Windows 10 does not do incremental backups but I want to know about them.I have a program that runs files from a folder and I keep adding files to the folder it runs from. Some of the files I add have the same file name but have changed slightly. When I do an incremental backup what exactly would a backup program look for (file name, size, date modified etc...)?
Look at Macrium Reflect. You would need the paid version to get the incremental option.
JohnD
The Free version does differential backups which is quite adequate for small differences.
A diff backup contains all the changes since last full backup.
So if Full had File A version 1 and diff had File A version 2, then if you restore Full backup, you get File A version 1. If you select the Diff (+full) backup, you get File A version 2.
Supposed they are both named file a but are different sizes or date modified. Someone just updated file a but did not change the name.
Hi, the detailed rules used by a given backup program (there are many) can be particular to that program.
If you take Macrium Reflect (File and Folder Backup - licensed version) as an example, (rather than disk imaging which may have been mentioned above, being more familiar), you could put a question to Macrium themselves. It may be hard to discover such information from published documentation.
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I use Macrium images to back up the entire system, but separately I have written a batch command file to copy my user files to an external drive. Originally it used the XCOPY command but now uses the more powerful RoboCopy command. Both commands have /S and /M options that works the same way...
...so to do a full backup of all files I first use the command ATTRIB *.* +A /S to set the archive attribute for all files. Xcopy/Robocopy with their /S /M options will copy all files and clear the archive attribute. Any modification of a file will set the Archive attribute, it will also be set for any new files. So the next run of Xcopy/RoboCopy /S /M will only copy the new or modified files since the last full backup./S :: copy Subdirectories, but not empty ones.
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/M :: copy only files with the Archive attribute and reset it.
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