Hi,

 

Apologies for possibly an over-wordy lead up to my question but I did not want to leave out any relevant factors.

 

I have an HP DC7900 SFF Core 2 refurbished Windows 7 (fully updated) desktop computer which has been running reliably since first purchased in December 2013. It has the following partitions on its internal 160 GB SATA hard drive:

 

Partition: *:RECOVERY; File System: NTFS; Capacity: 11.72 GB; Used: 6.00 GB; Unused; 5.78 GB; Status: None; Type: Primary.

Partition: *:SYSTEM; File System: NTFS; Capacity: 300.00 MB; Used: 40.69 MB; Unused; 259.31 MB; Status: System; Type: Primary.

Partition: C:WINDOWS; File System: NTFS; Capacity: 67.69 GB; Used: 50.74 GB; Unused; 16.95 GB; Status: Boot; Type: Primary.

Partition: Personal; File System: NTFS; Capacity: 69.34 GB; Used: 23.21 GB; Unused; 46.13 GB; Status: None; Type: Primary.

 

In today's terms, the hard drive is rather small but my file management regime in moving older data files and backups to external storage etc. means the capacity is adequate for day to day running of my system although I may consider increasing the capacity some day. I also do a system image backup to an external USB HDD of partitions C and P before and after every Windows update - the very oldest and superfluous backups are deleted.

 

Among the folders on the C partition is one named 'BACKUP_REPAIR' which, at 17.5 GB in size, is a significant proportion of the total used capacity. The folder dates to when the computer was first acquired and the sub-folders inside, other than 'Program Files' and 'Program Data' have similar or even earlier dates. The two program related sub-folders have a September 2017 date although the files and sub-folders inside all seem to have much earlier dates that match with the computer acquisition date or earlier. My questions then are: what is the purpose of this folder, is it essential and could it safely be deleted?

My Windows 7 machine doesn't have that BACKUP_REPAIR directory. I believe that folder gets created when you repair your Windows installation. Windows creates a backup which it can revert to if the repair app doesn't work. Do you remember doing anything with it in September 2017?

 

I'd go ahead and delete it, especially if you're doing image backups. What are you using for the imaging?

Hi Tony,

 

Thanks for your speedy reply. It is possible that I did run a repair installation back last September - I vaguely remember there may have been some issues relating to a Windows update at that time so that could explain the folder. I will delete it because the extra storage gained would be useful.

 

I use the free version of Macrium Reflect for the imaging. I have used it for years and it has got me out of a hole more than once. I used to use the older versions with a Linux based live recovery disc but that option is no longer available so now I use a WinPE live recovery disc. The initial setting up of the WinPE disc was quite a lengthy process but once that was done, subsequent updates of WinPE are fairly quick. I have two recovery discs and when there is an update of WinPE, I burn the new version to the older of the discs. I've tried Easeus ToDo backup and a version of Acronis but now stick with Macrium Reflect because it does all I want it to do, is simple to use and has a straightforward, user friendly interface. If anything goes wrong with my deletion of BACKUP_REPAIR, I have the option of restoring it from the Macrium Reflect image file as the file can be opened as a virtual drive allowing traditional cut, copy and paste or drag and drop to manipulate folders and files. Other programs are possibly equally good why change from something with which I am confident with in use?

 

Thanks again for your help, I've learnt a bit from your reply and feel confident to proceed.

 

Regards, Kick.

now stick with Macrium Reflect

That's one of the applications we have listed in our Recommended Software page. So you should be good with that. If you have a spare hard drive, consider creating a backup spare that you can put in the machine to verify the software is working.

Hi Tony,

 

Wow, the marvels of the internet, here's me in Dorset in the south of the UK and you in south east Pennsylvania, USA and you've sorted a problem for me and we've had a chat about image backup software all part of an afternoon over here and presumably a morning where you are!

 

I don't have a spare hard drive but I did test Macrium Reflect on my Windows 7 system towards the end of last year. I had got to the point where I was considering a reinstallation as a last resort after more Windows update problems - these were irritating but did not make the computer unusable. I then thought, I'll try restoring from a Macrium Reflect image file. Macrium did its job perfectly

(although the problems were still there as I had not realised the image file had been created after the onset of the problems - fortunately Microsoft issued a fix soon after, when they eventually accepted the issue was of their making, and I was able to remove the problems). I have also used Macrium Reflect on my old dual boot XP desktop to successfully restore both XP in the C partition and Puppy Linux Precise 5.7.1 on a partition reserved for that operating system.

 

Regarding my original issue, I have now deleted the BACKUP_REPAIR folder - the pie chart illustration of the C partition certainly looks a lot healthier now so I may even be able to move a bit of space from C to my data partition P. I found deleting BACKUP_REPAIR while in Windows 7 a bit of a pain re: permissions etc. so booted up the desktop from a live Puppy OB-Precise memory stick. This allowed me to delete it with no hassle.

 

Thanks and cheers, Kick.

Thanks for the update.

I found deleting BACKUP_REPAIR while in Windows 7 a bit of a pain re: permissions etc. so booted up the desktop from a live Puppy OB-Precise memory stick. This allowed me to delete it with no hassle.

Good deal. Keep that memory stick handy.