Due to our own erroneous actions on the computer or a virus attack, it is not possible to download Windows 7 by any means?! Or the operating system boots, but working in it is simply unbearable?! If you are familiar with these situations and would like to correct the situation within a minimum time, you need to prepare in advance for such problems and sometimes (once a month/every two months) make an image of the system and, if necessary, restore functionality operating system by rolling back to the created image. Windows 7 has a built-in system archiver, which is very simple and intuitive, no need to install additional programs to create an image of your system, and even more so spend money on these programs.
How to make an image Windows systems 7? There are several ways to launch System Archiving, here is one of them. Come along the way
In the window that opens, you will see on the left "Creating a system image"- this tool will allow you to create a system archive once, if you look at the right side of the window, you will see a button, i.e. It is possible to configure archiving automatically. 
It is up to you to choose which method suits you; in this article I will describe both of these methods.
Creating a system image
Click "Creating a system image", in the window that opens, select the location where it will be stored system backup, the ideal option is an external hard drive, you can use a CD/DVD, but keep in mind that you will need a lot of them. It is also better not to use a local disk, since in the event of a virus attack, recovery from local disk not always possible.
After choosing a location to save the backup, you need to choose what to archive. If you have enough space, save all local drives. In this example, I will only save drive C.
In the next window, confirm our choice and click "Archive".
Next comes the archiving process/creating a system image; it can last for quite a long time, it all depends on the amount of space being archived and the power of the computer.
At the end of archiving, the system will offer to write the data to disk, since I am archiving to an external HDD, I don’t need this, click “no”, besides, I don’t really want to record 32 GB :)
This completes the process of creating a system image, the backup is located on removable disk, the name of the WindowsImageBackup folder.
Setting up automatic system image creation
I remind you that we originally came along the way “Start-Control Panel-Backup and Restore”,press "Set up backup", in the window that opens, select the location where the system backup will be stored, please note that the specified backup location must be available when it is launched according to a schedule. The ideal option is an external hard drive; CD/DVD is not entirely suitable, since it will not be very practical to spend several disks on each backup. It is also better not to use a local disk, since in the event of a virus attack, recovery from the local disk is not always possible.
In the next window, we select what we will archive or present the choice to the system, i.e. leave it as default, in this example I will leave it as default. Click "Further".
In the next window, select the schedule for executing the system image, I recommend once a month, although this is individual, it all depends on how often you make changes to the system.
After clicking "Save settings and start archiving", the archiving process will begin. System archiving can take a long time, up to several hours, it all depends on the amount of data and the speed of the computer.
I hope you never need a system backup, but situations are different and I strongly recommend doing it just to be on the safe side. archive image systems.
Using Windows Control Panel features, you can:
- archive specified folders on a schedule and restore them from backup copy
- create a complete system image
- create boot disk For Windows recovery
Background
The information in this article applies to Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10. Initially, we were talking about the backup capabilities of Windows 7 - creating file archives and disk images. In Windows 8, they were replaced, respectively, by file history and Windows recovery without deleting files (Refresh Your PC).
However, everything written is applicable to Windows 8 and 8.1, since it retains the functions of the previous system. You can find them by searching in Control Panel.
Enlarge picture
In Windows 10, the Refresh Your PC feature from Windows 8 is dead, but the old features of Windows 7 remain. You can find them by searching for the word backup in the Start menu or the old Control Panel.
On this page:
Archiving options in Windows 7
Windows 7 allows you to create both backup copies of folders and a full image of partitions hard drive.
| Archiving type | Technology and capabilities |
| User files |
|
| Partition image |
|
These features, coupled with the ability to boot into a recovery environment without installation disk able to satisfy the needs of most home users. Now they can do without third party programs Reserve copy.
Changes to the user interface
Changes in the archiving capabilities of Windows 7 affected not only technology, but also the user interface. In particular:
- the interface of the main window of the control panel element has been redesigned
- a new user interface has been created to manage the space used for backups
- file recovery is simplified using a wizard
- integration with the support center has been implemented to promptly notify users about the need to create a backup copy
The archiving user interface elements are described in the activity below.
Configuring regular backup options
By default, backup is not configured. Click the link Set up backup in the control panel item's main window to set archiving options.
