Restore only core of an incremental?

I created an image of my basic XP installation because I tend to reformat and start fresh often. Can I use this base to append to for incrementals but still reserve the option of installing only the base image if I want to? I have never restored an image in TI yet but I want to make sure before I mess up the basic image I have. Do incremental backups alter the base in any way?

 

Keep another copy of the base image - either on the same hard drive or on DVD or CD?

 

Yes, of course I could but I'd rather not have an extra Gig sized file if I find I don't have to.

 

That's how ATI works, when you're using incremental backups. When you go to restore, you get to choose from any of the dates when you created an incremental. So you can restore your system to the state it was in when you created the first backup, the last, or any stage in-between.

No need to keep separate copies of the backup images.

 

Thank you very much. I assumed as much but I've made big mistakes in the past by "assuming"!

 

No problem. If you would like to see how it works, you can explore an image by double-clicking on one of the TIB files in windows. When you go to mount the image, you can see how you can select any of the backup dates. The same goes for restoring an image.