goal is to do a full complete backup of os
whats a list of all the items we needto get to do this simpliest way to do a full complete backup of os?
I backup my own files [which are on a separate partition/disk to my OS with its applications] and I make system images.
I have two large external drives for backups. This week my system images & my file backups will be made on one of them and next week it'll be the other.
For system images I use a free sawn-off version of Acronis that is available for computers containing Seagate, Samsung, Maxtor disks [there is also a free version available for WD, SanDisk, G-Technology]. I am limited to making full system images but that's only 10-20 minutes while I have a pot of tea. Backing up my own files and settings takes longer than that.
If a drive contains only straightforward files, such as music files or Word documents, then you can use any file backup method including simply copying them to an external drive.
File backups allow you to restore individual files or all the files to their backed-up state.- So if you accidentally overwrite a file or folder, you can restore it from the backup.
- Ideally, you would backup your files every time you changed any of them. Some people backup their files every day. I do mine a couple of times a week but also run an automatic backup of my key files every hour.
- I use the built-in Windows 10 utility RoboCopy for most of my file backups including the key files' automatic hourly backup.
- - It takes a bit of study and it takes a bit of getting used to.
- - I use it within batch files. They also take a bit of study and a bit of getting used to.
- Getting some ready-made Windows component or third-party backup utility to handle your file backups instead avoids having to study anything. Some third-party backup utilities can make the whole thing seamless & pain-free.
If a drive contains the OS or anything like a program that is installed then drive imaging is more appropriate.
Drive imaging allows you to restore a whole drive to its backed-up state.- So if a Windows fault or update wrecks your OS, you can restore the whole OS drive to its backed-up state.
- System images can turn a disaster into a mere inconvenience.
- When you see the term system imaging, it means the same as drive imaging or disk imaging. It just indicates that the drive that was imaged was the system drive, the one with the OS on it.
- Ideally, you would backup your system every time you change any of its components or settings. Some people image their systems every day. I image mine once a month so I have an image ready for use before the next Windows update.
- All imaging utilities allow you to make a boot disk of some kind so that you can boot from it to restore an image even if Windows refuses to start.
- - You are therefore not fully protected until you have made & tested the boot disk. I made & tested two boot disks for mine in about 2016 to raise the chances that, in some future emergency, at least one of them will work.
- - Some imaging utilities can also be set up as a 'dual boot' so you can choose to boot straight into it instead of Windows if Windows is wrecked. That might be regarded as a convenient alternative to having a separate boot disk. But, and it's a very big but, such a setup will not protect you if the disk itself is defective & neds to be replaced. You'd want to have the imaging utility's boot disk to be able to cope with that.
- Just to avoid confusion about two very similar terms you might see people use, do note that restoring a system image does not mean the same as System restore, a Windows function.
- - System imaging & restoring system images is reliable and effective.
- - System restore can be convenient when it works.
- Many imaging utilities also allow you to pick out and copy back individual folders or files but it's probably best to regard that as a bonus that might never get used.
Don't use Windows imaging - part of "Backup & restore (Windows 7)".
MS said not to in their announcement of Windows 10 Version 1709 and have never withdrawn that warning
imaging deprecated in Ver 1709 - TenForums
Macrium Reflect is often recommended in this forum for making system images. - There are so many Macrium Reflect evangelists in this forum that you can get almost instant help with any problems you have using it.
- Its current free version [v8] is the last planned free one and its final security patch was on 1st January 2024.
- Thereafter, Macrium Reflect will provide free 30 day trials but not permanently-free versions. This has already been demonstrated by experimentation - see
post #44 of another thread.
Macrium Software Macrium Reflect Free
Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect - TenForumsTutorials - This includes making their boot disk & optionally adding a Macrium reflect option to your boot menu.
Macrium Reflect KnowledgeBase - user guide [version-independent link]
Its viBoot facility can make bootable system images. Or, more precisely,
Macrium viBoot - Macrium KB said:
viBoot enables you to boot into the images you have made using Macrium Reflect, for validation purposes, or to retrieve data from old applications stored on a bootable image.
Macrium viBoot - Macrium KB said:
Macrium viBoot enables you, to instantly create, start and manage Microsoft Hyper-V and Virtualbox virtual machines using one or more Macrium Reflect image files as the basis of the virtual machine storage sub-system.
Macrium viBoot - Macrium KB
Macrium viBoot - Create Virtual Machine using Macrium Image - TenForumsTutorials
Amongst the other system imaging utilities are:
1 Acronis True Image - Normally paid for but, up until now, owners of these disk brands have been able to get free limited-capability versions [with perpetual licences] from these companies. WD have recently changed to 5 year licences. Personally, I don't regard free 5-year licence versions as particularly attractive for a backup solution.
- These free versions depend on the presence of that brand of disk both to make system images & to restore system images.
- The free versions allow full system imaging but not the incremental/differential imaging that the paid-for version allows.
- Their own-branded USB stick can be enough to allow them to work but an SD card is not.
- They cannot necessarily detect a branded disk connected in a non-standard way [such as in a caddy in a DVD bay] and the only way to find out is to try it. This has varied over time/versions.
- Their willingness to restore images in the absence of a branded disk has also varied over time/versions.
2 AOMEI Backupper Free - Free version, downloadable pdf user guide, online user guide
3 EaseUS ToDo Backup Free - Free version
4 Paragon Backup & Recovery - Free version
[Links 2-4 kindly provided by Paul Black]
While you're thinking about backups, consider Backup and Restore Device Drivers - TenForumsTutorials as well.
All the best,
Denis
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