System image and free space

Reading a bit on system image, it seems that Windows 7 will only allow more than one system image on an external HD *if* the total is less than 30% of the space.

- Is there any logic behind this relatively tight limit?

- Is there any way to expand the limit? I went through some of the backup settings (as well as searching) but was unable to find anything.

I have a 320 Gb hard drive and my system image takes up less than 130 Gb. So I'd like to keep 2 on there if possible but it won't let me - deletes the old one.

That is the way System Image works, it will always delete the previous one. It doesn't have anything to do with disk space, I've stored an image on 1.5TB drive and it still only allows one. However, after an image is made you can move it into a folder, and it will be left alone the next time one is created. But if you want to restore from that image you will need to move it out of the folder again before trying to restore it. In other words you cannot browse to the image file when trying to do a restore.

Really? Maybe I misread the help files. I thought I read that you CAN store more than one system image as long as the total of the combined image folders is less than 30% of the disk size. I'll post the help file text when I get home.

Do you know why they didn't allow more than one? Strange seeing that they go through the trouble of already organizing with a dedicated folder using the date. Wasn't sure if they were afraid one might corrupt the other or did they just not see the reason to have more than one.

Why do you need more then one?

I do a frresh install of Windows - add updates - install my usual programs and then make a image. If I were to add many more apps to my usual list then I'd make a new image and wipe out the first.

I like to have more than one image backup available (although I use Acronis). Sometimes image files can get corrupted. Also, you may discover a problem with an M$ update or other software only days or weeks after it was installed, and want to go back to a prior backup. I also like to have a clean Windows only install image, in case I want a clean start without reloading Windows.

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my system image takes up less than 130 Gb

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Why is your image so huge? Your system image should only be your OS and apps. Data should be backed up separately.

As jdc2000 said, I like to have more than one just in case one gets corrupted.

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Originally Posted by Midknyte

Why is your image so huge? Your system image should only be your OS and apps. Data should be backed up separately.

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I don't know. It's been pretty large since the beginning. With Win 7 though, you can't choose what to put on a system image - it does the whole C drive. I haven't yet, but I probably should partition it for a separate data section.

Here is the text from the help section. In bold is the part that pertains to my question - whether there was a way to expand that 30% limit.

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What backup settings should I use to maximize my disk space?

Windows Backup provides you with the flexibility of managing the disk space that is used by your backups. After you set up Windows Backup, you can view how much disk space is being used by the backup and how much free space you have on the disk that your backups are being saved on by going to the Backup and Restore Control Panel. To control how much disk space is being used, you can choose how many file backups and how many system images Windows keeps. The following information can help you when deciding how best to manage your backup disk space:

Backups are created in sets known as backup periods. To help maximize your disk space, Windows Backup backs up all selected folders the first time it's run and then it only backs up files that are new or have been modified since the last backup was made. Periodically, Windows creates a new, full backup. Each full backup is known as a backup period. When you view your file backups, you see all of the backup periods labeled with date ranges. If you decide to delete file backups, you should always keep the most recent file backup.

By default, Windows automatically saves as many system images as it has space for without taking up more than 30 percent of space on the backup disk. Once the disk starts running out of room, Windows deletes older system images. You can set Windows to retain as many system images as it has space for on the backup disk or to only keep the most recent system image. You should always keep the most recent system image. If you are saving your system image on a network location, you can only keep the most recent system image.
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To view and manage your backup disk space
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/w...-my-disk-space

Possible help.

Right, that's the same info on my Win 7 help on my PC. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a way to expand the 30% limit.

The 30% is probably the same concept and needing to have 15% free space to run defrag. The backup process probably needs some spare room to create temp files...

There have been several 1TB drives on sale recently for $59.99 that would would allow you a ton of space..

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Originally Posted by Steve R Jones

The 30% is probably the same concept and needing to have 15% free space to run defrag. The backup process probably needs some spare room to create temp files...

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That's kind of what I was wondering. But in this case, it's not 30% free - it's 30% total allowed for the system image(s). So I couldn't understand if they needed 70% of the external HDD free for temp files, etc. Seems like an awful lot!

OK...thats a good point. It probably has the limit to protect people from themselves...Without the limit a person could fill a drive and cause other issues.

In my experience, despite what that article says, it will overwrite the old backup file unless you move it first. Even putting 26GB images on a virtually empty 1400GB drive did that.

I'd try temp renaming the backup and see if Windows ignores it.
Add something like .old to the filename.

I also always have at least two viable backups at any one time using
Trueimage.

Renaming ought to work just as well as moving it into a folder. The same caveat applies though - you cannot restore from it until it is renamed back to the original.

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Originally Posted by SuperSparks

In my experience, despite what that article says, it will overwrite the old backup file unless you move it first. Even putting 26GB images on a virtually empty 1400GB drive did that.

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Yeah, that's what you said at the beginning of this thread. Not sure if that's a bug in the System Image process or whether the Win 7 help is not written correctly.

Oh well, I can always do the folder renaming or just backup to different drives. They ARE pretty cheap these days!

On my builds I always install 2 or 3 drives, plus an empty caddy. I use one of the internal drives for backup, and save an image to that. I also keep some bare drives as backup backup and archival storage, and just slam one of those in the caddy when I want to backup stuff to that, and create another image there at the same time. That works very well for me :)

I like that strategy! :)