Hard Drive Full: Should I do new Mirror Image

SilverLiz

Hi Techies,


I keep my backup as an on-going Mirror Image on an Iomega Hardrive. However the drive is now nearly full.


Is it advised to format the hard drive and perform a new Mirror Image or will I mess the whole thing up.


Advice on what YOU do welcome and thanks in anticipation of any replies

grumpycrab

What program are you using to do "Mirror Image"? I would do (belt and braces...)
1. ensure you have docs/pics/music backed up to a THIRD place
2. ensure you have a factory image of your computer in a THIRD place (when you got your computer you should have made a factory image either to disks or USB drive); this is on top of the factory image that may already exist on the computer. NB. this assumes you haven't upgraded your OS since new - if you have then you will need to take a fresh system image.

Then you can do what you want with the Iomega drive.

SilverLiz

Thanks GrumpyCrab

I use the Windows 7 Backup up /Mirror Image.
I have got another hard drive with just Docs/Photos/Em addresses etc. on it. Just tested it to make sure its all there and can't get to view files on this hard drive - so will have to try another method ? DVD. Don't know why I can't view files - its all lighting up as though working ???

jshm2

Were you doing snapshots or incremental backups?

If snapshots, then yes delete all your old ones and keep the new. If incrementals then you should schedule an archive at the end of every month to consolidate your backups and to save space.

Unless of course you have a reason you want to keep ancient incremental backups?

SilverLiz

I have a 'Mirror Image' and 'Liz PC' and monthly scheduled updates in the Windows 7 Backup area. I can't see any mention of being able to archive these.

bsod

where are you getting the term 'mirror' image from - that usually means clone rather than system image backup? how big is the internal and external drive, and how much data is on each. how exactly are these backups initiated

If the external is full with only one backup (is that the case, or are there many), you could trim what's on the internal (system restore points, temp files), and then use a smarter backup program like macrium free to do a full backup, and then differential backups to update it with changes

if you are automatically doing backups over the top of old ones, you are probably backing up spyhunter too, which makes the backups a bit useless

SilverLiz

OMG Backing up Spyhunter will be the worst thing. However I have decided to format the disk and start again. The term 'mirror image' is in the Windows 7 backup programme and is described as taking an image of everything on computer - then you can schedule backups to add anything you add eg documents and photos. This has been going for about a year so not surprising its full up. I have managed to get both hard drives going so have Docs and photos (most important parts) on one and will start the 'mirror image' back up with scheduled backups on the other.
Thanks ++ for all the advice

bsod

if you are only doing this because of spyhunter, you could use the backup. it's better to have two independent copies of data if you are intending to format.