Windows 7 Backup and Restore question

I was running Backup and Restore last night to an external usb drive when my laptop froze. The backup got to 12%.

Should I just run Backup and Restore again now, or do I need to erase the external drive first? I thought I read somewhere that Backup and Restore has some strange file process, so I'm wondering if the freeze would screw up a new backup, if I don't erase the external drive first?

 

First I would look in event viewer to figure out why the backup process failed. I would recommend formating the USB device assuming you do not have any other data on it other than the failed backup. If it fails again try the free version of Paragon 2012.

 

Thanks for the reply. I don't really know how to interpret the results of Event Viewer, but all of these events happened around at the same time that I think my computer froze. I know that one of the results refers to Microsoft Office, but I think the error might have been due to Steam, since Windows Action Center gave me some error message about Steam after I did a hard reset, and I had just updated Steam earlier in the evening.

Is your suggestion still the same? Reformat my external usb drive?

Microsoft-Windows-WER/Diagnostics/Operational
Microsoft-Windows-Reliability-Analysis-Engine/Operational
Microsoft-Windows-NlaSvc/Operational
Microsoft-Windows-Kernal-Power/Thermal-Operational
Microsoft-Windows-Fault-Tolerant-Heap/Operational
Microsoft Office Alerts

 

I would just try running the backup again (I remember it happened to me once (just once) long back), and I just ran the backup again without erasing the external drive, and it just worked.. I could never figure out why the laptop froze during the backup, and event viewer didn't shed any light on it as well.

So, just try running the backup again (and yes, format the external drive if you don't have any other data, as JOSEA mentioned)..

For the event viewer, you should see a window like this, and in the center section 'application', look for anything that says "errors"...



You could also take a look at "system" from the left panel

 

I would add when I do a backup or image to an external hard drive I always run it 'stand alone'. It may not be absolutely necessary with windows 7 but I have never had an issue running one. If you do not reformat the external drive; check out what is on the drive and delete the partial image file.

 

Delete windowsimagebackup foleder from hard drive then rerun backup