Options for placing a backup copy of files are given in the table.
| Accommodation | Comments |
| Internal hard drive | You can place archived files on:
|
| External hard drive | If scheduled backup is configured, the external hard drive must be connected at the time the backup is created. Note. Windows 7 does not support creating images flash drive systems. |
| The local network | Archiving is supported only on network computers running under Windows control 7. Of course, you will need credentials to access the computer where the backup is located. |
You can place archives of files on partitions formatted as in file system NTFS and FAT32. When archiving to a hard drive, files are placed at the root of the partition. You cannot specify a subfolder for the archive, but nothing prevents you from placing other files and folders on this drive.
The rest of the article discusses saving a backup copy to a partition of the internal hard drive. Having decided on the location of the archive, you must set the archiving parameters. You can leave this decision to the operating system, or you can select the folders yourself.
If you choose yourself, you can create backups:
- user files, including libraries
- local disk folders
- full system image
At the end, Windows 7 displays a summary of your backup options.
The schedule parameters you specify are saved in the task scheduler, which is responsible for starting archiving in a timely manner.
Once you've finished configuring your backup settings, you return to the main Control Panel item window.
Backing up your files
The main window now displays all archiving options. Click the button Archive to start the backup process.
The archiving progress is displayed using a progress bar, but you can view details by clicking the button View details.
After completing archiving, you can view information about the disk space used and proceed to archive management.
Creating a system image
This function has a number of limitations that are useful to know so that it does not cause excruciating pain later.
- Only NTFS-formatted disks can be included in the image.
- The image can only be saved on a disk formatted as a file. NTFS system.
- The image cannot include the disk or partition on which the image is saved.
- All system and boot disks or partitions (see Disk Management) are forcibly included in the image.
- The image can be saved to a network location only in Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise.
- It is not possible to restore a 64-bit Windows image to a 32-bit system.
- The size of the recovery disk or installation disk must match Windows bit depth in a backup image. It is not possible to restore a 64-bit Windows image using a 32-bit Windows installation disk or recovery disk, and vice versa.
- An image saved on a UEFI PC cannot be restored to a BIOS PC.
- When restoring a system image from dynamic disk, it is impossible to restore the configuration of disks and partitions saved in the image. Therefore, the image must be saved on the base disk.
- The image cannot be restored to a partition smaller than the original disk.
- The image is saved in the root target disk in folder WindowsImageBackup. If the folder is moved from the root of the disk or renamed, the image cannot be restored.
- Storing a system image on another disk partition is not a backup. If the drive fails, you will lose everything.
The first system image is a complete snapshot of the partition, and subsequent ones are incremental, i.e., they include only changes compared to the previous image. This saving opportunity disk space,implemented using shadow copies. This principle of creating images is used when saving them on internal, external and optical disks.
For internal and external drives this principle applies as long as there is enough disk space. When space runs out, a complete image is created and all previous ones are deleted. As for network drives, a full image is always created on them, and the old image is overwritten with a new one.
Let's look at creating the first image.
- In Windows 7, in the left pane of the Control Panel item, click the link Creating a system image.
- In Windows 10, in the left pane of the Control Panel item File history Click the link below System image backup, then Creating a system image.
A window will open with options for image placement.
In the next step, you will be able to select partitions for archiving.
If there are other partitions on the system, you will be able to select them at this step. Having decided on the selection of sections, click the button Archive to begin the backup process.
The image automatically includes the system partition and the partition on which the necessary boot files are located. Windows files(it may differ from the system one in multiboot configurations). A solution to problems with including unwanted partitions in the image is in this article.
All the following images are created in exactly the same way. As I said above, they only contain changed blocks. In order to create a full system image again, you need to delete the existing images or move them to another partition.
You can also move them from the root of the drive to subfolders, but be aware that in this case they will not be seen by the system image recovery program. The location and contents of backup copies will be discussed further.
Space management
In the main Control Panel item window, click the link Space management. A window will open that displays information about the location of the archive, a summary of disk space usage, and links and buttons for viewing and managing archives.
Backup locations
Besides watching detailed information about the space used, you can open the backup storage location - click the link Review, and the files will open in Explorer.
Windows 7 recognizes the archive folder and provides easy access to recovery options, which you can also open double click by folder.
