help with backup while excluding folders

I'm using Paragon Hard Disk Manager Pro to make a system backup. I know when I use "disks and partitions" under the smart backup wizard I can select the following:

- Basic Hard Disk 1
- First Hard Disk Track
- Master Boot Record

And that will create a full system backup. I'm confused how to do that same thing but exclude certain folders. I can select "other files and folders" and select the files and folders I want, which would be most of my folders excluding a few I don't want backed up, but would doing it this way create a full functioning system backup like if I used "disks and partitions"? What about the "first hard disk track" and "master boot record"? Those seem important but I don't have the option to select those under "other files and folders" mode. I do see the files "bootmgr", "BOOTSECT.BAK", "IO.SYS", "autoexec.bat", "MSDOS.SYS", and "autoexec.bat", which are all hidden files, and it also shows the "hiberfil.sys" and "pagefile.sys" files which I believe I can skip. Would I have a functioning full system backup if I selected all those files plus all the folders under "C" (minus the folders I don't want)?

I'd just use the "disks and partitions" option but I have some very big video files currently on my C drive that I don't want to waste space backing up, so I want to exclude the folders that hold these videos. Otherwise I want to back up everything.

Also if I use "disks and partitions" I can select "change backup settings" and I have a host of options for things like "control archive integrity", hot processing options, etc. that I don't see when using "other files and folders". Would these options apply if I set them under the main settings before I use the wizard or are they ignored when using "other files and folders" mode?

Am I going about this the wrong way? The other way I think would work is in "disks and partitions" mode to create a new category called "folders" under "Copy/Backup exclude options" and add the few folders I want skipped under that new category using "Add filter", then I could do a "disks and partitions" backup like I'm used to and just select the "folders" filter to exclude. Would that be a better option? I'm thinking it might be the way to go but I've never tried a backup using custom filters to exclude folders before - will this work? I tried setting it up this way but when I select the new "folders" category with the folders listed underneath I want to exclude, the estimated size remains the same no matter if I select the exclude list or not. Under the backup summary it lists "C:/1/, C:/Working/" which are the 2 folders I want to skip - will these folders actually be skipped? The estimated archive size is the same whether or not the exclude mask is selected or not so it looks like it won't skip them based on the archive size but maybe the estimated archive size doesn't account for exclude masks?

 

Does the Copy/Backup Exclude in Tools Settings help any assuming it is in your version. One of the problems in reading the manual is the loose manner in which terminology is applied so it isn't obvious this is for images however there are a couple of entries that talk about file backup which indicates this is different. There is only one way to find out.

If you make an image and don't exclude any critical Windows or boot information it should work. A file backup even if it contains every file on disk won't.

Your problem is why I partition my disk. One partition for OS/Apps and others for data such as "backup frequently" and "backup rarely, if ever" data.

 

Well that's why I'm concerned that the first method I mentioned, "other files and folders", may exclude some critical boot or system files. If I use "disks or partitions" mode I know it will backup all my critical system files but I'm just uncertain that I am using the exclude options correctly. I tried the Copy/Backup Exclude in Tools Settings, but the estimated backup size doesn't change whether I select the folders I added to the exclude list or not. The size is the same before and if I include those 2 folders in the exclusion list and select it the archive estimated size is still the same anyways, and that would be far far smaller without those 2 folders. Will it actually exclude them during the backup though?

I do have my disks partitioned and normally this isn't a problem but currently my other partitions are full as I'm organizing some video so I have nowhere to put these 2 folders full of video currently. That's why I want to exclude them from my backup.

 

Use "Disks or partitions" and exclude the folders you don´t want to backup. The size of the backup may be the same, and the folders may even appear in it, but they are "shells" without content. All this is rather confusing and has been discussed previously in these forums, you could search the threads.

 

You said the size of the backup would remain the same - do you mean the physical backup size that would go in the backup capsule would be the same size? Because that's the whole problem - the backup capsule is plenty big enough for my system backup, but not nearly big enough to hold the full backup including all the video files which is over 200GB right now. So I need the actual size of the backup to shrink without the video in it in order to fit in the backup capsule. My backup capsule size is around 85GB which can hold my system backup no problem but not the video files.

I agree it can be confusing. I have tried to search for some answers but I was not able to find out exactly what I am asking here.