Windows backup will use extra space for incremental changes. When it runs out of room it should make a new full backup. Full backup is much slower than incremental backups for obvious reasons. Let Windows use the full 1 TB on the disk for backups [Solicitation for paid support is not permitted in the Microsoft Public Forums] My page on Video Card Problems is now my most popular landing page. See my gaming site for game reviews etc. Developer | Windows IT | Chess | Economics | Hardcore Games | Vegan Advocate | PC Reviews

you should be ok [Solicitation for paid support is not permitted in the Microsoft Public Forums] My page on Video Card Problems is now my most popular landing page. See my gaming site for game reviews etc. Developer | Windows IT | Chess | Economics | Hardcore Games | Vegan Advocate | PC Reviews

Hi, Windows 7 Home Premium 64 on a Dell XPS laptop. Hard drive has 338 GB free out of 683 total. Run a full backup, letting Windows decide what to back up onto a 1 TB drive. The backup took up 750GB of the Drive! This about twice what was on the original drive. Why so much room?

Windows backup will use extra space for incremental changes. When it runs out of room it should make a new full backup. Full backup is much slower than incremental backups for obvious reasons. Let Windows use the full 1 TB on the disk for backups Windows MVP, paid Remote Assistance is available for XP, Vista and Windows 7. My page on Video Card Problems is now my most popular landing page. See my gaming site for game reviews etc. Developer | Windows IT | Chess | Economics | Hardcore Games | Vegan Advocate | PC Reviews

So I have about 150GB left on the 1TB disk. This was the first full backup. What happens next week? Backups are set to automatic. Will it do an incremental or will it run out of room? thanks

you should be ok Windows MVP, paid Remote Assistance is available for XP, Vista and Windows 7. My page on Video Card Problems is now my most popular landing page. See my gaming site for game reviews etc. Developer | Windows IT | Chess | Economics | Hardcore Games | Vegan Advocate | PC Reviews

OK, weekly backup kicks off. Hard drive space in use on laptop, 331 GB. Free space on external hard drive 931 GB. After 2 weeks, 2 regularlary scheduled backups the external disk is full and hte backup failed. 2 questions. Why does a full backup of 331 GB take up more than 331 GB? What could windows possibly be backing up? 2nd question. I presume these sequential backups of the first would just back up the differences. 6 hours later, it fills up the disk and the backup fails. Is this the way Windows 7 backup is supposed to work? If so are there any third part solutions that would back up 331 GB in a 331 GB space? thanks

Not good, see if you get backup to nuke some of the older backups and try a full backup again Windows MVP, paid Remote Assistance is available for XP, Vista and Windows 7. My page on Video Card Problems is now my most popular landing page. See my gaming site for game reviews etc. Developer | Windows IT | Chess | Economics | Hardcore Games | Vegan Advocate | PC Reviews

Not good, see if you get backup to nuke some of the older backups and try a full backup again Solicitation for paid support is not permitted in the Microsoft Public Forums My page on Video Card Problems is now my most popular landing page. See my gaming site for game reviews etc. Developer | Windows IT | Chess | Economics | Hardcore Games | Vegan Advocate | PC Reviews Solicitation for paid support is not permitted in the Microsoft Public Forums

Again the actual disk space in use is 331 GB. The detail of the backup looks like this: Data file backup 314 GB System Image 345 GB some other stuff on the drive totals 215 GB So why is there a data file back up plus a system image? Seems like the system image should include both, no? Double redundancy?

I do not have enough disks at the moment to test backup the way you are. I pulled a disk off my desktop to install on my new server. When I last checked it out, I was using an older 320 GB disk and before I cloned it to the 750 GB disk I tried a backup and it failed categorically. I also have a server, at that time I was using Linux and SAMBA but its compatible, still no joy. I recall from an inquiry back during the beta that the design for backup is for the target drive to be > 1.5x the system disk. Your backup disk should be fine. Definitely seems like you are indeed consuming more space than you should based on the manuals I have read. Here is the main user guide from a saved bookmark http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/features/backup-and-restore Lets use this as a baseline for correcting problems Windows MVP, XP, Vista, 7. Expanding into Windows Server 2008 R2, SQL Server, SharePoint etc My page on Video Card Problems is now my most popular landing page. See my gaming site for game reviews etc. Developer | Windows IT | Chess | Economics | Hardcore Games | Vegan Advocate | PC Reviews

I guess I am right about that 1.5 number if you are counting the entire 700gb laptop hard drive. Even though only half of it is in use. Hard drives are cheep. I'll pick up a 2 TB one this week. Wow, one can pick up a 2 TB external for about $100 bucks.

Hard disks have become extremely low cost. I remember having to pay $500 for a 500 MB disk many years ago. Windows MVP, XP, Vista, 7. Expanding into Windows Server 2008 R2, SQL Server, SharePoint etc. I feel badly for my American friends who have to endure the extremists in Washington who are bankrupting the nation over ideology. My page on Video Card Problems is now my most popular landing page. See my gaming site for game reviews etc. Developer | Windows IT | Chess | Economics | Hardcore Games | Vegan Advocate | PC Reviews

"I feel badly for my American friends who have to endure the extremists in Washington who are bankrupting the nation over ideology." Not the place to discuss it but I completely agree. I've followed politics most of my life and the government is as broken as it has even been. The truth seems so obvious but Fox News seems to have the masses hypnotized in giving away their health care, social security, benefits , unions and future. The middle class is disappearing, debt is growing, we put 2 wars on the credit card for our children to pay and we keep thinking tax breaks for the rich is going to make everything all right. Everything Reagan stood for has proven false. "Trickle-Down" or "Supply-Side" economics hasn't worked for a single day and the poor masses keep voting for more tax cuts for the super-rich. It's insane. Sorry, not the place for this but thanks for the help

I have that statement on other forums as well of late. I am trying to encourage people to think. That is all I want, think about it. Regan and Bush are misguided, among others. Tax cuts never see enough growth to compensate. Never. I suggest economics be taught in high school across the planet, keep the politicians in check better. Windows MVP, XP, Vista, 7. Expanding into Windows Server 2008 R2, SQL Server, SharePoint etc. I feel badly for my American friends who have to endure the extremists in Washington who are bankrupting the nation over ideology. My page on Video Card Problems is now my most popular landing page. See my gaming site for game reviews etc. Developer | Windows IT | Chess | Economics | Hardcore Games | Vegan Advocate | PC Reviews