Too many users do not think about backing up their data until they lose. This should not happen, but, alas, it happens. Windows Vista is aimed at simplifying the backup using a complete set of functions for trouble-free data protection.

Familiar remedy rewritten to improve system reliability and to support a larger number of options to fix the system. Medium improved backup files, and to make data protection simpler and more rigorous, added two new funds: A backup and restore of all PC Windows ® and Shadow Copy tool.

Fig. 1 Center for backup and recovery in Windows Vista
Backing up files

Suppose I buy a new laptop. After copying the various files - photos, Microsoft ® Word documents, etc. -- in a new system, installing and downloading the latest Windows updates, I deciding to hold a backup files. To do so, I connect an external hard drive to open up a laptop computer and center backup and recovery. When you click "Backup files was called" master carrying out through this process. He asked my destination backup (in this case, an external hard drive), the categories of files to back up (such as "images") and time of backup.

If necessary, copy files, not suitable under any of the categories, select the category of "extra files." It includes files with the following extensions are not identifiable Windows, but does not support executables and system files. Such files are not copied this feature, since they rarely represent the user data. If you really needed a backup system and executable files using this mechanism, you can place them in a ZIP file, and choose the category of "Compressed Files" in the wizard.

Instead of repeatedly copying should perform difference from time to time to perform a complete backup. The need for this depends on factors such as the time elapsed since the last full backup, the number of files copied, the number of CD-ROMs or DVD discs to which they are copied, and so on. This is necessary for the permanent presence of a full copy of basic components.

Backing up files uses Shadow Copy volumes agreed to create copies of files opened or used applications. During the backup application, conducting backups, reads with these agreed copies. This is convenient, for example, for backup PST file permanently open Microsoft Outlook ®. Volume Shadow Copy Service ensures that the saved file PST is in a consistent state, and it will be possible after the restoration of access.

Backup files are not deleted automatically, but with insufficient disk space, you can remove it by hand. Hint: for the removal of individual copies of difference is always delete backup data sets entirely.

The creation of the timetable backup computer

The existence of the calendar regular backup for backup means the entire computer is one of the possible permanent safeguards availability of fresh images of the entire system. Schedule backup of all computers could not draw up the control panel, but you can use other means - to create a new task in the task. In the case of such a calendar, I recommend that periodically verify whether backups completed. Why does it matter? Because this method does not alert the user through a pop-up window if the backup ends setback due to lack of disk space or other temporary problems. It should not be considered a substitute for regular use features backup files. Так или иначе, расписание работы средства резервного копирования компьютера создается в планировщике задач следующим образом:

Now, when all you need is my laptop computer, installed and configured, I want a full backup, protecting everyone, including the operating system, I installed applications, customization and updating. I use the full feature backup computer, which can then be used to restore my computer hard drive after breakage or other misfortune. In such a case, I do not have to re-install all the applications and conduct setting. The first time performing this function performs a full backup of all the units in the selected volumes, with the exception of blocks, which do not store information. Follow backup copy a difference at the level of blocks (details below).

After performing stand-copying panel centre backup and restore, refresh (see Fig. 2). It now provides information on the time and place for the creation of storage backup.

Fig. 2 Center for backup and restore, providing information on previous kopirovaniyah
Although both funds perform backups, full backup means of a computer is not working as a means of backup files. Medium full backup computer creates a backup of the entire computer in the form of the image at the level of blocks in the form of virtual hard disk (VHD). During the first full backup mechanism scans the source drive and copying blocks containing information in the VHD file maintained on disk destination. Although reserved and not compressed data, a lot of places they have not served.

Fig. 3 As a means of moving data in a full backup and restore computer
To restore data blocks are restored to their original location. If it is necessary to carry out the restoration of an older backup mechanism reads the relevant blocks from the shadow copies and restores them.

Note that for the full backup computer disks are available only format NTFS. If the backup is stored on a hard disk, the disk must have the same format NTFS.

System Restore

Rebuilding the system enabled by default. I open the master recovery system by selecting "Troubleshooting Windows with the help restore systems", in the left top of the center backup and recovery (or in the folder "standard"> "Business" section "All Programs" menu "Go"). If I choose "Choose another point of recovery" and "Click" Next, I see that the point of recovery have already been set up in various locations in the course of my laptop settings, installing applications and perform stand-copying.

In Windows XP vehicle recovery system uses a filter file system for tracking changes in the file system. In Windows Vista System Restore uses Shadow Copy volumes for tracking changes in the level of blocks in the selected volumes. This makes the vehicle recovery systems more reliable and allows greater range of options to support the recovery.

In addition, the new tool can restore the system to work, even if the copy of Windows dysfunctional. This is done using the Windows recovery, allowing restore the system, even if Windows refuses to boot.

Shadow Copy

Shadow copy virtually unnoticed. It is enabled by default and does not require effort from the user. The user is likely to notice this feature for the first time when he will need to restore the file. She, in fact, opens up a copy at one time files created Volume Shadow Copy Service.

Office space for Shadow Copy

The space for storage is allocated separately shadow copies in the workplace and reserve volumes for the full disk copying system. Used, and the maximum allotted space for shadow copies can be checked through the launch of the next command from the command line with elevated privileges:
VSSAdmin list ShadowStorage
Used space - space, dominated by shadow copies at the moment; allotted - the space reserved for the shadow copies (and not used for other purposes); maximum - the upper threshold, beyond which the volume shadow copies can not grow.
Allocation of space for shadow copies occur automatically, which means that it can not be installed user. New space is allocated as fixed blocks of classes previously allotted space. For this reason, the value specified for the use of space is always lower than in the allotted.

For maximum working volume of storage space for shadow copies determined to create shadow copies of the first - usually in the first inclusion means to restore the system and create restore points during installation. The value is set at 30% of the available space, or 15% of the total volume - whichever is lower. This maximum amount of static. It does not change in any increase or decrease in free space, or changing the size of the volume.

But size can be manually podpravit VSSAdmin by using funds from the command line with elevated privileges. For example, to increase the maximum amount of storage space on your C: \ to 15 GB, you need to perform the following command:
VSSAdmin Resize ShadowStorage / For = C: / On = C: / = 15GB MaxSize
This is your first appeared in Windows Server ®, where the shadow copies of a certain volume can be kept in another volume. In Windows Vista volume shadow copies are stored at the same volume. Consequently, the volume and volume copying, which are copies, must match.