How to backup windows 10 laptop?

MeAndMyComputer said:

@paulyjustin, when you are ready, let us know so we can provide a step-by-step procedure: preferably a system image backup. It doesn't take a long time to get started, what isn't known is how long it will take the system image backup to complete but that's easy enough to handle once you have the gist of it. Make that decision please.

Thanks. I will do it soon but I will have to first get the new ssd first right? I am getting a 1tb m.2 nvme ssd... just deciding whether samsung evo 970 or a WD 750. But I also want to clone my ssd as well as someone told me if you clone it, it looks exactly the same and it doesn't take long.



Also I was told something else by someone on this. I told them I would clone it from my current samsung ssd in my laptop... into an external hard drive. Then when i get the new 1tb m.2 nvme ssd... i would clone it from the external hard drive to the new m.2 ssd. I thought it was required to clone from A to B... then clone it to C because I thought you couldn't clone from your ssd in your laptop to the new ssd.


A = Current ssd in my laptop
B = External hard drive with enclosure which I do have
C = New 1tb m2. nvme ssd which i will buy soon


I had thought I read that you needed to clone it to an external hard drive first... before you clone it to the new ssd.


Okay I would clone it directly from my 2.5 inch samsung 250gb sata to the 1tb nvme samsung ssd. So during this process, I don't even need a 2.5 inch enclosure? So I actually don't need any more equipment when cloning from the ssd in my laptop right now... to the new ssd? But don't I need an enclosure though for the m.2/nvme ssd during this cloning process?


I am confused here because during the cloning process, which ssd is in my laptop? My current 2.5 inch samsung ssd or the new 1tb nvme samsung ssd that I will purchase? Because I have to assume its the new nvme in the system... then i put the 2.5 inch samsung ssd in an enclosure and connect it to the usb port in my laptop to clone?


I mean, I could actually have both the 2.5 inch ssd and the nvme ssd in it at same time but I wouldn't be able to put my new bigger battery in since it takes the 2.5 inch ssd spot. I also can't picture my current ssd in my laptop still during this cloning process because if so, then wouldn't i need some type of enclosure to connect the new nvme ssd into my usb port?

Let's put this into perspective

I create system image backups on a monthly basis just before Patch Tuesday.
--- The value with that is keeping up-to-date if recovery is needed.

Cloning is fine if that's what you really want to do.

On the m.2 nvme ssd, make sure to know ahead of time if it will suit being used in your PC.
--- Hopefully that's already been determined.

It would be a good idea to fill in your system specs.
System Specs - Fill in at Ten Forums

MeAndMyComputer said:

Let's put this into perspective

I create system image backups on a monthly basis just before Patch Tuesday.
--- The value with that is keeping up-to-date if recovery is needed.

Cloning is fine if that's what you really want to do.

On the m.2 nvme ssd, make sure to know ahead of time if it will suit being used in your PC.
--- Hopefully that's already been determined.

It would be a good idea to fill in your system specs.
System Specs - Fill in at Ten Forums

Hey. Yes I know many say to do system image backups on a monthly basis. I have never done this. The only thing I done is copy/paste my important documents into a usb stick I have. But yes I will definitely do that image backup as well.


Well if I only plan to clone it to the new m.2 nvme ssd that I will buy soon, I guess I don't need to do the system image backup yet? So I could do it after I do the clone? I do have a 1tb external hard drive with a 2.5 inch enclosure.


Someone told me if I clone... my computer will turn on and look exactly the same like it does now... the only difference? Instead of like 15gb free of 232gb... it will probably show like 700gb free of 920gb or something like that right? Also a 1tb ssd should have about 920gb free or so? My 250gb only shows 232gb free. So the 1tb should show about 970gb free?


So when I do the cloning, do i need to buy a nvme enclosure as well?


Also I read on amazon the samsung 870 evo has its own cloning software. So I basically have the choice to use that or macrieum reflect? Lot of reviews said the samsong software is very easy to clone. But I know you all mention macrieum reflect is for backing it up... but its also used for cloning.


Well my plan is once i get the new 1tg m.2 nvme ssd... the 16gb ram and the new bigger battery, I would then bring it to a repair shop for them to put in the parts for me. The thing that confuses me here is should I clone the drive first before bringing it to them?


They quoted me it would cost around $130 in putting the ram, laptop battery and the ssd in. But they also said they would be helping me install windows etc. But if I already cloned it... wouldn't they just be taking the old ssd out and putting the new one in and they are not installing windows 10 and just putting in the part which would cost less?

see comments:

paulyjustin said:

Well my plan is once i get the new 1tg m.2 nvme ssd... the 16gb ram and the new bigger battery, I would then bring it to a repair shop for them to put in the parts for me. The thing that confuses me here is should I clone the drive first before bringing it to them?
"Cloning" moves a system directly from the old drive to the new drive.

Imaging does not. Imaging makes a file. A big file. That you would save onto your big external hard drive. That you could DAYS OR WEEKS LATER, restore to the new NVMe drive.

I think you should:

1: take the laptop and the new parts to the shop and let them install the new parts and CLONE the old drive to the new drive. Or they could use imaging. It wouldn't matter which. It's up to them. Let them decide and do the job however they want.

2: After the shop completes the job and you are home and the laptop is working OK, then make a Macrium image of all partitions on the new drive, saving it on the external.

I would NOT worry about Macrium or imaging NOW. Worry about that later after the new parts are installed.

