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The difference between Full 'Disk backup' and 'system backup'

keskes
edited December 2015 in AOMEI Products Support

Hi


I am new to Aomei backupper (Standard Free version).  I have it installed on Win 10 on a desktop. Reading the documentation it is not clear to me which option I should use in order to do an image backup ('snapshot') which would allow me to bring my PC to a place of last backup, in case of a disaster (e.g. broken hard drive ,  inability  to boot due to corrupted boot sector etc). I want not only the OS restored but also my data files and file struture.


Full Disk backup or System backup? 


(The terminology used by different backup programs is not always consistent, so I wanted to make sure before I use spend time in backing up the desktop.)


Thanks

kes

Comments

  • edited December 2015

    For your data do a separate file backup anyway, and do it frequently.

    For your bootable system do a Disk backup better, and rarely. Because Windows and Programs and Settings change rarely, and can be repeated.


    In emergency situation, then you would do a Disk restore, and after that a file restore.


    In addition, for your bootable system, do a "Windows 7 create disc image" (built-in into Windows10 ) this is the most proven way to save everything needed to boot. However, for your data a separate file backup is the right way.

  • The disk backup will backup all your data on your disk.

    And the system backup will backup your system partition and data relate to your system.

    To make sure your computer boot normally,after the disk backup you'd better do a system backup.

  • Thank you both (Peter, Admin).  If I understand you correctly, I need to do both. System backup (rarely) and Disk Backup (regularly).  I did a trial Disk Backup, it took around 1hr15min.  Is this normal? Usually I can do personal file  backup (incremental) in about 10 minutes with a different program. Thanks

  • Thank you for contacting us.

    The time cost depends on the data in your disk.

  • I think the confusion is caused by what constitutes a drive and a partition.

    The physical drive that you buy can be partitioned by Windows (and other programs) into sections that have letter designations.

    Windows now lists them as 'Drives'.

    On one of the drives are the system files i.e. the files that are required by Windows and program files that you install.

    A 'System' backup automatically selects the 'drive' that contains these files.

    This is usually the 'C' drive.

    If the physical drive has been partitioned, the other 'drive' is ignored for the backup.

    If you select a 'disk backup', you get both partitions (or 'drives') on the physical drives.


    A 'partition' backup lets you select individual 'partitions' (to which Windows has assigned a letter and refers to as drives).

    Confused? Excellent - you're in good company.



  • Thanks sidrick, yes I think that was the cause of my initial confusion. I am a little clearer now. I have only one partition on my physical drive,  namely 'C:'  .   Hence, both 'System Backup' and 'Disk Backup' appear to be backing up the same stuff?  This is fine. I need only do one or the other, not both.  (For my data files I use a different software (daily),  to incrementally backup ever day. This has the advantage that I can recover individual files without having to restore the whole partition.)  kes

  • @kes

    "Hence, both 'System Backup' and 'Disk Backup' appear to be backing up the same stuff? "


    That's my situation too.

    My C drive is a single partition that has System/Program files from which I make a 'System' backup daily to an external drive.

    My E drive is a single partition that has only data/docs from which I make a 'Disk' backup daily to an external drive.




  • edited December 2015

    This is not exactly true. Windows may be just the C:\ drive, but it may be 2 partitions (MBR disk style) and is 3 partitions (GPT disk style). The extra partitions do not have drive letters.


    The letters are assigned to partitions (drive in Windows) and not to disk. Therefore "E:\drive is a single partition" is not right thinking. It would be disk 1 and disk 2, or disk 0 and disk 1, depending on the tool. And on disk 2 is a single partition, called drive E:\ And of data I personally would not do disk or partition backup. I would do data/files backup.


    System backup takes the right number of partitions (1, 2 oder 3). On MBR it restores 1 or 2 partitions rightly. On GPT it restores 3 partitions, but not yet rightly.

  • Well done Peter13feb. That is clear as mud.  I refuse to go there.

  • edited December 2015

    I did not notice that you did mention data backup in post  #6, sorry for the confusion.


    PS "Full Disk backup or System backup? " in post#0, the full answer is Full Disk backup, and initialize the disk where to restore (when it is a different, new one) to GPT or MBR with diskpart.


    As I wrote in Post #1, do a Windows 7 style disc image, too preferably

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