I'm unsure about certain details regarding Macrium Reflect backup software.
I'm unsure about certain details regarding Macrium Reflect backup software.
For all of my systems, I generate a Day 1 and Day 2 Full drive image.
Day 1 contains only the OS and drivers.
Day 2 includes my basic application set.
I've never required either of these before.
Following that, a standard series of Full + Incremental images is used.
I've had to recover a few times.
For your request...just produce a Full Image and save it elsewhere.
Then, you can create another Full and begin your Diff/Inc series with that image.
For this process, you can either generate an initial disk image or perform a full backup and save it on a different external HDD. Next, set up a complete backup that will be replaced by a regular backup routine. It’s convenient to maintain three to four weeks of backups, allowing ample time to revert if needed. Weekly full backups and daily incremental backups should be sufficient.
It's a really good suggestion to make a complete backup and store it in a secure location, maybe using my IDrive cloud storage. I'm sure I'll start with that. It's something so simple, but I hadn't considered it before.
🤔
This shows just how unwise I am about this issue...
With all these choices, I'm still unsure whether to use incrementals, differentials, synthetic data, or how many of each I should use. In short, how to organize that complicated "backup plan" page.
@jeremyj_83
A full backup every week would be excessive, wouldn't it? It would consume a lot of storage. I'd prefer to keep one full backup and then use either incrementals or differentials, as long as one of them lets me pick a specific restoration date. But I'm not sure which option gives me that flexibility.
If I check the "full" box and set the count to two, the first one would be overwritten when I create a third one, correct?
Also, this differential and incremental approach is really confusing for me. I understand the differences, but I'm not sure which one suits my needs best.
But we're not certain if this will let me restore to a particular day. Also, Synthetic usually removes the oldest incremental backups, and I'm not sure that's what I need.
🤔
What does "bootable" mean? Wouldn't it be enough to have a rescue USB drive made with Macrium to restore the image?
What are the benefits of having more than one full backup and then only incrementals? But we're not sure about that, right?
Sorry, I'm not clear on what you meant by your last sentence (I'm Italian, and probably just a simple mistake 😂).
The Day 1 and Day 2 references are specifically about establishing a fresh system. These are complete setups, without any attachments for changes. If anything unusual happens in the coming days, I can revert to its original condition. These setups are not very useful for long periods—about six months or two years at most. What kind of ongoing storage solutions are you considering? That depends entirely on your requirements and available space. My main system uses six physical drives, with incremental backups each night. It keeps a rolling 30-day history, removing the oldest as it comes. However, I have ample available space on my NAS—though not unlimited, it’s sufficient. I could allocate 20 to 40 TB if needed. My spouse’s system performs a full backup every other day, while her setup uses minimal space. My HTPC receives a full image once a week. The frequency and type all come down to your personal needs.
It all hinges on the system size and what you're saving. Our production database occupies 2TB, with a complete backup at around 1.25TB and performed weekly (roughly half the VM's size). Incremental backups occur daily, totaling about 5GB each day. Under a 2-week retention rule (approximately three weeks of backups), the VM would consume around 4TB on NAS storage. Weekly full backups remain the norm. This approach reduces risk because if a single full backup fails, the remaining backups stay intact.
My PC is just a home computer, and I only want to maintain the C: drive with OS and software running smoothly while working from home. Windows has been problematic lately.
For the other disks—SSDs and NVMe—I don’t have a problem since they’re regularly backed up to a cloud storage service.
I just want to ensure the C: drive stays efficient and prepared for any issues, especially as I continue working on this machine.
I’m also eager to learn more about backups and might consider using simpler software for easier management. It’s important to me to understand this process better. You might recommend a straightforward tool, but I prefer learning the complexities myself. Knowledge is always valuable!
In any case, maybe I should make a complete backup to protect it, then create a copy with subsequent "incremental" backups...
Still, my curiosity remains about gaining more insight.
That's motivating. Thanks for your support, and also to @jeremyj_83!
If I have more questions, I won't hesitate to reach out again, guys 🙏
Appreciate it!
My current timetables are quite distinct from what I established nearly ten years ago.