Windows 10: Help with creating a system image backup

Discus and support Help with creating a system image backup in Windows 10 Backup and Restore to solve the problem; I'm looking for help to create a system image backup on my 64GB usb drive. The problem is that I have a lot of games that takes a lot of space. I want... Discussion in 'Windows 10 Backup and Restore' started by Cerawy, Sep 3, 2017.

  1. Cerawy Win User

    Help with creating a system image backup


    I'm looking for help to create a system image backup on my 64GB usb drive. The problem is that I have a lot of games that takes a lot of space. I want to create a system image backup without the games so I can put it on my 64GB usb drive. I also want the system backup image to be one file, instead of multiple files.

    :)
     
    Cerawy, Sep 3, 2017
    #1

  2. Creating a System Image backup - keeps looping

    Trying to help my father save a system image of a new Lanovo ideapad 100S laptop onto an 32MG SD Card (via skype so sorry if I do not have enough info below to explain myself, let me know if you need more).

    The C: drive is 21GB so the SD card D: should be big enough?


    Help with creating a system image backup [​IMG]


    The backup selects 3 drive and as I don't know what the extra 2 are I have left them selected.


    Help with creating a system image backup [​IMG]


    It finds the SD card and saves the first file in the list and then starts on the C: Drive but when it gets part way through it gives a message to insert a disk into D: Drive and click OK. Then apprears to loop back and start the CHelp with creating a system image backup :Drive save all over again.
    It will continute in this loop until we cancel the backup.


    Help with creating a system image backup [​IMG]


    Checked the SD Card at this point and there is a file (I am guessing it is the partial save of the CHelp with creating a system image backup :Drive)


    Help with creating a system image backup [​IMG]


    BUT once clicked to ok to the insert a disk message the file is wiped to 0KB


    Help with creating a system image backup [​IMG]


    Any idea why it is looping and how I can stop it so we can get a system Image saved?

    Taken 2 whole days so far just to work out what appears to be happening.
     
    CorinneFrieden, Sep 3, 2017
    #2
  3. Creating a System Image backup - keeps looping

    Thought I'd drop my two cents here, the issue with it looping is a relatively simple one and surprised Microsoft people didn't know the correct answer...

    The problem is that SD Cards and most USB Flash Drives are formatted FAT32 for the file system. This limits the maximum file size and one file can be to about 4GB. Obviously if the system image is saying the total backup is 21GB that won't work. Unfortunately
    this method doesn't know how to span the system image across multiple files, and instead of proper error handling (you reading this Microsoft?) it just loops when it hits the 4GB file limit rather than informing the user the file system is not proper for this
    method.

    To alleviate the issue, right-click Computer (This PC) and go to Manage then Disk Management. From there you'll see your Removable Media, be it an SD Card or Flash Drive. You'll want to right-click whatever external method you are backing up to and select
    Format (Warning: This will delete all data on the media being formatted). From there, change File System to NTFS, make sure Quick Format is selected and hit Ok. After that your external media will properly function with the Windows System Image creation tool.

    I hope this helps people in the future, I sat here pondering the same thing as I prepare to swap from a HDD to an SSD in a laptop I'm giving to my dad. It dawned on me after watching it loop a few times that it was stopping with a file around 4GB and my
    IT training went into full effect and realized it needed to be formatted as NTFS Help with creating a system image backup :)
     
    JeffSpiers, Sep 3, 2017
    #3
  4. Help with creating a system image backup

    I assume you want to create an image of your C partition, store it on a 64 GB USB flash drive, and later be able to restore that image from that drive to an internal hard drive. Do I have that right?

    How much space is occupied on C?

    Are your games also installed on C?

    Generally--system images are of an ENTIRE partition, not parts of it.

    I think there are imaging applications that at least contend they can EXCLUDE portions of a partition, but I don't know how well that works out in actual practice.

    Additionally--I would not have major faith in any image file placed on a USB flash drive. Those things are so fragile and flaky that I wouldn't count on one for anything serious. I've had them fall apart into 2 pieces in my hands. Better than nothing, but that's about it.
     
    ignatzatsonic, Sep 3, 2017
    #4
  5. Bree New Member
    A system image created by 'Backup & Restore (Windows 7)' can only be stored on an ntfs partition, so a USB memory stick would have to be formatted as ntfs. A better (safer) media to store system images would be an external USB HDD (where storage wouldn't be an issue anyway). An even better solution would to use another imaging solution entirely (Macrium Reflect is often recommended on these boards). Even Microsoft now say so...


