Decryption of backup and restoration functions in Windows 7

We know that Windows Vista has introduced the backup function, which can save the system as an image file. The function is very similar to that of ghost. However, the backup function of Windows Vista is not mature yet, backup files are bloated, with many backup files and slow recovery speeds. Microsoft will launch Windows 7 in October 22 to get out of the shadow of Windows Vista and regain the loss of Windows Vista. So is the backup and restoration function of Windows 7 significantly improved? Can it be compared with ghost? Let's solve this mystery.

　　1. Simple System Image backup and Restoration

First, let's try to back up the system on Windows 7. We aim to back up a GB Windows 7 system. We start the Backup recovery function of the system from "start-all programs-maintenance-backup and restoration. We found that the Backup recovery for Windows 7 has a "Create System Image" link on the left, while the Backup recovery for Windows Vista does not (1 ).

Figure 1 backup and Restoration

It is very convenient to back up the system image of the Local Machine. Other multimedia, documents, and data files will not be backed up, and restoring the system will be faster in the future. What is the system image creation speed? Click the "Create System Image" link to start the test. In the "Create System Image" window, we found that the system image can be saved on the hard disk, burned disc, and network location, but there is no network location in the backup and restoration of Vista (2 ), therefore, the backup location of Windows 7 system images is more diverse and flexible.

Figure 2 backup location

We chose to save the system image on disk D, and then click "Next". Then we found that the backup disk space was 10 GB (3 ).

Figure 3 backup location selection

Click the start backup button to start the backup process (4). the backup process takes 9 minutes and the generated backup file occupies 6.97 GB, the gradually generated shadow copy file will occupy the remaining space.

Figure 4 creating

So what is the speed at which the backup image is restored on Windows 7? We continue the test. Click "Recover System settings or computer" at the bottom of the Backup Recovery window to enter the "recovery" window, and then click the "advanced recovery method" Link under this window (5 ).

Figure 5 Restoration

The "advanced recovery method" window is displayed. Click "Use the previously created system image to restore the computer" (6 ).

Figure 6 recovery plan

Then, click the "Skip" button to ignore the backup file process (7 ).

Figure 7 backup prompt

Then, enter the "restart" window and click "restart" (8 ).

Figure 8 restart

After the restart, we found that the system could not be restored (9). It seems that the probability of such backup restoring through Windows 7 is still not high.

Figure 9 boot failure

Then, start the system by installing the CD, and click "Next" in the installation window. Then, click "repair computer" in the displayed window (10 ).

Figure 10 repair and Installation

After searching for the installed Windows system, click "no" and select "Use the previously created system image to restore the computer, click "Next" (11 ).

Figure 11 recovery options

The backed up image is successfully found. Click "Next" (12 ).

Figure 12 Backup Restore Point

In the displayed window, click "Next" (13 ).

Figure 13 restoration method

Finally, click "finish" to start restoration (14). The restoration process lasted for 8 minutes.

Figure 14 restore

After testing, we found that the restoration speed of Windows 7 system backup is still relatively fast, compared with that of ghost. However, the restoration stability needs to be improved.

　　Ii. Database-centric system resource backup

We know that the backup and restoration of Windows Vista can also back up photo, music, video and other file resources, so that these resources can be easily transplanted to the new computer, however, windows Vista backs up data based on the file format, which has certain limitations. So Can Windows 7 backup break through these restrictions? In the backup window, click the "change settings" link to back up all the file resources in the current user's library (15, including documents, music, images, videos, etc ). You only need to set the location of the database for the current user, so that we can flexibly back up file resources in various locations on the hard disk. There are no restrictions on the file format, and backup and restoration are more efficient.

Figure 15 Database Backup

Full use of the library's virtual link technology is a major feature of Windows 7 Backup recovery, so that the backup of user data will be more comprehensive, you can even back up personal data files such as contacts, desktops, downloads, and favorites. Ghost cannot implement one-time backup at multiple drive locations, which is an advantage of Backup recovery.

Windows 7's backup recovery is significantly improved than Vista's, and the system image backup is faster. Windows 7's file resource backup is excellent, and supporting database file backup is a major improvement, unfortunately, the compression ratio has not been significantly improved. Compared with ghost, Windows 7 Backup recovery is much faster (22 minutes for ghost to back up the same system image and 17 minutes for restoration ), the compression ratio of the images backed up and restored by Windows 7 is much lower than that of ghost (the same system image backed up by ghost occupies 3.58 GB). However, backup Recovery in Windows 7 supports scheduled and Incremental backup and image files. vhd can be directly mounted, which cannot be implemented by ghost. In this way, the advantage of ghost over Backup recovery is only reflected in the compression rate. Therefore, in an environment where hard disk prices continue to decline, users' hard disk capacity is increasingly plentiful. Using the backup and restoration feature of Windows 7 is also a time-saving data protection and porting method.