windows 7 built in backup

I use the built in windows 7 system image and before i make a new one image i rename the old one, like the foto.

With this renaming i broke the fuctionallity?
because i see a folder in the ''windowsimagebackup'' with the name : sspmetadatacache.
Can i delete manually the old ones or they are incrementals and i cant.
(for example to delete windowsimagebuckupold)

 

I think Windows only uses the WindowsImageBackup folder, and is unaware of any of the other ones you've renamed. So you should be able to delete any of the older ones without affecting your other images.... That's my understanding of it anyway. I'm not 100% sure, but I believe this is the case....

 

Thnx for ur answer. Anyone who actually knows 100% for sure if i can delete them , without corrapting the new ones ?

 

boombastik,

The default folder for a Win7 image is WindowsImageBackup. Let's say you create an image today and every day for the next week. All images go to that folder and if you explore the folder you can't really tell what is going on. But when you try to restore one of those images it it obvious when you are presented with dates and times of each image. There will be the base image and a series of incremental image choices. You can restore to any of the choices.

I see you have renamed that folder. That is a very good idea. When you create the next image a new WindowsImageBackup folder is created and new incremental images will go to the new WindowsImageBackup folder. You can rename it again later, etc.

So all of your folders contain usable backup images. You can keep them or delete them. Deleting the renamed folders will have no effect on the WindowsImageBackup folder.

 

Thnx for ur answer. Now i understand clearly how it works.
So there i have 3 base images. (before i make an image backup i rename the folder), so if i qontinue to the same folder i will have also an incremental backup.
So i can delete the one renamed folder because it is a very old image. thnx again. And soz for my english.

 

Your English is much better than my Greek.

 

Just be aware that if you need to restore from one of the re-named folders you will need to change the name back to WindowsImageBackup. (If you need to keep the current WindowsImageBackup folder then rename it to something else first, otherwise you will lose it!)

 

Zorak,

Good observation. I didn't know that and I tried to do a restore from a renamed folder and you are correct. While booted from the Win7 DVD I used a Command Prompt to rename the backup folder to WindowsImageBackup and the restore then worked. But it wasn't a straight forward procedure as it should have been.

 

Thanks Brian K for the confirmation

I am also led to believe that if you move the WindowsImageBackup folder to another folder/partition/drive then you also need to move it back to the original folder/partition/drive before you can restore from it. However I haven't confirmed this for myself.

 

Zorak,

I just checked that out. I moved the WindowsImageBackup folder to a folder on another HD. The Win7 DVD imaging app couldn't find the image.

The WindowsImageBackup folder was moved from the folder into the root of the partition on the other HD. The Win7 DVD imaging app could now find the image.

So the news is half OK.

 

Good to know. Thanks again!