Windows 10 file system layout

essenbe · 21 Jul 2018

ebergerly said:

Yes, but most home users might not want an exact copy of their operating system, especially if the operating system being corrupt is what's causing the system to crash. Personally, I maintain a second computer with its own operating system that is (hopefully) sufficiently different from the main computer that common mode failures are unlikely. If my main computer fails for some reason, I turn around to my backup computer and it's ready to go. Identical user files, operating system is okay, and I can go ahead immediately and troubleshoot the main computer. No need to manage backup software.

I say this out of experience. I had a system failure, had a compressed/encoded backup file on a separate drive, and couldn't remember when it was backed up, what software was used, etc. A total waste.

If your Operating System becomes corrupt, that is the purpose of making a backup. To fix that.Just restore to a point before it became corrupt. An external hard drive is much cheaper than another computer for having a backup. Not many average users are going to buy 2 computers just to have a backup of their OS. The process of transferring files from 1 computer to another every day sounds like a serious pain. That is especially true if you get a virus and don't realize it yet. Now you will have 2 computers with the virus. I can do a backup and verify it in 9 minutes a couple times a week.

I say this out of experience. I had a system failure, had a compressed/encoded backup file on a separate drive, and couldn't remember when it was backed up, what software was used, etc. A total waste.

How many backup programs do you have on your computer? You don't remember which one you use? Any backup program will only recognize their own files. The backup files have the date they were created. You didn't create the recovery media? Don't blame backups or the program used.

Backups are used regularly by everything from Industry to home users as an accepted method to recover from catastrophic events. I think you are just trying to be a contrarian. But, as @f14tomcat said, it's your computer, run it any way you want to.

ebergerly · 21 Jul 2018

Transferring files every day is simple. I use a free "synchronizing" software. You tell it "copy these files from this drive to this other drive every night at 7pm", and it does that automatically in the background and I don't even notice.

ebergerly · 21 Jul 2018

essenbe said:

If your Operating System becomes corrupt, that is the purpose of making a backup. To fix that.Just restore to a point before it became corrupt. .

Yes, but how do you KNOW when it became corrupt? You don't. You're just guessing.

COMPUTIAC · 21 Jul 2018

ebergerly said:

Yes, but how do you KNOW when it became corrupt? You don't. You're just guessing.

Maybe your way works good for you since you are blessed with two 'puters.

How would you save yourself if you only had one ?

essenbe · 21 Jul 2018

I hope none of those files have a virus in them or ransomware.

ebergerly · 21 Jul 2018

COMPUTIAC said:

Maybe your way works good for you since you are blessed with two 'puters.

How would you save yourself if you only had one ?

Have a second hard drive with a separate OS installed (even Linux). If main computer crashes, plug in the backup OS drive and start up. Or, like I said, get a cheap Raspberry PI.

ebergerly · 21 Jul 2018

essenbe said:

I hope none of those files have a virus in them or ransomware.

But the same applies to the Macrium files.

essenbe · 21 Jul 2018

ebergerly said:

But the same applies to the Macrium files.

No sir it doesn't. I can go back 3 months, if necessary. and restore a backup created before the virus or ransomware was present. I'll be back up and running in 15 minutes.

Bree · 21 Jul 2018

ebergerly said:

Transferring files every day is simple. I use a free "synchronizing" software. You tell it "copy these files from this drive to this other drive every night at 7pm", and it does that automatically in the background and I don't even notice.

I do much the same, except I wrote my own script to do it. I also have File History turned on as a second line of defence.

ebergerly said:

Yes, but how do you KNOW when it became corrupt? You don't. You're just guessing.

I make a full Macrium image of my system while it is known to be good, usually just after installing the latest cumulative update and having checked that it is working well. I keep several of the earlier images as a precaution. Should disaster strike I restore the most recent image, then any more recent files and documents from my backups.

This may seem unnecessary to you, but then you haven't (yet) had a cumulative update 'brick' your PC - I have...

Bree said:

BAD SYSTEM CONFIG INFO - that's a new one on me.
Automatic repair failed, restart in Safe mode failed with the same BSOD. Gave up at that point - Macrium is currently restoring the 17134.165 image from last Tuesday.

Cumulative Update KB4345421 Windows 10 v1803 Build 17134.167 - July 16 - Page 2 - Windows 10 Forums

ebergerly · 21 Jul 2018

Again, it depends on what you're protecting against. If you're worried about a cumulative update causing problems, you can have a separate disk with Win7 or Linux or other OS installed that's ready to go. Unplug the bad system drive, plug in the good one, and you're ready to go. That also protects against hard drive failure, which has happened to me. Or, go on Amazon and buy a cheap second hand computer. Or, a Raspberry PI.

IMO, that's so much nicer than worrying about viruses that you don't know when they infected you, and hard drive failures, and software failures, and so on. And for your important personal folders, synchronize them to a separate hard drive whenever you want. If you're worried that doing it every day won't protect against viruses, then do it every week.

Personally, I much prefer the "plug and go" approach than worrying about running backup software and figuring out how to make all of that work, especially if your computer is a brick and can't do anything.