Of course, the following folders are of interest:
- %COMPUTERNAME% (in in this case ADMIN-PC) - file archive
- WindowsImageBackup - folder with the partition image
Contents of the file archive
You can open the archive folder using the context menu. The contents of the archive are transparent to the user - inside ZIP archives, and if desired, files can be extracted from there directly from Explorer.
However, it is more convenient to restore files from the control panel, for example, thanks to the built-in search.
Image Contents
An archived system image is created in VHD format and stored in the folder WindowsImageBackup along with supporting files.
You can see its contents by using new opportunity Windows 7 - connecting virtual hard disks in Disk Management ( Start - Search - diskmgmt.msc — Action — Attach a virtual hard disk).
You might be wondering if you can add files to a virtual hard disk. Technically this is possible, but from a recovery point of view using Windows it won't do anything. It is better to make a new image - changed blocks are added incrementally based on shadow copies, which saves disk space.
View and delete backups
From the space management window you can delete file archives and backup images.
Click the button View archives in the space management window to see the list of archives.
Windows 7 finds all archives and displays the archiving period and occupied disk space. In this window you can delete unnecessary archives.
To delete backup images, click the button Change settings in the space management window. Image storage options will open.
The system offers you to delete absolutely all images, or all images except the last one.
Everyone knows that they need to back up regularly, but not everyone does it. Given the extensive backup capabilities in Windows 7, you will only regret losing important data if you do not set up regular backups.
A separate hard drive is ideal for storing backups - internal or external, connected via USB or FireWire. If you have at your disposal network drive, it can also be used. Storing backups on a different partition on the same drive where the OS is installed is not a good idea. If a drive fails, you will lose both the system and your backups.
Since backups take up a lot of space, I can only give general recommendations that you will need to adjust depending on the free disk space you have.
System partition images
- First image. Install Windows 7, then all updates and drivers. After making sure that the OS and devices are working normally, create the first backup image. If you "kill" the system during further configuration and software installation, you can return to original state faster than reinstalling.
- Second image. Install all applications and configure the system as you wish. Since more fine tuning The OS, as a rule, is developed as you use it, work in Windows 7 for a couple of weeks. After making sure that the OS is working normally, create a second backup image. If you delete the first image before doing this, you will have a complete image of a fully updated and customized system with your favorite set of applications.
- Subsequent images. Depending on your available disk space, create subsequent images monthly/quarterly. If a problem arises that requires you to restore from an image, you can return to a relatively recent state of the system.
Archives of user files
How often you archive your files is determined by how valuable they are to you and how often you add or create new files. IN general case I recommend archiving your data weekly or twice a month. Combined with monthly system imaging manually you will have an excellent backup set that will allow you not only to return the system to a recent working state, but also to restore all your data and files acquired through back-breaking labor. You can always free up disk space by deleting old archives if disk space is needed for other needs.
IN graphical interface It is not possible to set different schedules for image creation and data archiving. So if you want at different times automatically create an image and archive files, use the utility command line wbadmin and task scheduler.
Questions and answers
Why, when creating a system image, is it forced to include another disk or partition, and how can I avoid this?
Archiving is the most effective and the best tool ensuring data safety. Timely backup of information can not only protect you from loss important files, but will also allow you to restore your computer after serious failures.
Introduction
Purely theoretically, modern Windows operating systems should be able to run on computers without failures for a very long time. To do this, the OS integrates many software mechanisms that are responsible for the security and reliability of the system, designed to independently resolve various problems that arise during the operation of a PC. The same applies to the hardware component of the computer, the components of which, under normal operating conditions, should serve the user for at least several years.
But in practice everything looks a little different. In some situations, the stability of Windows is not as flawless as the developers claim, and PC parts can fail after only a few days of operation. At the same time, all this can happen, as always, at the most inopportune moment. So sooner or later, an unpleasant situation may happen to any of you, as a result of which the operating system will become inoperable or important data will be lost. It is possible that both will happen at the same time.
In order to help users avoid serious troubles associated with the loss of information and failures in the OS, there are several tools in Windows that allow you to archive the necessary data, as well as create system restore checkpoints, a system image or a system recovery disk. In the future, the created copies can be used to resuscitate certain information or the entire system as a whole.
All recovery and archiving mechanisms can be found in Control panels system.
