Back up not backed up

[Yorky Lass]

I have used the built in Windows 7 back up to back up to my Iomega external hard drive. I have done this before but never previously checked that the files actually updated.
My photos, videos, word docs and spreadsheets are still as they were. Something must have backed up because the Iomega capacity has changed slightly.
Can anyone tell me what I have done wrong.

[MarkRae]

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "still as they are". What were you expecting a backup to do with your original files...?

[Yorky Lass]

I'm expecting changes I've made to be there. Eg photos, letters I've written, updates to spreadsheets I've made after the last back up. Isn't this what a back up is? This is why I'm confused then.

[MarkRae]

> I've made after the last back up.

Changes you've made to files AFTER the last backup won't appear in the backup location until the NEXT backup...

[Yorky Lass]

I'm more confused than ever now. After I backed up tonight ( took about 1 hr) and the changes I mentioned aren't there I backed up again ( took less 5 mins) the changes still aren't there.
All the files are as they were when I backed up before tonight. I expected them to update to a mirror image of my laptops current status.
I presume that for instance any new photo files would transfer to "My Photos" on the external hard drive as they are in "MY Photos" on my laptop, or am I looking in the wrong place?

[squarebear]

Mark is spot on.

Are you thinking that when you change something, it automatically gets backed up to your drive? I doubt your home system is set up that way. A backup is simply a copy of the file at a specific time. If you delete your version, can't access it or accidentally save rubbish over it, you go to your backup and restore it from that date.

It's like taking a photocopy of a photograph. If you then draw a moustache on the original, the copy won't get the moustache as well.

[squarebear]

Try backing up just one file and check that. It sounds like you have a few backups on your disk and are perhaps restoring the wrong one.

[Yorky Lass]

Let me clarify exactly what I have done.
I connected my external hard drive to my laptop and then pressed the back up now icon. The external hard drive had been recognised by the laptop.
It took about 1 hr before the 100% completed bar appeared. So this why I expected all the new photos and videos I have recently downloaded onto the laptop to now be on the external hard drive.

[squarebear]

And what does the external hard drive contain? Have you tried to restore from it or just looked on there yourself? I don't use Win 7 backup but would imagine it makes a few datafiles for use in a restore rather than just copying the files like for like.

[Yorky Lass]

Squarebear, how do I backup just one file? Just drag it over? I'd thought about that but thought it would mean I would have to remember all the changes I did and I wanted it to be automatic.

[squarebear]

This is just to test it.

When you choose backup, does it ask what you want to backup? Surely, you don't want to be backing up your entire hard drive every time?

[Yorky Lass]

My external hard contains everything on my laptop. All my docs, photos, music etc. If I open it it looks exactly the same as the laptop, that's why I know the latest photos and videos aren't there.

[squarebear]

When you choose backup, is there an option to override files that already exist. If you have old backups on there, the job might say to itself, "well that exists, I won't bother redoing that one".

The only way to really check is to back up one file and see what happens to the file on the disk. Does it have the date you backed it up or one from your last backup?

[Yorky Lass]

The last back up date is showing as 30.9.12 to 2.11.12. I can only see the back up now option nothing to select individual files. There must be something I am doing wrong.
I have tried draging a file over from laptop to external hard drive and that worked. So at least I can do it that way if necessary. Thank for your help so far.

[squarebear]

Do you have any restore option? Rename a file you have altered to something like doc1_save.doc and then try restoring it. Does it have your changes on it?

[Yorky Lass]

Sorry Squarebear you have totally lost me now. I'm useless at this technical stuff.