New
#1
Does Windows System Image back up disks or partitions?
I have a dual boot system for Win7/Win10 installed on a SSD split into 3 partitions. After booting into Win7, I have B: (System), C: (Win7), and W: (Win10). After booting into Win10, the C: and W: partitions are reversed. (To help keep things straight, I assigned drive letter W: to the OS partition of the system I am *not* booted into.)
I'm confused about what happens when I create a system image via Windows Backup and Restore. All the articles I've read (including the tutorial on this site) say you choose the *disks* you want to include, but the system image tool lets me choose what I know are *partitions*. For example, when I create a system image under Win7, B: and C: are automatically selected. I can also add W: to the image if I want, but it's optional. Again, all three of these partitions reside on the same physical SSD.
So what's actually included in a system image? The individual partitions I've selected, or the entire disk on which they reside? (To add more confusion, numerous articles I've seen discuss system imaging in the context of disk cloning.) The answer is particularly relevant if I need to restore from an image. I might want to restore both Win7 and Win10 (restore disk), or I might want to restore just one of the two (restore partition). Are both forms of restore possible, or will only one of the two work? (As you can imagine, I'm hesitant to experiment here unless I know what will happen.)
Finally, a related question is whether or not system restore will properly restore my dual boot configuration?
Can someone clarify this for me?