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Incremental backup and the archive attribute

Does Aomei have anything to do with archive attributes?

This is my knowledge on the incremental backup method:  An incremental backup backs up only those files created or changed since the last full or incremental backup. It marks files as having been backed up (in other words, the archive attribute is cleared).

I have done a number of incremental backups and the archive attribute is not being cleared with files that have changed and new files made.

Comments

  • Just to clarify this so the moderators know what I'm trying to explain  In Windows Explorer showing View Details, right click the Details bar to show Attributes.



    All the files showing the "A" attribute on the right are not being cleared after Incremental backups.

    If this is so, then an incremental backup will take the same time as a full backup.

    My full backups usually takes an hour for my hard drive.   If not many files have changed or new ones added over some time, then the incremental backup method will also take an hour to backup.

    To me, this is useless.
  • @Bill_C, Sorry that we don't quite understand.
    What backup way did you use? File Backup? Did you back up the whole "WINDOWS" folder?
    "All the files showing the "A" attribute on the right are not being cleared after Incremental backups."----Our software will only back up data. It doesn't modify the source files. So, it doesn't clear the "A" attribute. 
  • >  What backup way did you use?

    I used the File Backup method and backed up the Windows folder and all its sub folders as an Incremental test.

    >  Our software doesn't clear the "A" attribute. 

    Thanks for the info on this.  That explains it then.  I was going by the old Microsoft Backup utility.  Apparently, from Windows 7 and above, they changed form the archive attribute method to Block based incremental.

    I need to test this more.  I'll do a full backup, then an incremental backup, then I'll just add 1 small file.  I'll time it to see how long the next incremental takes.
  • edited October 2022
    I just did 4 incremental backups of a hard drive which has 30 GB of data.  Each time I added 1 small text file and modified another small text file.  Each incremental backup took 6 minutes.

    Is this normal for Aomei Backupper with incremental backup method enabled?

  • To get to the Incremental method I click the Backup Scheme.  This is how I set it.  I do not want anything else set like "After every 6 days."  I am controlling that myself.

    I tested again by modifying or adding 4 small text files.  I tried incremental backup method and differential backup method 4 times.  These methods still takes 6 minutes to backup a 30 GB drive of data.  The full backup method takes 6 minutes.  I'm not going to run these test on my normal work drive which has over 400 GB.  Take far too long.

    I installed another 3rd party backup program to test that I retired a few years ago.  With this program - after modifying or adding 4 small text files - its incremental backup method took 1 minute and 45 seconds to backup the 30 GB of data.

    Why is Aomei Backup not configuring its incremental method?
  • @Bill_C, Yes, the incremental backup method enabled is correct.
    "backup a 30 GB drive of data"---Did you still use File Backup? or partition backup?
    "I installed another 3rd party backup program to test "---Could you tell us which software?
  • edited November 2022
    //UPDATE//

    I finally got the Incremental method to work and realized I was using it incorrectly.  Thought the procedure was based on old Microsoft backup utilities and other old 3rd party backup programs. 

    I did a full backup first of the Seagate 500 GB Disk A Partition 1 C Drive.  After adding some new files and modifying others, you do the incremental from the Home Button:



    My mistake was I was using the Backup button and creating a full backup each time.  Even if you select incremental from the Backup Scheme, it will still create a full backup because it is a new name.  I should have read the manual in the first place. :/

    The incremental backup time was far less and the size a fraction to the full backup.
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