Should I Still Backup With Macrium?

Runnerbean · 03 Nov 2017

I'm a bit confused guys as to whether I should still use Macrium to make an image.

If I already have a Bootable USB Flash Drive with FCU (1709) on it which I made using MCT to get the ISO and Rufus to make the Bootable, why would I need to make a system image in Macrium? Wouldn't I simply just be duplicating what I already have on the Bootable? In effect, I already have a backup and would use the Bootable to Clean Install in the event of a disaster.

dalchina · 03 Nov 2017

A disk image is a compressed copy of everything in the used part of the selected disk/partitions.

MAcrium option Backup Windows selects all the 4 (for EFI) partitions for Windows, and creates a compressed copy of that.
Thus restoring that precisely returns you to Windows as it was when you created the image including all settings, installed programs, user data.

Note too you can of course create disk images of data partitions and disks.

Having a 'backup' if you've selectively backed up data is not the same thing at all.

NavyLCDR · 03 Nov 2017

It depends on what is installed on your computer and what you use it for. Is it a computer with just Windows on it that you use for browsing the internet and doing email, with all your email online like gmail anyway? Then your plan of doing a clean install if something goes wrong is probably sufficient. Does your computer have Microsoft Office, accounting software, customer account data on it? Then a regularly scheduled full system backup is absolutely essential.

It depends on what you are willing to lose. If you are going to stick with the plan of a clean install if something happens - then you need to plan on also losing everything that is on that computer.

Runnerbean · 03 Nov 2017

+NavyLCDR

I don't really have any of those programs/apps you mention. My custom built PC is more for gaming. I have a totally separate SSD just for Windows and two separate SSDs for Steam games and other bits and bobs so you could say I'm not a power User.

When I did my totally clean install from 1703 to FCU 1709, I did have to re-install a small amount of software related to my hobby but nothing major.

This is why I was wondering whether I'm fortunate enough that I can just rely on my already created Bootable that MCT/Rufus did for me without having to go the extra mile to create backups with Macrium.

f14tomcat · 03 Nov 2017

Runnerbean said:

+NavyLCDR

I don't really have any of those programs/apps you mention. My custom built PC is more for gaming. I have a totally separate SSD just for Windows and two separate SSDs for Steam games and other bits and bobs so you could say I'm not a power User.

When I did my totally clean install from 1703 to FCU 1709, I did have to re-install a small amount of software related to my hobby but nothing major.

This is why I was wondering whether I'm fortunate enough that I can just rely on my already created Bootable that MCT/Rufus did for me without having to go the extra mile to create backups with Macrium.

The MR backup takes less than 15 minutes or so, depending on your system and storage. Takes less than 10 minutes to restore back. A clean install with all the app re-installs and data, etc. to restore would take hours, if not days. Plus reapply any MS updates again. Macrium is free for what you would need to do. What would you do if the thumb drive went bad on you, and you couldn't make another? Macrium can make you a Rescue thumb for restore and other purposes.

Runnerbean · 03 Nov 2017

f14tomcat said:

What would you do if the thumb drive went bad on you, and you couldn't make another? Macrium can make you a Rescue thumb for restore and other purposes.

Don't worry,..I already thought about that and I'm well covered on that score. I have the FCU 1709 ISO backed up in three separate places on different machines so I can always make another Bootable if I have too. I've even got copies of the latest Cumulative updates I manually downloaded from the MS Catalogue.

RolandJS · 03 Nov 2017

Without a 2nd backup plan, I hope nothing every goes wrong with the 1st backup plan :)
I have two dedicated pancake-sized, plater-driven, usb external HDs for each computer; each HD normally has two Cs and two Ds.
However, you're a professional gamer, so data might not be the issue; however, be sure your scores, rankings, IDs, etc. are fully backed -- because some games might punt you all the way back to square one/person one if there is no earlier-games data & history on your hard-drive.

cereberus · 03 Nov 2017

Runnerbean said:

Don't worry,..I already thought about that and I'm well covered on that score. I have the FCU 1709 ISO backed up in three separate places on different machines so I can always make another Bootable if I have too. I've even got copies of the latest Cumulative updates I manually downloaded from the MS Catalogue.

It's all horses for courses. I never use recovery drives, just Macrium images. I had an ssd fail, put a new one in and was back up and fully functioning in 40 minutes including time to fit blank drive.

f14tomcat · 03 Nov 2017

cereberus said:

It's all horses for courses. I never use recovery drives, just Macrium images. I had an ssd fail, put a new one in and was back up and fully functioning in 40 minutes including time to fit blank drive.

One comment: Backups are an insurance policy for your sanity. Using Macrium (or similar) there are no insurance premiums to pay, just a few minutes of your time every week or so, more often if you wish. Can even be scheduled.

Runnerbean · 03 Nov 2017

cereberus said:

It's all horses for courses. I never use recovery drives, just Macrium images. I had an ssd fail, put a new one in and was back up and fully functioning in 40 minutes including time to fit blank drive.

wow,..only took me 10 minutes to clean install FCU from the Bootable USB Flash. As you say,..it's all horses for courses and at the end of the day,..it all depends what the PC is used for and how much data there is.

My PC is more of a gaming machine with three Drives one of which is solely for the operating system only. Sometimes a few Steam game installations may put things on the 'C' Drive but I always copy and paste those anyway.

If my OS Drive fails then all I have to do is replace the SSD, quick 2 minute job, insert the Bootable Flash USB and I'm good to go really. Everything else is on my D and E Drives. If either D or E goes belly-up, then again,..easy to just redownload a game from Steam or simply paste a copy from a backup I made previously.

Macrium does sound incredibly useful though but I haven't had any convincing answers as to why I should use it considering my particular circumstances.