Windows BackupWindows Backup allows you to make copies of data files and also create a system image which includes your system settings, programs and files. In Windows 7, you can choose your custom location for the data backup and whether or not to include the system image during backup.
The Backup and Restore is located under System and Security in your Control Panel
You can also access it via the Action Center
Create a Backup
You can start creating a backup from the Backup and Restore center in the Control Panel
You can choose your preferred location where you want to create your backup
As you can see in the above screenshot, you can also select a network location to create your backup. On clicking Add Network Location, you can add your network path
Once you have chosen your location, you can now choose what to backup. You can either leave it to Windows' choice or you can choose your files
If you chose to select your own files (which I think anyone would prefer), you will be presented now to choose the files for backup
If for some reason you want to go with Windows' chosen files, here is what you get
You can see that the system image is included by default if Windows' option is chosen whereas it is available as a choice if we were to select it.
Not to mention that you can schedule your backups whenever you want to
Now you can start your backup process. The Backup and Restore center notifies you that backup is in progress
On clicking View Progress, you an have a look at the actual progress
Even Action Center notifies you about the backup
Once your backup process is over, your file is ready to be restored
The Backup and Restore center gives you more information about your backup
System Recovery Disc
It is worth to mention about creating a system recovery disc in Windows 7. You no longer need the installation disc to create a recovery disc.
Using the disc created above, you can now repair your Windows 7 installation
Don't forget to read our other Windows 7 overview articles. So far, we have published the following:
- Windows 7 beta quick review
- Windows 7: Explorer Search overview
- Windows 7: Superbar overview
- Windows 7: HomeGroup Overview
- Windows 7: BitLocker To Go & Biometric improvements overview
- Windows 7: Easy Connect
- Windows 7: Problem Steps Recorder
- Windows 7: Action Center Overview
- Windows 7: User Account Control (UAC) Overview
- Windows 7: Calibate Your Display
- Windows 7: Federated Search
- Windows 7: Device Stage
- Windows 7: Internet Explorer 8 Overview
Over the next few weeks we will be adding many more focus items on Windows 7 including Touch, Windows 7 networking and media enhancements. Stay tuned for the ultimate Windows 7 focus from Neowin.net.
you don't really need the recovery disc .
since the recovery are integrated in the windows drive and can be accessed via F8 while the computer is booting ofc
The size depends on what you've got installed as well since it'll copy the Program Files directory etc.
Don't get your hopes up, he's tested it on the Ultimate version, which has always allowed you, even with vista, to backup whatever you want. Only the Home version of the backup utility is crippled under vista, it may be the same with 7.
Indeed, this has always been one of my sticking points with Vista. NTBackup was always a capable program - simple options, decent log generation, and even if it couldn't restore your whole system very well, you certainly were able to get your files back.
Vista should have been a step up across the board, but this isn't the only spot they dropped the ball. If a "Show history" link was added, and the featureset depicted above is available across the whole range of Windows 7 editions, I'll be content.
To be perfectly clear on that; upgrading editions is okay for good features that not everybody needs. I want to join a domain so I'll get Business! I want a concurrent session in Remote Desktop so I'll get Ultimate! (yes, that's a hint, Microsoft) Backup software, however, is something everybody needs, and it just gets me mad at Microsoft when I see the half-baked garbage that the lowly versions of Vista got.
Would those files get copied too? If so, how are they restored?
Last edited by KevinN206 on 18 Jan 2009 - 21:33
when performing a full system drive backup it builds a VHD image, mountable as a virtual drive or as a Virtual PC Virual machine
- how do I activate incremental/differential backups?
- how do I get around Error code 0x80070005?
thanks
Commenting has either been disabled on this article or you are not logged in. Click here to login or register, its free!
Note: Anonymous commenting is disabled in order to keep the quality of responses to a high standard.