Windows 7 backup solution?

[Fjodor2001]

Hi,

I have some questions regarding the backup solution that comes with Windows 7.

Let's assume the following scenario:

* Computer A is scheduled to be backed up weekly at a certain time and day of the week.
* Computer A is configured to store the backed up data on a network share, located on Computer B.

Now I have some questions regarding this:

1. If Computer A is not turned on at the time of the scheduled backup, what happens then? Will a backup take place automatically the next time Computer A is turned on?

2. Same question as for 2, but if Computer B is not turned on at the time of the scheduled backup?

3. What happens if a scheduled backup is interrupted, e.g. due to the Computer A or B being turned off during the backup process? Will the backup operation resume and be completed automatically when both computers are turned on again?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Blazer]

1. yes
2. yes
3. if a backup is scheduled and a shutdown is ask for windows will warn that schedule task has not been completed and are you sure to shutdown, it will start at next schedule.

 

[RebateMonger]

Bear in mind that some features of the Win7 Backup and Restore Center are only available on Win7 Professional or higher. Win7 Home Premium, for instance, can't back up to a network location with the GUI. Also System Image Backups to a network location must be FULL. You can't make an incremental image backup via the network.

Some details:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backup_and_Restore_Center

Since we are on the subject, can anybody confirm that Windows 7 Home Premium can do automatic backups (with the GUI)? I don't have ready access to that version of Win7. Early reports said that automatic backups were only on Win7 Pro and higher, but I'm having a problem confirming that.

 

[Fjodor2001]

RebateMonger: I found the following chart comparing the different Windows 7 editions: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7_editions. The only difference mentioned between Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional (and higher) when it comes to backup functionality seems to be that the former cannot backup to a network location. Perhaps there is someone with first hand knowledge that can confirm this though?

 

[FoxFifth]

I can confirm it. I have Windows 7 Home Premium and it does scheduled backups with the scheduling done via the gui. Although I can move and view files across my home network to a USB external drive, I cannot use Backup and Restore to backup across the network to that drive.

 

[Fjodor2001]

Blazer: I just tried to verify the behaviour of scenario 1-3 above. Scenario 1 works like you said, however scenario 2 and 3 does not. Here's what actutually happens for scenario 2 & 3:

2. In this case the backup will not automatically take place when Computer B is turned on again. What happens is that there will be an indication on Computer A in the Backup and Restore Center saying that the destination backup folder could not be accessed (which is expected since Computer B was not online). Then the next backup will not take place until it is next scheduled (e.g. if a weekly schedule is used, there won't be a backup until next week).

3. I tried to abort/interrupt the backup in two ways:
a) First I restarted Computer A during an ongoing backup (I logged in to Computer A via Remote Desktop and pressed Ctrl-Alt-Del and then used the button at the lower right of the screen to trigger a restart). There was no warning of the ongoing backup. And then after the restart I checked the Backup and Restore Center on Computer A, and there was an indication that the backup had been interrupted. And the next backup will not take place until it is next scheduled.
b) Next I disconnected the network cable to Computer B during an ongoing backup. After the backup had been aborted due to this I logged on to Computer A. In the Backup and Restore Center on Computer A there was an indication that the backup had been aborted, and I was asked if the backup operation should be re-tried. If not, the next backup will not take place until it is next scheduled.

 

[RebateMonger]

I can confirm it. I have Windows 7 Home Premium and it does scheduled backups with the scheduling done via the gui. Although I can move and view files across my home network to a USB external drive, I cannot use Backup and Restore to backup across the network to that drive.

Thanks for checking, FoxFifth.

 

[JackMDS]

Win 7 Home Premium is network capable. However that is nothing to do with any backUp utility.

I.e. If the backup utility is Not Network capable it will not back through the Network.

There are Backup Utilities that are capable to backup through the Network and they work on Home Premium too.

 

[RebateMonger]

Also, I suspect that Windows 7 Home Premium CAN backup to a network location with the built-in backup utility. But it'd have to be set up with a command line, rather than from the GUI. You could then automate the task with the Task Scheduler.

 

[JackMDS]

I never tried it, a Commend Prompt util. called wbadmin.exe

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc742083%28WS.10%29.aspx


.

 

[coolVariable]

I have been experimenting with Win7 backup ... and it seems to me as if it does NOT support incremental backups.
Whenever I do a backup over the network it uses some 20GB ... when the incremental backup should only be ... ~1GB.

 

[RebateMonger]

I have been experimenting with Win7 backup ... and it seems to me as if it does NOT support incremental backups.
Whenever I do a backup over the network it uses some 20GB ... when the incremental backup should only be ... ~1GB.

I noted that about eight posts above. You can't do incremental system image backups across a network with Win7's built-in backup utility.

Also, there are other issues with backing up Libraries. If ANYBODY accesses a file in a Library, Windows 7 will do a full backup of the file even though it wasn't modified. There's been lots of discussion of Win7 gotcha's in the MS Public Forum on backups.

 

[coolVariable]

I noted that about eight posts above. You can't do incremental system image backups across a network with Win7's built-in backup utility.

Also, there are other issues with backing up Libraries. If ANYBODY accesses a file in a Library, Windows 7 will do a full backup of the file even though it wasn't modified. There's been lots of discussion of Win7 gotcha's in the MS Public Forum on backups.

Do you know whether non-system images are incremental?

 

[RebateMonger]

Do you know whether non-system images are incremental?

I think so, but I haven't done it.

There's a ton of deails in this MS Forum thread:
http://social.technet.microsoft.com...p/thread/3e08fc65-52f5-48ca-ae13-321cdfc44fbd

 

[Arkaign]

I use Cobain for network and FTP backups, awesome free software