Windows 7 incremental backup: continuing backup after reinstalling the OS & restoring the data

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I really like how Windows 7's incremental backup works.

However there's one big problem: after reinstalling the operating system and restoring data from the backup, there's no way to continue to sync my data with my back up.

Windows 7 only offers to start a new backup, so hundreds of gigabytes of data need to be copied again. But the most important thing is that I lose my file history.

Is there any way to make Windows 7 continue backing up the same folders after a clean install of the OS?

Alex

Posted 2011-12-06T07:08:32.160

Reputation: 135

Answers

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This is one of the many limitations of the Windows Backup software, I have found no way around this issue so far, backup creates a signature and embeds it in the backup data somehow, the sig is unique to each installation of the OS. I am sure there might be a way to change the signature of the old backup to allow the new installation to use it, but never spent the time to figure it out, much easier to use other backup software.

Moab

Posted 2011-12-06T07:08:32.160

Reputation: 54 203

Hi Moab, thanks for your answer. What other software is there? I tried Genie Timeline - it has the same problem. I really enjoy Linux rsync based solutions, but couldn't find anything like that for Windows. – Alex – 2011-12-07T00:13:16.943

Unfortunately I do not rely on or use incremental backups, all I use are full disk images for disaster recovery, I keep all my important data backup up manually to a mirror set usb enclosure, I'm old school but never lost any data I cared about...https://encrypted.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=rsync+for+windows

– Moab – 2011-12-07T04:52:11.627

Asked: 2011-12-06T07:08:32.160

Viewed: 233 times

Active: 2011-12-06T19:59:24.410