What Files Backup During an Incremental backup?

[Tomthegeek]

What Files Backup During an Incremental backup?
How can we find out what files are backed up during an incremental Backup?
Does Backup exec System Recovery do Block Level Backups?
The only reason I ask is that we have had a couple of servers (running SBS 2003 and a mix of server 2003/2009) and one desktop (running Windows 7 with XP Mode Enabled take via big incremental's and can not find any reason why?
For the desktop I think the issue is that when the users uses the Virtual Machine the vhd file changes and backup exec backs up all of the vhd file, and not just the changes.
If this is so what can be done to fix this?
 
Another thing i notice is that every time our servers do not shutdown properly (power Outage) the server takes a full backup size incremental. why? and can this be stopped?

[Markus_Koestler]

Afaik BESR takes a volume backup based on blocks/sectors and it includes a file in the backup even when only a single bit is changed. So in case you have 100GB file and only 1 byte is added, then the incremental backup includes the full 100GB+1byte. To be honest I don't think this behaviour can be changed because it's built-in in the product.

Regarding the second issue: Are there any hints in the BESR event log ? How are your schedules for the backup job defined ?

[Tomthegeek]

Thanks for your reply. - what your saying is that every file that is changed is backed up fully?

Looking at the Event Log there is nothing in the event logs to suggest why this is happening. but the strange thing is that when a virtual machine does not shut down properly it does NOT take a full backup size incremental.

The backup Schedules are yearly 

[Markus_Koestler]

What you mean "yearly": Full backups only once a year and no incrementals ?

[criley · Accepted solution]

Regarding this issue:

Another thing i notice is that every time our servers do not shutdown properly (power Outage) the server takes a full backup size incremental. why? and can this be stopped?

There was an issue in earlier versions which was fixed. What version/build do you have (check in Help/About)?