If in the computer settings window you have set browsing by category (by default), then you need to find the link Backing up computer data In chapter system and safety. If you have set to view all panel elements, then look for the option Archive or restore.
After launching it, a window will open in front of you containing links to various tools for archiving and restoring data.
Data archiving
Data archiving is the periodic creation of copies of files and folders that you work with most often, as well as your settings account. If at point Archiving you will see the inscription Data archiving is not configured, this means that archiving was not previously performed in this system and if data is damaged, you risk losing it once and for all.
To correct this situation, click on the link Set up backup, after which the Archiving Setup Wizard will launch.
At the first stage, the utility will scan and identify all storage devices that are connected to your computer and display a list of them (except for the system drive) in a new window. From this list, you should select the disk on which you plan to store the created archives.
The most optimal storage for backups is an external (removable) hard drive, which can be stored separately from the computer. At the same time, portable magnetic drives, essentially being ordinary HDDs housed in a housing with a controller, can store the same large volumes of information as their internal storage. This means that, if necessary, in many cases you can make a complete copy of your disk and transfer all its contents, for example, to another computer. In cases where the data being archived is small in size, you can select USB flash drives, memory cards or recordable optical discs (CD, DVD) as storage objects.
In addition to external drives, you can store archived copies of files on any non-system internal partitions hard drives. For example, this is advisable in the case when several hard drives are installed in the computer at once. If, however, a logical partition physically located on it is selected as the location for storing a backup copy of data from the disk, then if the hard drive fails, you will still say goodbye to all your information. So it is better to store data and their backups on different physical media.
Windows also provides the ability to save archived files in local network on remote computers.
Having selected the location to save the archive copy, press the button Further, after which a window will open in front of you.
Here we are asked to choose between automatic and manual selection of archiving objects. In the first case, the system itself will archive files from key user libraries and folders. In the second, you can make the choice yourself.
- Data files saved in folders and libraries: Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos, AppData, Contacts, Desktop, Downloads, Favorites, Links, Saved Games and Searches.
- A system image that is an exact copy system partition disk and includes the system itself and all its parameters, custom settings and files, as well as installed programs.
Of course, many users (especially beginners) will find this type of backup simpler, but it still has its drawbacks. First of all, this concerns the automatic creation of a system image archive, which can be very voluminous and lead to rapid overflow of the drive intended for storing backup copies. At the same time, it is impossible to select individual elements from the system image during data recovery, for example, only a library with documents, and therefore it is not suitable for restoring individual files or folders. So it is better to take the process of preparing a planned archive under your own control, and create an image of the system partition manually, as needed.
After selecting the item Give me a choice A window will open in front of you where you can independently mark the necessary objects for archiving using checkboxes.
Particular attention should be paid to the fact that the system separates data from different accounts, as well as data from hard drives. That is, you can choose to archive the libraries of all computer users at once, or individually. Each user also has the opportunity to select the desired components to be archived. In addition, you can add the necessary files and folders located on hard drive partitions to the backup copy. To do this, simply expand the desired section (click on the triangle on the left) and select the necessary objects. If you want to create a complete copy of any logical drive, check the box next to it without opening it.
Under the list of libraries and components for archiving, at the bottom of the window there is a separate item for creating a system disk image. At the same time, if several operating systems are installed on your computer in different partitions, then Windows will include all of them in the created image. This can be clearly seen from our screenshot, which was taken on a computer with two operating systems installed.
True, we agreed that in this example we will not create an image of the system, but will leave this matter for later. So for now, let’s uncheck the box Include a disk system image.
After you select the required components and click the button Further, a control window will open in which you will be asked to check all the main archiving parameters again.
Here you can change archiving schedule by clicking on the link with the self-explanatory title.
In the schedule settings window, you can select the frequency, days of the week and time of archiving in automatic mode. When choosing a time, do not forget that the computer should be turned on at that moment and it is better not to be used by you, since the archiving procedure can seriously slow down the work process. In addition, in this window you can completely disable automatic creation of scheduled backups and subsequently do it only manually.
Finally, when all the parameters are specified and the settings are completed, to start the archiving procedure of the selected objects, click the button Save settings and start archiving. Windows will immediately begin the backup process according to the created rules. At this moment, you will be able to clearly monitor the progress of archiving using the indicator located in the window.
