"System image" backup wants to copy a large chunk of C drive. I just want to backup the Windows system and programs, not user files. Choosing backup settings one can choose which files but not exactly all the system and program files and if I check the box "include system image", it wants to copy the entire drive as well. The 1TB drive has 780GB of TV recordings, so I can't figure out how a system image could be 400GB. Windows folder is 15GB. Program folders total 8GB. I found an option for Window to manage image history, which said it could reduce the image backup to 290GB. But it didn't work. Is the only way I can do this to keep system and programs on one partition and all user data on a separate partition? Is there something easier? Does an XP mode virtual disk do strange things to system images??

The Windows image backup will make an image for the whole system partition. This behavior is by design. If you want to just backup the system into an image, you can refer the following article to capture the system into a *.wim file. Meantime you should make a WinPE startup drive in order to deploy the system image. Step-by-Step: Basic Windows Deployment for IT ProfessionalsPlease remember to click Mark as Answer on the post that helps you, and to click Unmark as Answer if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.