Difference between file backup and image backup?

File backup

A file backup creates a backup of files and folders, or even complete drives with the files they contain. All files are copied individually to the backup medium and can be restored from there at any time by the user without additional software.

The backed up files are stored in a folder on the backup. The advantage of a file backup is that the backup program itself searches out which files are new or have changed since the last backup. Without the user having to laboriously search for all new files, the backup tool can automatically recognize all changed or newly added files and copy them to the backup medium.

Image backup

An image backup, however, copies a complete partition and thus all bits and bytes on a hard disk partition.

An image backup is performed more quickly if a complete partition is backed up. When restoring, the complete partition is restored or the image is mounted as a drive in the Windows workstation. In this way, individual files and folders can be restored from the image backup. An image backup can also be used to reinstall the operating system after a system crash. To do this, the PC must be booted using a bootable emergency medium.

An image backup is suitable for backing up the data of the entire computer in order to restore a quick backup in the event of operating system problems. With an image backup, even crashed servers can be made available again within a short time. However, if you have bought a new computer, it is better to reinstall the operating system and the software used from the original CD instead of importing it from a previously backed up image. If necessary, software downloaded from the Internet can be downloaded from the manufacturer and freshly installed. The advantage is that you get an unfragmented, fresh system that runs faster and is free of viruses and malware.

Conclusion: The self-created and collected data, i.e. your own files and downloads, should be backed up with a file backup - this is the standard data backup mode for Langmeier Backup software. The operating system partition C: is backed up using the image backup. In Langmeier Backup the image backup is also called hard disk image backup. Read here how to create an image backup of the entire Windows operating system.