To view more detailed information You can click the View details button, after which an additional window will open in front of you, which will reflect the progress of the running procedure.
The duration of the archiving process directly depends on the number of objects you specified, as well as their total volume, and can take from several minutes to several hours.
After the backup is created, information about the size of the created archive and its contents, the time of creation of the next copy, as well as the date of the last archiving will appear in the already familiar archiving window.
Here you can also change or disable the schedule, perform unscheduled archiving (the Archive button), create a system image or an optical bootable system recovery disk, as well as manage archiving disk space.
From the same window you can access the general list of backup copies by clicking on the button View archives, as well as change the system image parameters.
In order to free up disk space if it is full, in the archive list display window you can delete unnecessary (irrelevant) copies by highlighting the required entry and pressing the button Delete.
So, we have just looked at planned and manual archiving of information, which allows you to systematically save the necessary data, including personal files and folders, on selected media, thereby ensuring the possibility of their quick recovery. But we should not forget about the operating system, which is the main and most important tool for the user when working with a computer.
There are often cases when, under the influence of various external factors, normal operation the system is disrupted. For example, this can happen when the computer becomes infected with a virus or there is a sudden power outage. In certain situations, in the event of serious failures, restoring Windows functionality can be very difficult, and sometimes it is completely impossible to do. In this case, users have to not only completely reinstall the system, but also configure its settings, reinstall device drivers, as well as all programs and applications.
To avoid such unpleasant troubles and make your life easier in the event of an OS crash, Windows has a standard tool that allows you to create exact copies of the partitions in which the system is installed. By creating an image of the system partition, in the future you will be able to restore from it the entire operating system with already configured settings, personal libraries and applications you have installed in a matter of minutes.
As you probably already guessed, the same tool is used to create a disk image in Windows Backup and recovery, which we discussed above when studying the data archiving procedure. Having opened this component, in the left column of the window, you can see a link with a self-explanatory name, clicking on which will launch the mechanism for creating a copy of the system disk.
First, as in the case of regular data archiving, you will be asked to select a location to store the created image. The most preferable option here is On hard drive. In this case, it is better to store the system image on a separate internal or external storage, and not on another logical partition of the hard drive with installed system. Only then will you be able to restore the OS in the event of a mechanical failure of the HDD.
The option of storing the image on DVDs is also not bad. But here everything will depend on how much space your backup copy of the system partition takes up. For example, in our case, archiving two system partitions may require about 145 GB. This means that to record such an image you will need 31 regular (single-layer) DVD disc.
If the system image does not exceed 30-40 GB, then optical disks can be used to store the system. Although fiddling with 8-10 media will also seem like a burden to many users.
The last alternative option for storing system images is network storage. To be honest, this option cannot be called optimal. After all, in order to pull a backup copy from a remote resource, it is necessary to connect the computer to the network, which without a fully installed operating system can be very problematic or simply impossible.
After selecting the location of the system image, a window will open in front of you in which you will need to select the disks to be included in the backup.
In fact, the figure clearly shows that in addition to system partitions, images of other logical drives can also be included in the backup. However, there is one condition here - you cannot include a disk image in the archive if it is selected as the system copy storage.
Having selected the sections required for archiving, click Further. Finally, a control window appears before us confirming the archiving parameters. The most important thing here is to pay attention to the size of the required archive space. If the predicted volume is at least slightly higher than the amount of free space on the media or almost equal to it, then it is better not to start archiving. Otherwise, you risk wasting a lot of time.
After making sure that the selected parameters are correct, click on the button Archive, to directly launch the procedure for creating a system image. If something doesn’t suit you during the archiving process, you can click the button Cancel and configure all settings again.
After completing the backup of the system partition, the wizard will prompt you to create system recovery disk. This disc will be very useful in cases where you need to restore the system from an image, but at the same time start earlier installed copy Windows will be impossible, which means it will be impossible to launch the built-in standard recovery tool. Please note that when crashes or virus infections occur, it is often the boot area of the system or the components responsible for starting the OS that are damaged. So the likelihood that you will encounter just such a situation is very high.
What is a recovery disk? Essentially, this is a boot disk (you can boot your computer from it) containing basic Windows diagnostic and recovery tools that can be used to revive your computer after serious failures, including from a previously created system image.
