Windows 10: Windows 10 Back up system image issue

hello

just registered to seek assistance on an issue that is puzzling me

I am running windows 10 on a SSD with my media files on several SATA connected 2Tb HDDs.

I used the feature in the OS to install programs on one of them, named G in windows explorer.

I want to back up my files and include a system image with the Windows 7 back up function, on an external 1Tb HDD. But even if I have unticked any G drive folders in the process, the feature mentions system image contains EFI, C (where my OS is) and this famous G drive

but if I try to launch the back-up it says not enough space on the external HDD to proceed since I believe windows tries to back up my entire G drive all together with C and EFI considering there are registry entries of the programs installed on the G drive

I am thinking about uninstalling all programs on G as a solution but if there is a workaround which allows me to keep my system as it is and allow an image back-up then obviously I would prefer that one

thanks so much

olivier

:)

 

Win 10 system image back up

win 10 system image backup fails with virtual disk size limitation

 

Win 10 system image back up

USB drive solves the problem

I tried this method (having tried many others previously without success) and I'm sorry to say it did not help in my situation. I also downloaded Tweaking.com and followed the instructions to the letter but again with out success.

Suspecting the problem may lay with the NAS I then backed up a system image to the second drive in my PC and this worked. I have an SSD and a hard drive installed.

Having tried for almost 6 months to find a resolution I stood back to reflect on what to do?

I considered two options: buy a third party software product or change from a NAS to a USB drive. I chose the latter as my experience with third part backup software has not been good.

I have now purchased a 500G USB drive and system image back up works fine - problem solved.

 

You say you are Running Windows 10 if I were you I would use Macrium Reflect v7,1.2019 free or paid. Welcome to the Ten Forums BTW!*Party

 

You have installed programs on G: so it is seen as part of the 'system' that needs backing up. The system image will attempt to make an image of everything on G: - your data included, that's why the image is so large it won't fit on a 1TB drive. Backup & restore's 'create a system image' is very simple-minded. It cannot selectively image just the installed programs, it has to copy the entire drive.

Workarounds? Well, it's a lot of work, but you could repartition the 2TB drive so there's a smaller G: partition just containing the installed programs and a second partition (H: ?) for your data. Or you could just buy a larger drive to put the image on.

 

@josey

yes I am looking at 3rd party software to create a system image

@bree

I should have mentioned G is a 1Tb partition on a 2Tb sata drive and I have installed some Games in it as well as aforementioned programs, no media as such. I should have maybe made it much smaller from the start when I installed programs in there, my bad.
I am going to consider creating another partition on the disk to transfer my games but I think I will need to recreate links to the registry to get them to launch right? assuming it works out OK, G will become to a size needed for current and future programs, as small as possible and I should eb able to back up my system image finally.

does that make sense?

 

You are rather missing the point. No image backup should be stored on a physical drive if it includes data from that same physical drive.

If that drive fails, not only do you lose the data, you lose the backups as well.

 

bit offending considering that is not the point I am trying to address and find a fix for.....the image back-up will be stored on an EXTERNAL USB drive as I mentioned in my original post which only has the function to store my media files back-up and the windows system image copy I am trying to create

 

You post is so confusing, it is easy to get wrong end of stick

Use Macrium Refect Free, to image OS+programs. Use File Explorer or any number of alternatives to backup whatever data you like from other drive.

 

OK, so G: should be a part of the system image, at least because of the installed programs. But it's still a 1TB drive before you add in the C: drive and recocery/efi partitions. How do you expect that all to fit on a 1TB external drive?

There is no configurable compression settings in Backup & restore's 'make a system image'. It does have compression, but ony uses it if the target is a DVD. For an HDD the image size will be approximately the total used size of the disks being imaged.

Other imaging software is more configurable, I believe Macrium allows you to choose a compression level. I still think your best solution is to buy a larger external drive, particularly if you want to keep more than one revision of the system image.