Windows 7 Backup problem error "not enough space on the external drive to do a system image. "

Question

I am having a problem doing a backup to an external hard drive. The backup tool says there is not enough space on the external drive to do a system image. But when I go into the options and uncheck the box to create a system image, the size it gives for the backup does not decrease. I've tried restarting the computer, but it still has the same problem. It seems to be stuck with a backup size of 308 GB even though I have turned off the system image. How do I get it to recalculate how much space a backup will take after I change the settings?

Answer 1

Hi Steven,

It is possible that the size of the system image getting created is more than the free space you are having. Refer to the below mentioned link on system image back up and check if this helps.

http://blogs.technet.com/filecab/archive/2009/10/31/learn-more-about-system-image-backup.aspx

You can also check if you are getting any errors in the Event viewer. To open event viewer follow the below mentioned steps:

1. Click the Startbutton then click Control Panel in thisclick System and Maintenance.
2. Now click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Event Viewer.‌ If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
3. Click an event log in the left pane.

Double-click an event to view the details of the event.

If the hard disk does not have enough space, then I will suggest you to use disk clean up utility to delete the files that are not essential to you :  Delete files using Disk Cleanup

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

One thing I found NOT on Microsoft website is some programs like bitdefender internet security decreases your system reserved partition.  You may try extending your system partition and that may eliminate the error.  As for the size not changing,  that also may have something to do with some of these programs like bitdefender that decrease your system partition and may be creating conflict you may not see.

Answer 3

Yes and no.  Their stuff is great as far as lasting for a long time however to fix one,  that gets complicated.  I had a customer with a MacBook Air from 2009 that had the nvidia graphic chip that was integrated with the RAM.  Unfortunately her PC was no longer recognizing ram was installed.  Apples answer was a new logic board which they won't fix for that old of a machine and a used working one was expensive.  I was able to repair it but apple tends to do things cheaply or make it impossible to fix so you have to buy new.  I do not recommend trying to fix an iPad 4!