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Incremental or Differential Restore

Note: The following information applies only to tape backup. If you are asked to erase the staging folder and you are not using tape backup, click on 'Yes' and continue.


Whenever you back up files with a tape backup utility you have a choice of four different methods to select which files should be backed up:

  • Normal: Backs up all files. Each file is marked to indicate that it has been backed up.
  • Copy: Backs up all files, but does not mark any as backed up.
  • Incremental: Backs up each file if it was not marked (typically since the last normal backup). Each backed up file is marked to indicate that it has been backed up.
  • Differential: Backs up each file if it was not marked (typically since the last incremental backup). The mark is not changed.

The backup mark (sometimes called the “archive bit”) is removed any time a file is modified for any reason.

During the interview U-Move may detect that the staging folder already contains Windows files that were previously loaded from another backup. U-Move needs to know if you are trying to merge files from an incremental or differential backup.

U-Move will ask if you want to erase the files in staging folder. If you intend to load from a single backup media answer “Yes”. U-Move will erase the old files from the folder. The files will be replaced by the new files from the backup media.

If you are using incremental or differential backups, answer “No” and see the next section.

Incremental or Differential Restore

To perform an incremental or differential restore of Active Directory use the following procedure:

  1. Run U-Move. Insert the backup media for the latest full normal or copy backup. Click the Extract button to load the initial AD files to an empty staging folder.
  2. Insert the first incremental backup that was taken after the normal/copy backup. Click the Extract button again to merge the changed AD files into the staging folder.
  3. Repeat step 2 with each subsequent incremental backup, from oldest to newest.
  4. Insert the latest differential backup (if any) that was taken after the last normal or incremental backup. Click the Extract button again to merge the remaining changed files into the staging folder.

After you have loaded all the necessary backups you can continue. Click Next and proceed to the end of the interview. On the last page click the Finish button.