Solved Better way to do a backup

needlenoses · May 5, 2024

I have been consistently doing monthly complete backups of my primary and secondary drives. I can't recall when I started doing this but likely back at least to win 8.
For a number of years I used Norton Ghost until it was discontinued. I liked it as one cold go into the image and choose whatever I needed to recover. Worked well.

So in Win10 and now 11 I have been doing monthly images to a portable USB drive ( now SSD). I want to know if I can just create a copy of my primary to my portable SSD
so in the case of failure I can boot up from the usb SSD and then copy back over to a replacement C drive. Am I making sense ?? I would think it would be better than trying to recover from the Win 11 image.

FDretired · May 5, 2024

1) Install Macrium reflect
2) Make an image of your computer on the external ssd
3) Macrium -> other tasks -> Create rescue media on a USB drive

After you replace your failed boot drive use the USB rescue media to restore the Macrium from the external ssd to new internal disk.

With Macrium you can view the saved image and retrieve individual files.

MitchInHome · May 5, 2024

Try Macrium Free per Bree Macrium Reflect Free Trials

imanlien2020 · May 5, 2024

I use EaseUs Todo Backup Pro 2024. My personal easy to use favorite. I have Used Macrium and about a dozen others but had 3 of thos softwares including Macrium fail to restore my backups. Ive never had a hiccup with EaseUs. My opinion and my experiences. Macrium Im sure is much better now then 5 to 10 years ago when i had bad experiences happen. Use what makes you comfortable and is best for you.

Wisewiz · May 5, 2024

MitchInHome said:
Try Macrium Free per Bree Macrium Reflect Free Trials

You'd be better off getting Macrium Free from Major Geeks. The Macrium Free Trial Mitch pointed you to reverts to a badly crippled version after the trial period. The Free version (non-trial) will serve you for as long as Microsoft updates don't disable it in some way.

needlenoses · May 5, 2024

Mulled this input over and decided to pick up Macrium from Major Geeks. And I will consider the other suggestions too.
I would have been more than happy to pick up a 2T HD that I could just swap out internally. I am sure there is a safe way to mirror a drive onto another internal. Drive prices have dropped a lot.
Thanks. Ontario, eh!! Me bad in BC

Wisewiz · May 5, 2024

@needlenoses

Welcome, eh?

antspants · May 5, 2024

needlenoses said:
I would have been more than happy to pick up a 2T HD that I could just swap out internally

As long as you don’t leave the cloned drive in with the OS drive, it can cause problems.
I just buy external USB-C casings for them. (I’ve not tried cloning to an external casing, but I have cloned to a Hub)

https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B07Y825V4N/

https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B0711L68MS/

needlenoses · May 5, 2024

OK; so installed 64 bit version and decided to do a test backup to a new 4T WD passport usb3. It is running now. So, I am pondering what I would do with it if my primary drive croaks on me. I would have no operating system and no Macrium installed. Would I have to boot up with the win 11 boot disk or what. I doubt that Macrium made this passport bootable.

antspants · May 5, 2024

Rescue a system with the Windows PE environment

needlenoses · May 5, 2024

antspants said:
http://reflect.macrium.com/help/v5/how_toescue/rescue_a_system_with_the_windows_pe_environment.htm

antspants said:
Rescue a system with the Windows PE environment

ok got that; I have not created a rescue disk in Macrium as yet. Will find out how when test backup is complete. Retaining my existing win 11 image on my SSD portable until I feel safe. Might be years.

needlenoses · May 6, 2024

Update folks.
Created first backup with Macrium; created a new Macrium boot disk and booted up the PC from it. All worked fine so far.
But will it work. I am going to hunt around for an old 2T internal drive so that I can do a proper test. Depends on trust if it will actually work. Need to know.
Thanks herds for all the pointers.

Steve C · May 6, 2024

needlenoses said:
Update folks.
Created first backup with Macrium; created a new Macrium boot disk and booted up the PC from it. All worked fine so far.
But will it work. I am going to hunt around for an old 2T internal drive so that I can do a proper test. Depends on trust if it will actually work. Need to know.
Thanks herds for all the pointers.

FWIW I schedule Reflect backups of all system and data partitions to an internal HDD and also do manual backups to an external drive stored in a safe location.

Flashorn · May 6, 2024

needlenoses said:
Update folks.
Created first backup with Macrium; created a new Macrium boot disk and booted up the PC from it. All worked fine so far.
But will it work. I am going to hunt around for an old 2T internal drive so that I can do a proper test. Depends on trust if it will actually work. Need to know.
Thanks herds for all the pointers.

OK, so, my 2cents. I would have a new(er) HDD on standby if this is what you use and Clone your existing OS to this HDD.
IF by any chance, your current HDD craps, as you say, then all you'd have to do is a simple HDD swap and you'd
be back in business for the time it takes to trade places with the old HDD.
Keep doing the images but, have at least One current clone of the current OS.

Steve C · May 6, 2024

Flashorn said:
OK, so, my 2cents. I would have a new(er) HDD on standby if this is what you use and Clone your existing OS to this HDD.
IF by any chance, your current HDD craps, as you say, then all you'd have to do is a simple HDD swap and you'd
be back in business for the time it takes to trade places with the old HDD.
Keep doing the images but, have at least One current clone of the current OS.

I don't see the point in cloning. You can recover from a Reflect backup image in a few minutes plus you can mount the image file as a virtual drive to access any file / folder. I accept having the spare cloned HDD ready to install saves a day or do waiting for delivery of a new drive.

Flashorn · May 6, 2024

Steve C said:
I don't see the point in cloning. You can recover from a Reflect backup image in a few minutes plus you can mount the image file as a virtual drive to access any file / folder. I accept having the spare cloned HDD ready to install saves a day or do waiting for delivery of a new drive.

I guess we all have our own way of dealing with HDD failure.
As I said, my 2 cents.

glasskuter · May 6, 2024

I'll had 2 more cents to what @Flashorn said. THIS ^^^^^^^^

needlenoses · May 6, 2024

Yes, I could easily just go out and buy another drive. Didn't want to do that because I already have 10 drives on the go now. Just could use a 2T internal drive for a lot of things like testing. I don't know if these backups will actually work. this includes the Win 11 image I do each month faithfully. I have an empty new 4T usb drive floating around and I could set the up so the I could boot from it in an emergency I guess!!

imanlien2020 · May 6, 2024

needlenoses said:
Mulled this input over and decided to pick up Macrium from Major Geeks. And I will consider the other suggestions too.
I would have been more than happy to pick up a 2T HD that I could just swap out internally. I am sure there is a safe way to mirror a drive onto another internal. Drive prices have dropped a lot.
Thanks. Ontario, eh!! Me bad in BC

I have 3 internal drives, all SSDs. But I was using a 2 TB HDD internal drive(G) to backup my 2TB (C) main drive. But I dont wanna lose anything so i stopped backing up internally after a few years, now i backup to a portable SSD drive about once a week manually, i do not leave it plugged into the USB port and I do not Schedule a backup. Note: My external portable drive is a Samsung T7 1TB. Works great. I paid $120 from best buy a few months back. a 2TB you should be able to find for like 150 to 175 and a 4TB well probably 250 to 300 still. I really wish these prices would drop by half but it is what it is. Good Luck

needlenoses · May 6, 2024

I use the same T7 but I require a 2T. Win 11 image right now plus the Macrium image which I will also put on the T7 if I have the room on it. Will check later when I catch up on my morning chores.