Windows 7 Backup and Restore: How to create and save multiple image backups
How you can use Windows 7 Backup and Restore to create and store multiple image backups to a USB drive that has limited free space. This article is based on a Windows 7 user who asked why backup and restore does not maintain multiple versions of system images as advertised.
More specifically the user’s system is a brand new Toshiba Tecra A11 Laptop. The windows installation is fresh per the Toshiba factory install. I am backing up to a Seagate 320GB external hard drive which also is new. Available space is on the USB drive is 260GB.
The user states that: When using a normal backup of both data files and system image, the first system image seems to be saved OK. But on subsequent backups, it appears the first system image is deleted and only the last image is retained. I would like to keep the last several system images available for use. Am I misunderstanding usage or is there a bug?
Answer: No there is no bug, just a pitiful lack of and confusing documentation. Searching the Internet returns nothing substantial.
Microsoft Documentation states: (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Back-up-your-programs-system-settings-and-files) Keeping different versions of system images: If you're saving your system images on an internal or external drive, or on CDs or DVDs, you can keep several versions of system images. On internal and external hard drives, older system images will be deleted when the drive runs out of space.