With Microsoft's recent updates, they deliberately screwed the traditional Windows 7 backup because they are trying to push a new, invasive system of back up.
After this last round of updates, Windows 7 backup will not run an any of my Internet computer, not even on a virgin install of the lastestest Windows 11.
So, I switched to EaseUS free, and it has no problem with any OS in this computer.
I backed up 2 of my 3 on an external drive, which I put in a drawer, and the same 2 on the remaining OS on this puter.
So, while the Net is giving you a maybe this or a maybe that or some other shit, it is a deliberate move by Microsoft.
So, they can go fuck their backup system.
Since I do not depend on updates on my other systems, it will still work fine.