Two Simple Ways to Run an Incremental Copy in Windows

Regular backups are essential to prevent data loss from accidental shutdowns, hard drive failure, or virus attacks. While full backups copy all your data, they can be inefficient for users who frequently add or modify files. Continuous full backups take up significant time and storage space.

Incremental backups, however, are more efficient. Unlike differential backups, which copy data changed since the last full or incremental backup, they only copy data changed since the last full backup. This makes incremental backups faster and more storage-efficient.

How to create an incremental backup in Windows with ease

Here are 2 quick guides on how to make an incremental copy in Windows. Preview them and then choose the one that works best for you.

#1: Use the freeware to perform a Windows incremental backup

AOMEI Backupper Standard makes up for the shortcomings of Windows Backup successfully. It features strong stability. Almost all data can be backed up with this utility. By using it, you are allowed to backup the system/disk/partition/file to an internal/external hard drive, NAS device, and network.

AOMEI Backupper

Easy Free Incremental Backup Software

• Snapshots of Changed Files: Only changed or newly added files are backed up, based on the last full or incremental backup.

• Efficient Storage: Data that hasn't changed is not backed up, reducing both backup time and storage space compared to full backups.

• Sequential Relationship: Incremental backups are made in a time sequence, with each backup depending on the previous one.

• Recovery Flexibility: Data can be restored to any specific incremental backup state.

Download Freeware
Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7

100% Secure

Optional compression and splitting settings free up more disk space. Best of all, anyone can download it free!  Take system backup as an example to explore this freeware.

Step 1. Install and open this freeware.

Step 2. Click Backup to choose System Backup.

Step 3. Modify the Task Name as you wish. Then, click the second box and select a destination path to store the backup image.

Step 4. Click Schedule Backup to set up the frequency for automatic backup (daily, weekly, monthly), and it will run in Incremental Backup by default.

Step 5. Click Start Backup to run the backup.

#2: Use Windows Backup and Restore to get an incremental copy

Windows 7 Backup and Restore is a Windows built-in service that can realize incremental backups using scheduled backups. Let’s see how it works.

Step 1. Open the Control Panel from the Start menu.

Step 2. Click Back up your computer under System and Security.

Step 3. Click Set up Backup to get started.

Step 4. Choose where to save the image file.

Step 5. Choose what to backup by clicking Let Windows Choose or Let Me Choose.

Step 6. Select the data you want to back up. Then click Next.

Step 7. Change the schedule settings as you like and then click Save settings and run backup to get an incremental backup in Windows 7.

★Tips:

 The above steps also apply to incremental backup in Windows 10.

 If you want to explore the command line, you can use WBadmin to enable the backup command.

Usage Limitation

After setting up a scheduled backup, Windows Backup will run as an incremental backup by default. However, it is reported that Windows Backup often goes wrong during creating a new incremental backup. Sometimes you may even end up with no backup at all.

Besides, before scheduling backups you should also pay attention to Windows 7 Backup limitations, for instance, some specific files cannot be backed up. To keep your data safe and break these limits, the AOMEI Backupper Standard is highly recommended.

FAQs about Windows Incremental Copy

Summary

This article contains two easy ways to perform an incremental copy in Windows. I suggest you use the AOMEI Backupper Standard because it is safer and simpler. Also, this freeware offers you more advanced options. More pleasing, it also can be used to create a block-level incremental backup.