Adding A Differential After Incrementals

[TomBrooklyn]

Can I add a DIFFERENTIAL Backup to a Full Backup that already has a bunch of INCREMENTAL backups attached to it, and then DELETE the INCREMENTALS?


Reason: I usually make a full backup, add incrementals for a while, then make a new full backup and after verifying it, delete the old full and incrementals. I have a situation now where I don't have room on the backup drive to add a new full backup.

Therefore, I want to replace the large space being taken up by the many incrementals with the small space one Differential will be, after which I will have space to make a new full backup and at no time am I ever without a full backup.

Thank you.

[MudCrab]

I haven't actually tried this, but what I would do would be to rename the Full backup image file (to break the link to the Incrementals) and then use the renamed file as the base for the Differential. Otherwise, you'll be stuck with the Incrementals being "linked" into the backup set.

Once you've validated the new backup, you could delete the orphaned Incrementals.

[TomBrooklyn]

-{ Quote: "I haven't actually tried this, but what I would do would be to rename the Full backup image file (to break the link to the Incrementals) and then use the renamed file as the base for the Differential. Otherwise, you'll be stuck with the Incrementals being "linked" into the backup set." }-

Hi Mudcrab,
The Differential Backup just completed and then I saw your reply. I was up to Backup14 on the Incrementals and the Differential appended itself as Backup15. I was expecting it to be Backup1Diff or something like that. It appears to possibly be linked to the incrementals as you expected and I don't know if I can delete 1 through 14 now.

I'll retry it with your suggestion to rename the full backup first. I don't see what harm that could do. In case of some problem I should just be able to restore the original name and it would be like nothing changed, I think.
=Tom

[MudCrab]

You are correct. The Differential backup was added to the set. Just delete it, rename the Full and make another one.

As you said, you can always rename the Full back to its original name and it will automatically "reattach" itself to the Incrementals. The files are linked only by the filename and the split codes, so making changes like this are easy to reverse if necessary.