Windows 10 Updating existing system image backup

[manasan]

I made a complete system image backup on an external hard disk about a month ago, now I want to update the image. Does creating system image again on that same external hard disk create everything from scratch or update the existing backup?

If so, how can I update my existing backup?

 

[patcooke]

Depends on what you are using but most systems (like the free version of Macrium Reflect) gives you many options which include making of a complete new image each time of making an initial image folllowed by "incremental" update. To keep things simple in the event of needing to recover a full or part system I prefer to make complete backups keeping three "generations" deleteing the oldest of the three each time I create a new one. The size of the backups will vary depending on how you use your storage space. My system drive contains only operating system, installed applications and system files/folders. All user data is stored on a separate physical or logical partition. In this way my compressed backup images (of a Windows 10 sytem and masses of apps) are never more than about 20GB in size.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

I create a new image every time, and I save the last two.
I like to have a backup just in case something goes wrong with the latest one.
This hasen't happened in 15 years, but better safe than sorry.

I use EASEUS Todo backup Free, I've used it for many years and it has always worked.
Best of all it's so easy to use you can't screw it up, just 3 mouse clicks makes a backup and it will create a boot DVD so you can recover your crashed computer.

Unlike Patcooke, even though I only install Windows and a few basic programs, my C: drive is around 200 Gigabytes and the backup is about 100.

It takes around 25 minutes to backup or restore.

The reason that my C: drive is so large is that my Users Folder is on my C: drive, something I will correct when I get a new computer.

Mike