Macrium has no option for full backup on existing backup.

Compumind · 10 Jan 2023

TheOwner said:

How many differential backup should I create for system disc? What is your recommendation? I think creating differentials forever causes that file will be bigger over time, so one day I should delete whole set and create new full backup.

IMHO -

I find it faster to create a new entire system image, rather then keep track of differentials.

AK6DN · 10 Jan 2023

With Macrium (paid) I do a FULL backup once a month, DIFFERENTIALs weekly, and INCREMENTALs every other day.
It is done automatically thru a saved Macrium XML file and their task manager to schedule the backup task.
Retention policy is set to delete older backups, I maintain the last 6 mos. Every once and a while I copy older full backups to an offline USB drive.
So normally I don't have to do anything, the backups are done very early in the morning when the computer is not being actively used.

cereberus · 11 Jan 2023

TheOwner said:

Now I understand. How many differential backup should I create for system disc? What is your recommendation? I think creating differentials forever causes that file will be bigger over time, so one day I should delete whole set and create new full backup.

I never use differentials forever. I just create a new full periodically.

NTN · 11 Jan 2023

Buy an extra HDD at 500GB, then you have plenty space for the back-ups.

EnvioX · 11 Jan 2023

i set 1 full
2 incre....

with auto delete if more than 3 full

why?
1st = 1 full + 2 incre for basic first installation

the second one is only IF i think my system better than the first full....

so i have 2 Full and i can test both with their own incre

why only 2 ?
first time i use macrium, i set daily incre with 4 diff (weekly)
but i realize when enter new month ... it will do merge... Incre to diff ... diff to full..
and when i want to restore.. it will read from
Full---> diff 1 ---> Incre1 ---> inc2 ---> incre.... ( and that will need extra time)

so now i only do incre if update or install (if im not forgot)
and new full if new w10 released

NTN · 11 Jan 2023

It was quite sophisticated I must say..

AK6DN · 11 Jan 2023

NTN said:

Buy an extra HDD at 500GB, then you have plenty space for the back-ups.

500GB for backups will fill up pretty quick if you want to maintain more than one full backup set (or differentials or incrementals).
I have a 500GB system drive (SSD), a 500GB data drive (spinner), and backup to a local 4TB drive (spinner).

NTN · 11 Jan 2023

His disk is Crucial M550 - 128GB.

Bree · 11 Jan 2023

TheOwner said:

Now I understand. How many differential backup should I create for system disc? What is your recommendation? I think creating differentials forever causes that file will be bigger over time, so one day I should delete whole set and create new full backup.

A Differential contains all the changes since the last Full image. Each Differential will inevitably be larger than the previous one as there will be more changes to back up. To restore an image backup set that includes Differentials you need the Full and just one Differential.

In the paid for Reflect you can also make Incrementals. An Incremental is all the changes since the last backup. To restore a backup set that uses Incrementals you need the Full and all the Incrementals.

quandary · 11 Jan 2023

Everybody has their own needs and processes. My backups are scheduled as follows:
- Full backup at 8:00 am on the 1st Saturday of every other month (keep 3 backups)
- Incremental (or differential with free ver) at 8:01 am weekly
The Incremental will detect when the Full is running and will not run due to the conflict