If, after completing the system image creation procedure, you do not have a blank optical disk, then creating a recovery disk can be postponed until later. Subsequently, this can be done from a component of the system already familiar to us - Backup and recovery by clicking on the link in the left column Create a system repair disk.
The process of creating this disc is very simple. In the window that opens, you select the desired drive (if you have several of them), insert a blank DVD into it and press the button Create disk. The system will do the rest automatically for you.
Conclusion
Remember that regular archiving of data that is very important to you is the key to the fact that one day you will not have to mourn the irretrievably lost personal documents, photographs, family videos and other unique files.
Also, do not forget about your main working tool - the operating system. After all, having a backup copy of the system partition, in the event of critical Windows failures or even a hard drive failure, you can always quickly restore not only the working state of the computer, but also all your personal libraries, installed applications and system settings.
The Windows 7 operating system has built-in backup tools that allow you to back up the Windows operating system and user data. Archiving will allow you to create a backup image of the system and other user data, with which you can restore the system after serious problems.
This article will give an overview of using the built-in backup tools of Windows 7. The built-in backup tools of the operating system, in their capabilities, can satisfy most computer users.
How to make a backup? There are quite a few backup programs, among them the following stand out: popular programs, like , Nero BackItUp, Norton Ghost, Paragon Drive Backup Professional, . You can also back up your system without the help of third-party programs using Windows archiving and backup tools.
Why is it advisable to make backups? Because, if you reinstall the Windows operating system, for some reason, all data on your computer will be lost. system disk. You will have to reinstall all programs and make other operating system settings.
Suddenly, due to hard drive failure or viruses, you may lose all your data, and lost data may not always be recovered by recovery specialists.
The way out of this situation is to create a backup copy of the system and other files you need. After a sudden system or equipment failure, you can restore all data from a backup copy. The operating system, drivers, programs and other files that you archived will be restored to your computer.
Now you can move on to an overview of how archiving works in Windows 7.
To start a system backup, go to the Start menu => All Programs => Maintenance => Backup and Restore. You can also launch the built-in Windows archiving and backup tools from the “Start” menu => “Control Panel” => “Backup and Restore Files”.
It may happen that in case of serious problems with the operating system, you will not be able to boot the operating system in normal or in safe mode. Then you will have to use a Windows 7 installation disk, or a bootable USB flash drive with an operating system image recorded on it, to restore the system.
Boot Windows flash drive can be created using specialized programs, reviews of which you can read on my website in the “Programs” section.
If you do not have an installation disk with the Windows 7 operating system, you should create a system repair disk. The recovery disk, which contains the recovery environment, can be used to boot the computer.
This system recovery disc contains recovery tools for the Windows operating system, using which you can restore the operating system after a serious error, or restore the system from a created system image.
Creating a system repair disc
For those users who have pre-installed operating systems on their computer, creating a bootable system recovery disk is a must. Computer manufacturers now often do not include a Windows installation disc with them. In this case, an emergency system recovery disk will help boot the computer to restore it if it is not possible to boot in any other way.
In the “Backup and Restore” window, you must click on the “Create system repair disk” item to create an emergency system recovery disk. In this case, you will have an emergency CD for system recovery in case of serious problems with the operating system.
After clicking on the “Create a system repair disk” item, the “Create a recovery disk” window opens. To create a system recovery disc, you must insert it into a reading device optical disks a blank CD or DVD disc, and then click on the “Create Disc” button.
Next comes the process of creating a system recovery disk. After completing the creation of the emergency recovery disk, you need to click on the “OK” button. The Windows 7 emergency recovery disk takes up about 150 MB.
You will now be able to access system recovery options using a bootable recovery disc if you are unable to boot your computer using other methods.
To boot your computer from a rescue or installation disk, you will need to select in the BIOS the priority of booting from a CD/DVD reader, and if you use bootable flash drive With USB drive, to which such a bootable flash drive is connected.
If, when creating a recovery disk, you are prompted to insert an installation disk with the Windows 7 operating system, this means that the necessary files to create a system recovery disk were not found. In this case you will need to paste into optical drive computer installation DVD with Windows 7 operating system.
Using the installation Windows disk 7 or a rescue system recovery disk, you will be able to boot into your computer and have access to all operating system recovery options.
