Formatting Ext Hard Drive for System Image

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  1. Gregory Douglas
    Posts : 6
    Windows 10 pro 64-bit
       New #1

    Formatting Ext Hard Drive for System Image


    I'm using Windows 10 version 1909. If I want to make a system image, can I format the external drive using NTFS, FAT32 or exFAT? Do all three formats work?
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  3. ignatzatsonic
    Posts : 2,487
    Windows 10 Home, 64-bit
       New #2

    FAT32 isn't likely to accept a file the size of a typical image file.

    I think Exfat would work, but the simplest thing is to just use NTFS as you probably do for your Windows drive.

    What are you going to use to make the image? I hope something other than the Windows tool.
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  4. f14tomcat
    Posts : 56,831
    Multi-boot Windows 10/11 - RTM, RP, Beta, and Insider
       New #3

    I hope it's Macrium, or equivalent. Not the Windows Native old Win 7 backup.

    Macrium Software | Macrium Reflect Free

    NTFS for sure with images of this size, multi gig. (Mine is 28GB compressed to 16GB)
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  6. Samuria
    Posts : 8,111
    windows 10
       New #4

    You know your version is out of support soon
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  7. f14tomcat
    Posts : 56,831
    Multi-boot Windows 10/11 - RTM, RP, Beta, and Insider
       New #5

    Might be why he wants to get a good backup, prior to any upgrade. Smart move.
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  8. NavyLCDR
    Posts : 18,432
    Windows 11 Pro
       New #6

    If you really want to get fancy, make about a 2 GB FAT32 partition at the front and put your recovery software there, followed by an NTFS partition for the rest of the drive. Then you can just boot the computer from the same external hard drive and recover the image, all from the same drive.
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  9. Gregory Douglas
    Posts : 6
    Windows 10 pro 64-bit
    Thread Starter
       New #7

    f14tomcat said:
    I hope it's Macrium, or equivalent. Not the Windows Native old Win 7 backup.

    Macrium Software | Macrium Reflect Free

    NTFS for sure with images of this size, multi gig. (Mine is 28GB compressed to 16GB)
    I see Macrium Reflect 7 Free Edition comes in two flavors: Home Use & Business Use. What's the difference?
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  10. f14tomcat
    Posts : 56,831
    Multi-boot Windows 10/11 - RTM, RP, Beta, and Insider
       New #8

    Gregory Douglas said:
    I see Macrium Reflect 7 Free Edition comes in two flavors: Home Use & Business Use. What's the difference?
    Home use is FREE, business use is a subscription. You would want the plain vanilla Home Free. The page the link goes to is kinda crammed with offers you can ignore, just download the Free edition, more than adequate for a starter. It can be upgraded later, if desired.
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  12. AndreTen
    Posts : 30,611
    Windows 10 (Pro and Insider Pro)
       New #9

    f14tomcat said:
    Home use is FREE, business use is a subscription. You would want the plain vanilla Home Free. The page the link goes to is kinda crammed with offers you can ignore, just download the Free edition, more than adequate for a starter. It can be upgraded later, if desired.
    Actually, Macrium free is free for both, home and business use. For home use, email is optional, for business mandatory.. Don't know of any other difference..

    Formatting Ext Hard Drive for System Image-image.png

    ... and you can skip that email option by downloading home, and selecting business use at install process
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  13. f14tomcat
    Posts : 56,831
    Multi-boot Windows 10/11 - RTM, RP, Beta, and Insider
       New #10

    ok..............................


    I was only trying to quickly let the OP know he does NOT need anything commercial, busnoess, techninician or any other than ordinary FREE. None of this stuff............................................................

    Formatting Ext Hard Drive for System Image-2021-03-08_17h04_22.png

    we're going OT
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