Incremental Image and Deletions

[zugzwang]

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Suppose I:
1. Use Acronis True Image (et al) to create a (full) disk image of my
C drive.
2. Then delete some directories, delete some other files, and remove
some registry entries (Win XP).
3. Then create an incremental disk image (intended to capture what
has changed since last full disk image).
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Can the full disk image + incremental disk image be used on a blank hard disk with the result "mirroring" the original disk re deleted registry entries, files, directories? My guess would be registry yes (since that is presumably a changed file) and others no. Does this imply that true mirroring can't be done via incrementals?

 

[IGotTheMondays]

I don't understand why you would want to delete files/entries after you do a full image. You can do the full image and then use an image explorer to delete files. I know this doesn't help the topic at all but I'm just curious.

 

[zugzwang]

File or directory deletions between the (full) disk image backup and incremental are inevitable. Would like to restore using the full image + incremental, with the result mirroring the original's state at the time of the incremental.

Suspect that deletion considerations imply that result would not be a mirror. However, I also suspect that this common concern will lead to (incremental) image backup software becoming more sophisticated, so that (eventually) file and directory deletions will be regarded by this software as "file list changes" and "directory structure changes".

What I'm really asking is: has this sophistication occurred yet?