    Features removed or Deprecated in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update
     
    Bree, Sep 3, 2017
    #5
  6. RolandJS Win User
    "...I want to create a system image backup without the games so I can put it on my 64GB usb drive..."
    [I just now included the phrase that led to my post below *Smile ]

    From what I read across The 'Net, many backup / restore / cloning programs allow folder and file backup into one image file on any reliable external media, such as an external usb platter-driven hard-drive for example. However, if your OS partition ever "goes broke", a restore of such folders and files will be only the beginning a long, uphill, restoration of your OS partition, along with having to reinstall every program pretty much from scratch, Windows and all else.
     
    RolandJS, Sep 4, 2017
    #6
  7. Cerawy Win User
    Correct.

    146GB


    Yes.


    This is a non-issue because I have 2 usb sticks so if one of them breaks I got the other one.
     
    Cerawy, Sep 4, 2017
    #7
  8. Help with creating a system image backup

    146 GB used on C.

    An image file of that using Macrium would normally be in the range of 60 to 80 GB; maybe a bit less, maybe a bit more. You won't know until you make the file.

    That's with standard compression. You could use a higher compression level, but as I recall that won't reduce the size a whole lot. You'd have to experiment to know for sure.

    I'd suggest that your 64 GB stick is too small for comfort. It may not even hold one image file now and it certainly would not if you expect that 146 GB to grow in the future.

    My C occupies about 31 GB; my most recent image of it resulted in a 15.6 GB file--almost exactly half the size of the occupied space. Half of 146 is 73. You might get lucky in your case, but I wouldn't count on it.
     
    ignatzatsonic, Sep 4, 2017
    #8
  9. simrick Win User
    Hi.
    As stated above, I wouldn't use a flash drive. I'd get a proper external hard drive to do this. You want to have several images, in case one gets corrupted in the future. And, I'd use Macrium Reflect (free) as suggested.

    Can you put your games/libraries on a separate partition? If so, then your C/OS partition size would be drastically reduced. That way, imaging it would be a lot faster. You can figure an image will be about half the size of the original (give or take).
     
    simrick, Sep 4, 2017
    #9
  10. SIW2 Win User
    There are a few imaging programs that will exclude files/ folders from an image. O&O diskimage ( not free ), partition guru ( can do it with pguru free version but manually, there is no built in scheduling. )

    Probably the best free solution for that is paragon backup and recovery.



     
  11. cereberus Win User
    Create a second partition and move portable games to second partition.

    Format usb drive as ntfs

    Create image backup using macrium reflect free to back up all partitions EXCEPT partition containing portable games.
     
    cereberus, Sep 4, 2017
    #11
  12. NavyLCDR New Member
    But don't forget...you also need a rescue drive/disk to restore the backup if needed.
     
    NavyLCDR, Sep 5, 2017
    #12
  13. Cerawy Win User

    Help with creating a system image backup

    Well windows crashed a few days ago and was unwilling to let me get it back up running again, so I'm on a fresh install more or less. I will just try to use marcium to make a back up without any games installed. I just need to install a few programs first. Will come back here with the results.

    I have two usb flashdrives and plan to put an image on both of them.

    Yes, I could, but wouldn't I have to format my SSD first?

    Thanks, will check it out.

    This is a good suggestion, is there any benefits from using a partion for windows and another partion for games, other than making it easier to create an image backup?

    What do you mean?
     
    Cerawy, Sep 9, 2017
    #13
  14. cereberus Win User
    It is easier to keep image backup under control. Other partition can be backed up by normal file backup tools, or even simply copying using file explorer.

    You need a bootable flash drive or dvd containing Reflect Rescue software. You can create a boot entry so you only need drive if the actual hard drive fails or is badly corrupted.
     
    cereberus, Sep 9, 2017
    #14
  15. NavyLCDR New Member
    Let's say you format a USB flash drive as NTFS and store an image backup file of your computer onto it. Your computer crashes and won't boot, so you want to restore the image file from the USB flash drive back onto the computer. Ummmm.........what are you going to boot the computer from in order to do that?
     
    NavyLCDR, Sep 9, 2017
    #15
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Help with creating a system image backup

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