Windows Backup says not enough space, but I do!

Howdy. While I use Macs, I got this windows 7 laptop that I have hooked up to my TV and basically use as a media center.

Its internal HD is 320gb's. I never backed it up before so I took an external 500gb HD to use for that....freshly formatted NTFS
I assume Windows Backup is just windows version of Time Machine. I set it to back up system plus files.

I thought the process was taking a long time so I let it go overnight. When I got up it told me there was not enough space!! wtf??

Ah, the annoying windows os strikes.

Anybody know why 'cloning' 320gb onto 500gb's of free space is making windows bust my balls here?

Thanks

edit: The only thing I can think of is when In formatted the drive I kept the 'allocation unit size' to default. I'm assuming this is maybe block size...choices are from 16k to 8192k. Maybe this is the reason? Whats the default size? What should it be set to?

Screw it. Just googled this issue. Everyone has same issue with windows backup. The answer to the problem is that windows update sucks and you can't use it. That's why we use Macs!!

Maybe I can just get it to back up my files only without going t*ts up.

PS, windows blows. It can play a movie, that's about it and thats all I use it for

I get you..RTFM, right?

Problem is I'm use to the intuitiveness of Mac and windows, otoh, gives you a billion preferences and control panels for even what should be the simplest procedures. Hell, even the preferences and control panels have prefs & control panels...and THEY have prefs and control panels!! Its infuriating to say the least.

So, by reading thru some rather obscure windows help files and watching some videos on backing up, I think I sorted it out (almost).

Yes, what I did was create a system image as you said, then I also made a backup partition for just my files. The system image, of course, is set in stone, which is fine as I don't really change my system much outside of the usual windows updates and such. Just having a fairly recent copy is fine for me.

One thing had me scratching my head though. Using Windows Backup, I used the option that says I decide what to backup. So I was puzzled that they have a "My Files" which supposedly contains all the places I collected files. That's all fine and understandable. But below that they also have the choice to select the C drive which if you expand that, it also has all the places listed that contain my files!

So for example, under "My Files", it'll have say, 'desktop' (where I do keep a lot of stuff in my case), but also under "C Drive", it ALSO has an option to check off my desktop.

And there's no bloody explanation as to why you're apparently given two places to check things off where files might reside that you want to save!

I mean, for heavens sake, with Mac you turn on Time Machine and *boom*, its all done. With windows you have to crawl through a bloody maze just to do a simple backup. And I'm not crazy about their file hierarchy as well in the first place

Anywho, think I figured why it said there wasn't enough space. Because having chosen the "Let windows Decide" backup option, it apparently not only wants to backup the entire C drive, but also create a system image as well...which in effect would double the space needed on the backup drive. IOW, 300gb goes into 500gb. 300+300gb won't.