware).
http://www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cobianbackup.htm
Whatever utility you select, backups should begin with the 'all' data option as a baseline; after that use the 'incremental' setting, which saves only new items, and changes to originals. (This saves space on your backup media.)
Ideally 2 copies are made of each backup: one kept with the unit, one kept 'off site' in case of fire, tornadoes, floods, etc.
Backing up data, using any utility, will depend a lot on whether or not you use the Windows DEFAULT for documents, photos and so on.
If your 3rd party application "saves" to a different location (like the desktop for instance*), you must be sure to copy those separately, or they will be lost.
*The desktop items are essentially a singular folder.
Backups usually go well, but it's when it comes time to re-install the data that people have trouble.
Utilities save one massive data blob, not as individual files you can look over and then 'pick and choose'...it's all or nothing, and the utility used to create it must be used to restore it.
Make sure to have 'drag and drop' folders with all your pics, all your music, all your other 'stuff' saved to alternate media> remove the media> reinsert the media and verify you do in fact have what you wanted. If you don't do that, there's a chance for a major letdown in a pinch.
Anonymous
Do not know about others experience with windows7 system image but the two times I have tried it and made back up discs I got error messages when trying to reinstall. Recovery disc telling me I had an made backups of an incompatable operating system on a pc I had just clean installed the same day.