Department of Redundancy

patriceltic said:

I have had to use Macrium to restore my system and all of its contents a couple of times. I am wondering if I keep that software current is there any need to use a recovery tool as well? I downloaded one today from the Dell site - it seems if I have good backup software I shouldn't need both. Just wondering.

The recovery tool also wipes everything out - programs and documents. Macrium preserves everything. Why do I need the recovery tool. Thanks very much.
22h2

Macrium is all you need... grasshopper.

Just make sure you make the Macrium bootable Rescue Media. So you can access your backups, even if Windows won't boot.

You don't even really have to keep Macrium current, unless Microsoft drastically changes Windows.
I'm still on 8.0.6635 (paid version), on Win 10 and 11.
And Macrium paid, is up to version 8.1.7xxx

Macrium has tons of bells and whistles, that most people will never use. Those bells and whistles are the things that keep getting updated. The basic program is pretty much the same since version... 6.

patriceltic said:

I have had to use Macrium to restore my system and all of its contents a couple of times. I am wondering if I keep that software current is there any need to use a recovery tool as well? I downloaded one today from the Dell site - it seems if I have good backup software I shouldn't need both. Just wondering.
The recovery tool also wipes everything out - programs and documents. Macrium preserves everything. Why do I need the recovery tool.

The Dell Recovery Tool performs a factory reset, putting the PC back to the state it was in when brand new. Why on earth would you want to do that when Macrium can put it back to the state it was in when you made your latest system image? About the only reason I can think of would be to wipe the PC before selling it.

Ghot said:

You don't even really have to keep Macrium current....

No, what you really need to keep current is your system image. Make a new one regularly.

patriceltic said:

... is there any need to use a recovery tool as well? I downloaded one today from the Dell site
The recovery tool also wipes everything out - programs and documents. ... Why do I need the recovery tool.

As it says in the Dell download page, the Dell OS recovery tool can be used for one specific task

Dell said:

... you can use to reinstall the version of Windows or Linux that came with your PC...

so if you do not want to do that one specific task then don't use it.

It is, in effect, a bootable system image of the OS disk when it left the factory and its function used to be called Dell Factory Image Restore which I think is much more descriptive.


Denis

Bree said:

The Dell Recovery Tool performs a factory reset, putting the PC back to the state it was in when brand new. Why on earth would you want to do that when Macrium can put it back to the state it was in when you made your latest system image? About the only reason I can think of would be to wipe the PC before selling it.



No, what you really need to keep current is your system image. Make a new one regularly.

Yep, yep.

Talking about Dell, I got a new Notebook Oct. '21 and a new Desktop Apr. '22, both came with Win10 Pro. Both have an entry in Control Panel called SupportAssist OS Recovery, it makes a clone of the drive. The process requires rebooting into the program and when finished the drive can be changed for the one in the machine and booted up.

Yes, SupportAssist OS Recovery has several options
Restore your Computer Using SupportAssist OS Recovery - Dell
Use SupportAssist OS Recovery Disk Cloning - Dell
but, as discussed above, none of them are as versatile as making system images.

Denis

Try3 said:

Yes, SupportAssist OS Recovery has several options
Restore your Computer Using SupportAssist OS Recovery - Dell
Use SupportAssist OS Recovery Disk Cloning - Dell
but, as discussed above, none of them are as versatile as making system images.

Denis

Since the cloned drive is directly bootable it has no compression of file nor encryption so if I need any files they are fully accessible as if on any other portable drive.