AOMEI Backupper Standard, Disk Backup vs Full Backup

vic54

Sorry if this has already been asked but I can't find anything to explain my question.

I have made a Disk Backup and 5 subsequent Incremental Backups. No problem.

I now want to make a fresh full backup to then add Incremental Backups to it. Should I do another Disk Backup or go to an existing Disk Backup in Home > Disk Backup(#) > and select Full Backup? I have tried both and find that the Full Bakup adds another file to the Incremental Backups list, which is larger than the other Incrementals but a lot smaller than a Disk Backup.

In other words what is the differnce between a Disk Backup and a Full Backup on an existing backup?

admin

@Vic54, Disk Backup means the backup content: the backup task is backing up for a disk. Full Backup means the backup way for the disk backup.
You can run a full backup based on the existing Disk Backup task: Home > Disk Backup(#) > and select Full Backup.

vic54

Thanks a lot for your quick reply.

Does this mean that the Full Backup also contains its previous Incrmental BUs or is it like a Differential BU on the original Disk Backup(#) ?

Many thanks, vic54

admin

@Vic54, Maybe you can refer to here: https://www.ubackup.com/help/incremental-and-differential.html

vic54

Thank you Admin for your patience.

I suspect that names Disk Backup and Full Backup are being interchanged here.

I think the first backup must be a Disk Backup followed by Incremental, Differential or Full Backups.

Can you therefore clarify if a Full Backup, based on a Disk Backup(#) with Incremental backups, relies on the Incremental backups being in place and uncorrupted?

aiArtisan

"I suspect that names Disk Backup and Full Backup are being interchanged here."

I think Disk Backuper refers to the backup type, and full backup refers to the backup subtype.

TYPE

Disk Backup

System Backup

Partition Backup

File/Folder Backup

SUBTYPE

Full Backup

Incremental Backup

Differential Backup

aiArtisan

I'm sorry I mistyped that.

"I think Disk Backup* refers to the backup type"

vic54

Thanks for the reply.

What I can't get my head around is that a Disk Backup is clearly a copy of the whole disk and is a full backup of that disc. Incremental backups to that, I can understand. But a "Full Backup" in the same series of backups leaves me baffled as it can't be a full backup in the sense of a Disk Backup as it is a lot smaller, although bigger than an Incremental. So the only thing that I think it can be is a Differential Backup to the original Disk Backup, but the Free version isn't suppose to be able to do Differentials.

Do you understand my confusion?

aiArtisan

"it is a lot smaller"

By default, when you create any backup type or subtype, it will create an Intelligent-Sector backup that only saves the sectors of the disk with data in them. For example, a 2TB HDD with only 1GB of data in it, when it gets a Disk Backup type with Full Backup subtype, will result in about a 1GB image.adi file.

In rare cases, you could change the setting to be Exact-Sector-By-Sector setting, then it will backup all sectors, even if they are empty. For example, a 2TB HDD with only 1GB of data in it, when it gets a Disk Backup type with Full Backup subtype, with Exact-Sector-By-Sector setting, will result in about a 2TB image.adi file.

Note, ExFAT partition type can only use Intelligent-Sector setting at this time.

admin

@Vic54, System backup: backup system related partitions;
Disk Backup: backup all partitions on the disk.
Partition Backup: backup the selected partition.
File Backup: backup selected files/folders.
All backup types can supports Full, Incremental, and Differential backup way.
The full backup will back up all data. The first backup must be a full backup.
The Incremental backup will back up changed data based on the last backup (full or incremental).
The Differential backup will back up changed data based on the last full backup.

vic54

Thanks for the explanation.

Vic54