Creating a system image
If you select “Create a system image” in the “Backup and Restore” window, then a system image will be created for its recovery, which includes copies of the disks necessary for the operation of the Windows operating system. You can include in the system image additional disks and use it for recovery in case of problems. However, you cannot use individual elements for recovery.
In the "Create a system image" window, you will need to select a location to store the backup.
In the “Create a system image” window, you will need to select the disks that you want to include in the backup. In this case, it will not be possible to add the disk on which the backup copy will be saved. Then click on the “Next” button.
In the new "Create a system image" window, you will need to confirm the archiving parameters and backup location. After that, click on the “Archive” button.
Backup in Windows 7
Now let's move on to the archiving and backup settings. In the “Backup and Restore Files” window, click on the “Set up backup” item.
Next, the “Archiving Settings” window opens. You will have to wait some time while data archiving starts. You will see the message “Starting data archiving” in the window, but the archiving itself is not yet happening.
Then the “Archive Settings” window opens. In this window, you must select a location to store the backup archive.
The best option for storing the system backup being created would be an external hard drive. Because if you backup on another hard section disk of your computer, then if the hard drive fails, then the operating system, your data and the backups created for recovery will be lost forever. The data, in this case, is physically located on one hard drive, they are only located on different logical drives.
This image shows that the system itself suggested a storage location for me - an external hard drive, with enough space to create a backup copy.
In the Archive Settings window, you will need to select what to archive.
If provided Windows selection, the operating system will archive files saved in standard folders, in libraries, on the Desktop, and will also create a system image that will allow you to restore your computer in case of problems. All your data and settings will be archived, and you can restore your system from a backup if necessary.
In this case, you can select specific drives and select individual folders located on the selected drive. Be sure to check the box next to “Include disk system image: (C:)” so that you have the opportunity, if necessary, to restore the system from the created backup copy.
The data you select will be archived according to a schedule unless you start archiving manually. After completing the selection of objects for archiving, click on the “Next” button.
In the archiving settings window, you need to check the archiving settings again, and then click on the “Save settings and start archiving” button.
Before starting the backup, you can click on the "Change schedule" link to select your schedule or perform backups on demand.
If you do not perform archiving according to a schedule, but manually when you need it, then you will need to uncheck the box next to “Run archiving on a schedule (recommended)” and then click on the “OK” button.
Next, you will need to start archiving. The time it takes to create a backup will depend on the size of the disks and files that will be backed up, as well as the power of your computer. Backup running again will be faster because only the changed files from the previous backup will be overwritten.
Please remember that if you set up a scheduled backup, the external hard drive must be connected to your computer at the time. If you do backups without a specific schedule, then the best option Archiving will take place approximately once a month. In this case, you will retain the system settings that you made relatively recently.
Important data that you change frequently will need to be backed up more than once a month to always have an up-to-date backup version for recovery.
How to disable archiving in Windows 7
Sometimes, it may be necessary to disable archiving if you have set up scheduled backups, and the disk where you save the backups runs out of data. free place. In this case, you will need to disable scheduled backups.
To do this, you will need to go to the “Start” menu => “Control Panel” => “Administration” => “Services”. In the "Services" window, you need to find the item "Block-level backup engine service (WBENGINE service is used to perform backup and restore operations)."
To disable automatic archiving, you must change the service startup type from “Automatic” to “Manual”. To do this, you need to click right click mouse on the item “Automatically” and select in context menu"Properties" item.
In the “Properties: Block-level archiving module service” window that opens, in the “General” tab, in the “Startup type” item, select “Manual” and click on the “OK” button. Next you will need to restart your computer. Now you can run the backup manually at your discretion.
If you are annoyed by messages that appear from time to time about the need to configure archiving from the Notification Panel (tray), then such messages can be disabled. To do this, go to the Start menu => Control Panel => Action Center. In the “Support Center” window, in the “Maintenance” field, in the “Archiving settings” item, you must click on the link “Do not receive any more messages on the topic: “about Windows archiving.”
Conclusions of the article
Using the built-in operating system tool - Windows archiving 7, you will be able to back up Windows, the entire contents of your hard drive, or make copies separate disks, files and folders.
In the event of a serious failure of your computer, you can restore the system and all your data from a backup copy. Archiving allows you to make backups not only manually, but also according to a schedule you choose.
Backup in Windows 7 (video)