How do I change the default backup folder in Win7?

Solution 1:

Windows Backup allows you specify what drive to store backup data on. Unfortunately, you cannot change the directory hierarchy. Depending on what edition of Windows 7 you're using, you may have the ability to save to a network location, which could be a shared folder on your machine.

Solution 2:

The only thing I could think of was to use subst and create a virtual disk. I don't know if this is a good idea for backups.

Solution 3:

Solution (workaround!)

I think, you have only one workaround for this problem, because the Windows Backup has not any settings or registry parameters for it.

For more info: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb891959(v=vs.85).aspx

You can use subst command to mount a directory as drive in backuped system and Windows Installer too.

1. Make an auto running script with subst for always present backup drive.
2. Configure Windows Backup to use this drive
3. You are finished on backup site!

At restore:

1. Boot a Windows Installer.
2. Press SHIFT+F10 for catch a command prompt.
3. Re-create the subst mount.
4. Exit from console
5. Start restore process from this drive.
6. Cheers! ;)

Not preferred

Here are some methods what will work for backup, but you can restore files on working system only! Can not use these in Windows Installer / Recovery Partition!

• Localhost network share: You can share a local directory and make backup on local share.

  The Windows Installer environment is not supported make shares, so you can not make same environment for restore. The required services are not available and the net share command will not work!

• VHD file: You can mount a virtual disk image and can use it as backup destination.

  The vhdmount command is not present in installer, so you can not reach your recovery data.

P.S: Any backup are not worth anything, when I can not restore the original state!