Large incremental backups

Robert, what version of Windows OS are you using on this computer?

There are many reasons why incremental backups may be much larger than expected.

• Windows Updates where new build versions are installed, i.e. Win 10 1909
• Use of disk defragmentation utilities
• Installation of new applications
• Use of disk encryption tools

Your screen image growth in the size of your 3 recent full backup images, i.e. from 378GB to 388GB then to 447GB before the 112GB latest incremental file, which suggests that there are some significant changes taking place.

I've got a related question ... I too have seen where sometimes the incremental is large next to some of the other ones (typically something like 2-5% 'normal' day-to-day, then it will bump up to 20-25%).

I've just finished re-installing ATI2015 so I could mount the backups, I was hoping I would see only the files that were actually backed up in the incrementals, but regardless of which one I mount I see the complete folder structure and all of the files???? So what am I not getting?

Thanks,

Denis.

Dennis, welcome to these public User Forums.

Sorry but there is no method of seeing just the files backed up in any incremental backup.

Bummer, makes trying to figure out what the activity is that is causing so much data to appear new!

Defragging HDDs will cause larger incremental backups when the sector occupied by data is changed (even if the data itself has not changed); behaviour of SSDs is different - the Trim process does not change the sector in which data is located. There is limited defragmentation of SSDs but I cannot say to what extent that involves data being moved to different sectors - it may be less pronounced that is the case with HDDs.

OS updates and driver updates can also cause such bumps.

Ian

it's an external drive, holds only 'user' data ... so must be something I am doing