How much space needed for full backup with Windows 7

Most, if not all your data is usually found in your User folder.

1. Computer
2. Double-click C:
3. Double-click Users
4. Right-click on your User account, choose Properties

You will then see an estimate.

If you have other users on your system, you will need to repeat the procedure to get the size of their storage.  Add them together.

USB thumb drives are not a great place to put a backup.  They are much less reliable and slower than using an external USB connected hard drive.  After you have an estimate of the space you need, you can buy yourself the appropriate size.  Best advice is to buy much bigger than you currently need because your need is very likely to grow.

Most, if not all your data is usually found in your User folder.

1. Computer
2. Double-click C:
3. Double-click Users
4. Right-click on your User account, choose Properties

You will then see an estimate.

Thanks so much!  That explains in a nutshell what I've spent waaaayyyyy too much time trying to chase down on my own.  If you're not teaching this you ought to be cause you know how to say it straight and fast.  Bob Quarteroni

Rob

Not even close to being accurate.  For example my Users folder is ~7 gigs.  My "C" partition contains 66gigs.  When you do a "full" backup you want to backup the OS as well as the data (thats what full means)/  My backup of the 66Gig partition is 45 gigs which is 5 times the user folder

RQ

It needs about the same (slightly less) as the OS partition so if your OS partition is 40 gigs you will need ~35 for the backup