Creating a new differential backup after a restore

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  1. Posts : 76
    Windows 10 Home 64-bit (22H2)
       #1

    Creating a new differential backup after a restore


    Can I create new differential backup after restoring an existing one? Let’s take the following backup set as an example:

    00 – Full Backup
    01 – First Differential
    02 – Second Differential
    03 - Third Differential

    If I restored to the second differential backup, could I then create a new differential backup and continue the set? What would happen to the third differential backup (03 above) if I did that? I am using the free version of Macrium Reflect 7.1.
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  2. Posts : 42,734
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #2

    A differential image represents the difference between the base image and your imaged disks or partitions as they currently are, as you probably know.

    So creating a new differential image simply allows you to restore what you have imaged, and only requires you have that differential image file and the base image file. The other differential image files are not relevant to that.

    So if you no longer need the older differential image files, you could delete them.
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  3. Posts : 15,441
    Windows10
       #3

    radiowaves said:
    Can I create new differential backup after restoring an existing one? Let’s take the following backup set as an example:

    00 – Full Backup
    01 – First Differential
    02 – Second Differential
    03 - Third Differential

    If I restored to the second differential backup, could I then create a new differential backup and continue the set? What would happen to the third differential backup (03 above) if I did that? I am using the free version of Macrium Reflect 7.1.
    Sure you can do that. Each differential is independent of other diffs (unlike more space efficient incrementals in paid versions).

    Each differential contains all changes since last full backup. So it does not matter which you select, and can create new ones.

    As they are independent, you can delete older ones to save space.
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  4. Posts : 76
    Windows 10 Home 64-bit (22H2)
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Returning to the example, after restoring the second differential backup, are there any guidelines about the best type of backup to do next (full vs. differential)? Let’s assume the second differential is only two days old and very little has changed since it was captured. I’m trying to understand if the fact that I restored affects what to do next.
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  5. Posts : 76
    Windows 10 Home 64-bit (22H2)
    Thread Starter
       #5

    cereberus said:
    Sure you can do that. Each differential is independent of other diffs (unlike more space efficient incrementals in paid versions).

    Each differential contains all changes since last full backup. So it does not matter which you select, and can create new ones.

    As they are independent, you can delete older ones to save space.
    What I’m not clear about is this: is there anything about a restored environment that would make you want to do another full backup afterwards vs. continuing the existing backup set with another differential?
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  6. Posts : 42,734
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #6

    A base image is a bigger file and takes longer to generate.

    A differential file is smaller and faster to generate.

    All you need to restore your system is either:
    A base image
    or
    A base image + a differential image corresponding to that base image.

    How you use that is entirely up to you.
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  7. Posts : 15,441
    Windows10
       #7

    radiowaves said:
    What I’m not clear about is this: is there anything about a restored environment that would make you want to do another full backup afterwards vs. continuing the existing backup set with another differential?

    You are still not getting it - each diff is independent. It does not matter in the slightest if you restore to some intermediate state after the original full backup. When you create a diff, it just compares PC today against full backup done originally.
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  8. Posts : 2,068
    Windows 10 Pro
       #8

    Nothing different about the restored environment. Eventually it makes sense to take another full, as your differential files continue to get larger and larger and take longer since its everything that changed since the first full backup.
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  9. Posts : 1,871
    W10 pro x64 20H2 Build 19042.610
       #9

    radiowaves said:
    What I’m not clear about is this: is there anything about a restored environment that would make you want to do another full backup afterwards vs. continuing the existing backup set with another differential?
    Possibly yes......

    Although creating a new incremental or differential based on a restored image will work, you might be surprised just how big that new image is. Although outwardly nothing has changed, the reality could be that pretty much everything has......

    An analogy. You are making an image of all the books in the local library. You restore that image and everything is put back exactly where it was... almost. Now suppose each row of restored books was a little to the left or right of where they were before. It makes no difference to the user, but the program imaging the books thinks every one is now different and so creates a new differential or incremental image to reflect that. The result is that the differential or incremental image can be almost as big as starting a new full sequence off.
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  10. Posts : 76
    Windows 10 Home 64-bit (22H2)
    Thread Starter
       #10

    cereberus said:
    You are still not getting it - each diff is independent. It does not matter in the slightest if you restore to some intermediate state after the original full backup. When you create a diff, it just compares PC today against full backup done originally.
    I assumed Macrium Reflect worked this way, but I wanted to be absolutely sure before basing my backup strategy on it.

    I used to use Windows System Image Backup (SIB) and learned the hard way not to make assumptions about it. I once tried to reinstall Windows 10 on an old, problematic laptop. I assumed that if it didn’t work out I could just restore it with a Windows SIB image that I captured just prior to the reinstall attempt. Bad assumption. When I tried to restore, Windows SIB could not find the image file on the external hard drive. Very frustrating. I think it had something to do with a change to a volume name that SIB didn’t like. Anyway, lesson learned. Don’t make assumptions when it comes to something as important as a system image.

    I decided to try Macrium Reflect after I found out that Windows SIB was being deprecated in the Fall Creators Update. It has worked great so far.
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