They quoted me it would cost around $130 in putting the ram, laptop battery and the ssd in. But they also said they would be helping me install windows etc. But if I already cloned it... wouldn't they just be taking the old ssd out and putting the new one in and they are not installing windows 10 and just putting in the part which would cost less?

Why do you want them to "install" Windows? You want the laptop with the new drive to be exactly like the laptop with the old drive. A Windows "install" will NOT do that. You want them to move everything on the old drive to the new drive. That is not a "Windows install". That's a cloning job or an imaging job.

You should not be charged for a new version of Windows.

You should be charged for the installation of the new parts and the labor cost of the cloning or imaging procedure done at the shop.

You personally should not worry about cloning or imaging UNTIL the shop completes its work. The sooner they do that, the better.

Until that happens, you'll just continue to go around in circles. This thread is 46 months old and continues to go nowhere.

Okay so imaging i will think about that later then.


When they clone the drive, i assume they would most likely use the software with the ssd like samsung right? Well either that or macrium reflect?


Yes I want them to clone windows. But they told me they are like installing windows so to speak... so i guess that is like their way of saying cloning.


Now assuming I


Want to start fresh and do not want anything cloned. If that was the case, would I need to have them do the windows 10 installation for me or not? Because I obviously would be able to do this myself as that is very easy to do and they would charge a good amount for this right? I remember i paid over 100 dollars for someone to install window 10 for me when i first got the laptop.. i had brought them the 2.5 inch samsung ssd and asked them to put it in... and take out the default 2.5 inch 5400 rpm out. If I want to start fresh and I just require them to put the new ssd in and take old one out, they would not charge for instaling windows right since i could easily do that myself? But doing this, well they need to turn it on to see if it works though right?


If i was able to clone the 2.5 inch samsung ssd into the new m.2 nvme ssd myself... and i only required them to put in the new ssd and take the old one out, well they only charge for putting it in and no windows installation right? Someone told me that if i want to clone from my 2.5 inch samsung ssd in my laptop right now into a new 1tb m.2 nvme ssd... i need to buy that nvme enclosure. That is 100% correct right?


Someone else mentioned to me cloning this way is a breeze.


Also just noticed something in my hard drive right now. Went from around 15gb free of 232gb back up to 25gb free. I noticed this had happened quite a few times previously. Anyone know why it does that?


Also with a 1tb nvme ssd... im looking at around a total of how much gb total in the ssd? Example my 250gb is only 232gb total

ignatzatsonic said:

A 1 TB drive will have about 932 GB usable, as I recall. About 93% of stated capacity.

You aren't going to clone yourself, so why spend money on an NVMe enclosure? You are worrying about something that isn't going to happen.

It doesn't matter to you how the shop does its job--cloning, imaging, Samsung software, or whatever. Let them choose. That's their job.

If you wanted to start fresh, you COULD install Windows yourself. BUT NOT EASILY for you. It would probably be a months long ordeal that would likely never actually get under way. That's another thing not to worry about.

Cloning is not a breeze.

Imaging is clearly not a breeze--because this thread is nearly 4 years old, with 67 posts, over 20,000 words, hundreds of questions................................and not a single imaging attempt.

Enclosures are not a breeze.

Installing Windows is not a breeze.

You need to hire someone for all tasks, but I wonder if that will really happen.

It might be more likely that you'll end up buying a new machine for $1700. I give that a 50/50 chance. Everything new. Nice new warranty.

But then you'd still have to agonize over cloning or imaging because you can't or won't re-install all your software. I guess that could be a new thread.

Hi. Well someone told me cloning is a breeze. You just connect the new m.2 ssd into the the nvme enclosure and connect to it... then you use like samsung software and just click clone and wait till its done. They said they didn't even have to do anything but wait.


So my thought was if its that easy, then I would buy the nvme enclosure, clone it with the samsung software... then once i do that.. i have the cloned nvme. Then when i go there, I only need them to take out the parts... ram, battery and the two ssds... then put in the new ram, battery and nvme ssd... then power it on to see if it turns on or not. That way I wouldn't need them to clone it... but not only that... I would prefer this because if they clone it... i want to be able to see them do it. Like i would not feel comfortable leaving the computer with and they clone it... and then i come back later on etc. Does that make sense? Now if they were to clone it and im waiting there the entire time... no big deal.


Why would you say me starting fresh and me installing windows would not be easy for me? The only thing i would need is for them to take out my 2 ssds... and put the new nvme ssd in... then i power it on... then go with the installation as normal right? Look i had a few laptops previously before this... whenever i got a laptop, i turn it on and follow instructions for the windows instructions and then put my name and everything etc. I never had an issue with that when getting a new computer and starting it. Now if you mean wiping a ssd clean and formatting it and then it ask about which sectors i want to keep etc... that i would have issues with... but here... i dont have that issue.


What do you mean enclosures are not a breeze and installing windows is not a breeze? When you get a new laptop and turn it on the first time... and go through the process... is that installing windows or not? I do have a 2.5 inch enclosure that i used before to put hard drive connected to laptops before.


The thing is if cloning is a breeze with samsung software and I just need to buy the nvme enclosure, i rather do that instead of having them clone it.

Nothing is a breeze for you Pauly.

If it were, it wouldn't take 4 years without an attempt to make a Macrium image.

Or months to change batteries.

Or months to change SSDs.

No---when you buy a laptop and turn it on, that is NOT installing Windows.

The advice offered here just goes into the wind. I assume that will continue.

Answers to your questions don't lead you to act, regardless of the questions and regardless of the answers. Yet there are always more questions and no action.

Round and round. Without progress. So be it, as long as anyone is willing to respond to your posts.