Trying to Understand Backup/Recover/Restore Options

retexan599 · 18 Nov 2018

New to Windows 10, wanting to set up my backup routine(s). Although I have had Windows systems in the past( 95, XP, Vista, 8.1) still not quite understanding what the various backup options provide. What I have done:

Activated File History to an external hard drive.
Created a Restore Point.
Created a 'System Image Backup' using the Windows 10 native procedure [to the same external hard drive].
Created a 'Windows Backup' using the procedure in Control Panel| System and Security| Backup and Restore (Windows 7). [to the same external hard drive].
Created an emergency Recovery Drive on a USB stick.

I have read the tutorials on these subjects and cannot get my head around all these options. I do understand the 'File History' only backs up my files and not any programs, etc. But what is the difference between #2, #3, and #4 above? Especially between #3 and #4?

I have read the various posts recommending using a 3rd party solution such as Macrium, but before I got that route I wonder if I am not adequately covered by the native Windows 10 options.

Any help appreciated.

John
P.S. BTW, in all those years I have been fortunate never to have had to do even a Restore from a Restore Point.

dalchina · 18 Nov 2018

Assuming you are using Backup and Restore (Windows 7) MS now recommends you use 3rd party solutions.
Many here prefer Macrium Reflect (free). Much more robust, documented, supported and updated regularly.

Disk imaging can give you a set of files representing a compressed copy of the used part of the partitions or disks selected. (These should be saved to external storage).

Thus is something goes wrong- and even if your disk fails- you can recover hopefully without technical help in a short time.

However, whilst these also act as full backups, the frequency with which such disk images is updated may not be adequate for you.

Thus for more critical data, yo may wish to adopt a further strategy, whether this be File History (to be replaced by Timeline) or a 3rd party backup.

The latter could be to a cloud server; disk imaging, because of the large file sizes, can only be saved to the cloud if you have extremely high upload speeds.

System Restore: is turned off by default after most upgrade or clean install procedures. It often fails to restore successfully.