Installing Windows plan for disaster recovery

Fortitude · 29 Jul 2020

I'm trying to create a disaster recovery plan for installing Windows to my laptop if I were to to start from scratch.

My laptop is a Dell Inspiron and I'm currently running Windows 10 Pro v.2004.
I have three accounts on my laptop, one of them is a Windows Administrator account, the other one is a local administrator and the third one is a standard user account.
In practice I do all my work with the standard user account and only access the local administrator account if elevated access rights are required, or to do any Dell driver etc. updates.

I would like to preserve or create again the three accounts after the new installation of Windows.
My data can be backed up to at least three different media (at least two local and one remote backup in the cloud).
I can also make an image backup of C drive using Macrium Reflect.
My laptop came with Windows Home installed on it, but I upgraded it to Windows 10 Pro using account information from my previous PC which was scrapped. Therefore the pre-installed recovery or other data from Dell which I suppose must be hidden somewhere on my laptop is probably of no use in re-installing Windows 10 Pro, Dell utilities, drivers etc..

Concerns:

1. As I wrote above, I would like to preserve or create again the three Windows accounts. Note that only the standard user account has useful data for me. The others are like "shell" accounts and I wouldn't mind them being created as "blank" accounts.

2. I would like to change the existing user name for each of these accounts, because I don't like the name shown in the path to each one's application files and settings. Will I be able to do that after installing Windows, for example by creating them, but changing the user name which apparently is automatically created by Windows each time?

3. Am I going to have to go through each re-installed program and make suitable configuration changes as my existing ones will be lost? I suppose there is no shortcut to this.

4. A major fear that I have is not being able to find the Dell-specific software and drivers that I would need for my laptop. I know that the Dell Support website can show me details about my particular system based on the product ID, but these are based on the original installation (with Windows Home edition). Will my laptop function after the Windows 10 re-installation until I install the Dell specific drivers? How will I know that all Dell software and drivers will be found? Is there a way to make a list of this software and drivers as they now exist on my current installation to use for reference?

I would be grateful for advice on the above or any other information about preparing for or planning a new installation of Windows.

dalchina · 29 Jul 2020

Disk Imaging

I can also make an image backup of C drive using Macrium Reflect.

Your disk image should be of all partitions comprising Windows (that's 4 for a UEFI installation, by default).

Create your first disk image as early as you can before making too many significant changes. Then keep a simple text record of changes, and before any next major change update your disk image set e.g. using the backup job created to manage your image file set as prompted by MR. So with the free version you would have base image (first, slowest, largest) followed by a set of periodic differential images.

Restart that pattern after any feature update.

Drivers

A major fear that I have is not being able to find the Dell-specific software and drivers

Windows should provide you all the basic drivers you need- your laptop isn't that old.

Make sure your BIOS is up to date - see your Dell downloads.

Other than that, you might- selectively- want certain DELL-provided utilities - examples (random) might be illuminated keyboard or special hot keys.

The only reason to use a driver from DELL's site would be if you had a particular problem.

Programs

Am I going to have to go through each re-installed program

You have two choices with a clean install.

a. Do it manually and reinstall each program
b. Use a 1-time licensed program such as Laplink's PCMover or Easeus's Todo PCTrans to transfer your programs, data, accounts to your new build.

Last time I did that I found the best way was to use a disk image of my old build as source.

Users

2. I would like to change the existing user name for each of these accounts, because I don't like the name shown in the path to each one's application files and settings. Will I be able to do that after installing Windows, for example by creating them, but changing the user name which apparently is automatically created by Windows each time?

Change User Name of Account in Windows 10
Change Name of User Profile Folder in Windows 10
non-trivial.

Fortitude · 29 Jul 2020

Thank you for the information, I am reassured. I'll look at the options that you mention about PCMover or PCTrans, but I also don't mind spending some time looking at each program's settings and making notes. I can afford the time necessary for this!

zbook · 29 Jul 2020

To quickly restore drivers after a clean install:
Backup and Restore Device Drivers in Windows 10

If there is a backup image in the cloud that can be restored then you should be protected from most disasters.

The exception could be an OEM windows license and attempting to restore the image on a new computer.
Is the Windows license OEM or retail?

Fortitude · 29 Jul 2020

Thank you for the link about backing up the device drivers. It could be very useful and it's never a bad idea to have a backup!

My Windows license is a retail license.

zbook · 29 Jul 2020

For some disasters there may not be internet access.
So the cloud backup image would be unavailable.
For these disasters consider having a pocket or key chain flash drive with a backup image.

Fortitude · 29 Jul 2020

zbook said:

For some disasters there may not be internet access.
So the cloud backup image would be unavailable.
For these disasters consider having a pocket or key chain flash drive with a backup image.

I have my backup image on an external disk.The cloud backup is a files type of backup and it's my second line of safety.

zbook · 29 Jul 2020

For fire and flood the external drive is likely to get damaged.
So a drive that is in your pocket could be useful.

Megahertz · 29 Jul 2020

If you want to replicate what you have now (with new users names), why do you want to reinstall? What is wrong with the current Win 2004 installation?

Fortitude · 29 Jul 2020

@zbook,
Thank you for the suggestion. Actually I use two USB sticks to store a few portable apps and some of my most critical data like passwords, bookmarks etc., by no means everything. The total programs and data size is about 12 GB. One USB stick is always on me and the other one is kept as a backup in the house.

- - - Updated - - -

Megahertz said:

If you want to replicate what you have now (with new users names), why do you want to reinstall? What is wrong with the current Win 2004 installation?

Sometimes software errors appear that I cannot resolve. A re-installation of Windows as drastic a step as it may sound, has worked in rectifying matters. I also feel that as time passes software installed and uninstalled may create some instability and it would be good if i could make a clean start from time to time.

Currently I have a weird problem with FTP. I posted a question about it in the Network and Sharing Forum, but unfortunately I haven't been able to solve it. Unless it's a router matter, a Windows re-install may help solve it.