How To Backup Widows 7 including OS+Software installed but without private data?

[marcio.ligi]

Hi there! I'm new to Veeam.
I need To Backup a Widows 7 PC (ready with all software) including OS+Software installed but without private data all in a ISO image.
This to have an iso image ready when I need to set up PC for a new employee, with all needed software. I would make a backup from a ready PC owned by another employee, but I don't need to backup all his personal data, files and folders.
I have installed Veeam Agent for Windows, so basically from my understanding I have to firstly create a job and select the first option, which backs up entire PC, then I go on select folder, device etc, then it creates an ISO file.
But it doesn't let me exclude personal data and folders? like whatever is on desktop, or documents etc... I won't need all of that, also I won't need any user or maybe only the admin user on that PC, but maintaining all windows and network settings.
Would this be possible?
In alternative I could use the 3rd option, File level backup, but in this way it won't include the OS with all related configurations right?
How can I do? What do you recommend?

Thanks

[HannesK]

Hello,
if you want to do bare metal restore, then you need to back up "entire PC" or at least "operating system" (file based backup)

If the personal files are located on drive C:\, then block based backup cannot exclude these folders.

Various exclusion options are described in https://www.veeam.com/kb3236

In alternative I could use the 3rd option, File level backup, but in this way it won't include the OS with all related configurations right?

correct, if you files are on c:\ drive. For other drives, see options in KB3226

How can I do? What do you recommend?

I would set up a clean Windows 7 or just back up everything and delete after restore. Thinking about file exclusions sounds too complex for me

Best regards,
Hannes

[Regnor]

With that way you won't be able to create a clean image for deployments; or at least I wouldn't want to use it. You'll have many leftovers or orphaned files and settings. And if you master client has any problems you'll distribute them to other clients.

I would setup a fresh installation with all necessary software and sysprep it afterwards. You won't be able to create a Veeam backup from a syspreped machine so you'll have to use something else for imaging (like clonezilla).
If you really want to use Veeam for that task then backup the clean master, deploy it via ISO and then sysprep it afterwards.

By the way why would you want to deploy Windows 7? It's EOL and doesnt receive any updates.

[marcio.ligi]

Ok I'm quite a newbie to this, so I will have to make the image based on a windows 7 PC because the PC with all software I need has windows 7, then I will eventually upgrade to Windows 10, but firstly I want to make a copy of this PC where windows 7 is.
And pardon but what the hell is sysprep?

[marcio.ligi]

Anyway the private data are usually located in C drive right? Like Users folder for instance, that is in C, and in each user folder you'll have Pics, desktop, documents etc, so if with Veeam I do a bare metal backup, will that include Users folder as well?
If that won't be the case I might do a bare metal.

[Regnor]

Sysprep is the tool from Microsoft which you use in order to prepare a Windows installation/image for deployment. If you plan to use the image in an Active Directory environment than you should use ist: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/window ... ure-deploy

The backup will include all files of your client; so either you clean it up infront of the backup or you'll need to setup the exclusions as Hannes wrote.

[marcio.ligi]

Ok thanks, so on the Microsoft website I have checked the Sysprep, it seems that "Microsoft-based operating systems have long used security identifiers (SIDs) that are uniquely generated and assigned to each computer as part of the initial setup of Windows. Each time you install Windows, a SID is given to that particular installation. If there’s more than one computer with the same SID on the same network, then this could cause problems."
So in this case I will need the backup image to be installed on other PCs, in this case if I use the bare metal backup of Veeam will I have problems with the SID if I install the backup on other machines? I'm afraid there could be problems with the licenses.
Instead of Veeam would you recommend using Windows Sysprep?
Thanks

[marcio.ligi]

"This is where the SID duplication issue becomes critical. Cloning a computer that’s either physical or virtual without regenerating the SID as part of the cloning process is not supported by Microsoft. If you’re unsure whether you’re using computers with duplicate SIDs, you can use the PsGetSid tool by Microsoft Sysinterals.

To fix this issue, Microsoft created the System Preparation tool or “Sysprep.” This tool can be used to remove system-specific information from the OS so that it can be used for imaging to multiple devices. Although other tools exist that claim to do similar things, Sysprep is the only tool that’s supported by Microsoft for this purpose." Indeed

[marcio.ligi]

What if I do sysprep and then use a bare metal backup with Veeam? That should work?

[marcio.ligi]

I would prepare a WIndows PC with no private data at this point and then sysprep and use Veeam to Bare metal backup, would that work if I install it on a new PC? Or I will have issue with Windows SID still?

[Regnor]

You won't be able to run a backup after sysprep. With sysprep Windows will reboot to the Out of box experience (OOBE), which is the inital setup after you install Windows or receive a new PC.
I would suggest that you prepare the Windows PC, make a backup and after you restore it to the next PC you run the sysprep.

[marcio.ligi]

Ah ok! so I don't need to sysprep before backup on the original PC, but on the new PC after having restored the backup? is it correct?
And again my questsion is: can I still do this with Veeam Agent for WIndows (Bare Metal Backup)? or sysprep won't work there and I have to use MDT?

[marcio.ligi]

On the Windows website it says you have to sysprep the PC you want to backup, then back it up and create an image to deploy to new PCs, when the new PC boots from ISO image backup OOBE screen should appear.
So not vice versa as you said to run sysprep on the new PCs?

<If the System Preparation Tool window is still open, click Generalize, click Shutdown, and then click OK to generalize the image and shut down the PC.

-or-

Use Sysprep from Command Prompt. Run %WINDIR%\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe to open the System Preparation Window. You can also use the Sysprep command together with the /generalize, /shutdown, and /oobe options. See Sysprep command-line options to see available options.

Copy
%WINDIR%\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /generalize /shutdown /oobe
Note

If you are generalizing a VHD that will be deployed as a VHD on the same virtual machine or hypervisor, use the /mode:vm option with the Sysprep command-line.

The computer generalizes the image and shuts down.

After the computer shuts down, capture your image with DISM.

Deploy this image to a reference computer. When the reference computer boots, it displays the OOBE screen.>

[Regnor]

The problem is, that Veeam can only create backups when you're logged on the running computer. Sysprep on the other hand will shutdown the computer, so Veeam won't be able to create a backup. You would need a boot CD to create a backup of the system; Veeam doesn't have this capability.
So thats why you I would do the sysprep after the deployment/restore.

[marcio.ligi]

Ok I understand, to me the Veeam bare metal backup seems more straight forward than MDT, I would rather use veeam.
So hopefully the sysprep will work when I will boot from my external HD where I will put the ISO image.
Then I guess when you restore the backup on the new PC you can do it from inside Windows by installing Veeam there as well and then >restore from external drive, or either boot directly before Windows on the new PC starts from the ISO on the external drive correct?

[Regnor]

For a system or bare metal restore you will have to use/boot the Veeam Recovery Media.

[marcio.ligi]

Ok thanks a lot, so I install Veeam on the new PC as well where I will upload the backup and then I use Veeam Recovery Media from inside Windows. Before that I do sysprep, clear.

[Dima P.]

Hello folks,

We have a dedicated article Using Sysprep and Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows in case you need to keep Veeam Agent for Windows running after new machine is deployed from the backup