System Image too big!

[redrooster]

I did a backup with Oemei backup just after I had updated from Win7 to Win10. My first system Image was 402GB? so I ran it again thinking I had set it to just remember my confiuration settings because I already have the System Image on CDs. I burnt them when I first got the PC a few years ago, Im 64, I can understand most things on PCs, anyway the second backup was 408GB. Can I delete one of these backups done on the same day because my second HDD F:/ is only 1TB? By the way the first ever System Backup I did with Oemei was only 99GB! Or maybe I can delete both big ones? What do you people think?

 

[clifford_cooley]

If you have just upgraded from Win7 to Win10, you may still have a "c:\windows.old\" folder. This folder is a backup of your previous operating system files.

Run Disk Cleanup and then select to clean system files. This will let you know if there are files and how much space they are using, before you do the cleaning.

I always run Disk Cleanup as well as another utility called CCleaner before making backup images. The images can be anywhere between a few MB to several GB smaller.

Since your image is 400GB, I suspect you are also backing up data files. I personally think it is good practice to separate your data files from the operating system, so that your system image doesn't contain them. And should you ever need to call on a backup of your data, you don't have a need in restoring your system to retrieve data.

 

[davehc]

Plus what Cliff said, it looks, to me, like you might be saving your images to the same HD that you are imaging? In most image programs, you would be warned of this, and, in most cases, it would be refused.
If this has happened accidentally, find them and transfer or delete them.

I am an image fanatic, but, after a succesful backup, I normally only keep the original and the last two made - keeps the used disk space down to a minimum.
Fwiw. I am not familiar with Oemei. Possibly you mean Aemei?

 

[redrooster]

Thanks for the replies fellas. I deleted the 402GB backup and of course that has freed up heaps, now Ive got to figure out how to seperate the system from my data? Is the system meant to be the Operating System? I just checked, the backup program Its spelt Aomei.

 

[davehc]

Being lazy, and, I hope, a better word "expedient". What Ido as a fal back emergency, is copy most of the stuff under username to a safe place.

 

[Norton]

I would clean out the trash. Run CCleaner and Disk Clean. You could delete all of the old backups then run AomeiBackupper, create a new full System back up image of your HD. Then create an Aomei "Fileback up, which will create an image of the files in your "User Folder" To be safe I also copy all of my user files to a separate USB as mentioned by @davehc in the above post.