PB
If you are doing a total image of the OS partition it will take up the same amount as the OS partition before compression. Compression may reduce the size by~ 25%
For example
Your os partition is 40 gigs the image would be ~30 gigs.
How much space will an average system image will take up?
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Anonymous
I am planning to buy an external hard drive so I can store my system image on it in case my computer fails. I just want to know how much will an average system image takes up if you have a few programs worth about 20 GB.
Windows for home | Other | Performance and system failures
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Anonymous
2013-08-19T19:12:24+00:00
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Anonymous
2013-08-19T20:31:52+00:00 I am planning to buy an external hard drive so I can store my system image on it in case my computer fails. I just want to know how much will an average system image takes up if you have a few programs worth about 20 GB.
Look at your computer's hard drive in the Windows GUI. How much space is it taking up? Everything you want to back up. Now ASSUME there will be no compression and you will need 25% more space than it shows being taken up and purchase a drive appropriately.
I suggest just buying a 1TB or 2TB external hard drive (or somewhere in-between). You can backup your system and still use any extra space to make backups of your individual files on a daily basis as well as just have the space. After all - when you can get 1TB for less than 75 to 100 USD and sometimes get 1.5TB and 2TB drives for the same... Why would you try to get 'just enough' when it doesn't cost you that much more (if any) to get 'more than you need'.
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Anonymous
2013-08-25T16:18:59+00:00 Thank you very much for your advice. You really presented strong points.
-PB
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Anonymous
2013-08-25T15:46:34+00:00 Internally, I have a 250 GB hard drive. But, because of other files, total is 223 GB. I now have left 178 GB left.
So you have a 250GB physical hard drive - which means formatted space (because of base-2 vs base-10 math and which the marketing department uses vs. what the operating systems use, not because of "other files") would be about 232.83GB - give or take for manufacturer differences. So the largest you would ever need for your system image would be a 250GB external hard drive. Right now you'd likely need less than 70GB.
My suggestion still remains the same - overbuy. Space is inexpensive and the price differences between a pretty large jump can be insignificant - especially when planning for the future.
A quick glance at a popular pricing website (not sales) shows the following:
89.99 - usb 1.5tb
64.99 - usb 1tb
59.98 - usb 750gb
69.95 - usb 640gb
49.99 - usb 500gb
54.95 - usb 400gb
49.95 - usb 320gb
44.95 - usb 250gb
So for just 20 USD more, you quadruple the amount of space you get. Or, another way of looking at it... for about 55% more cash, you get 300% more space. ;-)
So it is up to you. Your system image will not take up MORE space than you have used all together.
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Anonymous
2013-08-19T22:22:32+00:00 Personally, do you think a 250 GB or 750 GB or something like that will be enough for a backup like a system image and other individual files?