Solved How best to run updates on the Windows 10 backup

mackie · Dec 3, 2021

Hi, and back again..

I want to keep my full Windows 10 backup drive, which is on an hdd, updated periodically.
Windows 11 is running on a cloned ssd.

I'd like to occasionally boot from the Windows 10 hdd just to be able to run the system updates on it.
Can I place the hdd in a usb docking device and boot Win 10 from there and let it do the updates? Will there be any issues since Win 11 is
installed internally on the ssd?

Or do I have to go into the pc and replace the ssd with the hdd?

NavyLCDR · Dec 3, 2021

Why would you have to replace the SSD with the HDD? Why couldn't you just plug the HDD into its own SATA port? Use bios boot override to boot from the HDD when you wanted to update it.

NavyLCDR · Dec 3, 2021

Looks like you might not have a space or SATA port if you are on the smaller form factor. You can try booting Windows 10 from the drive connected to the USB port. I know if you did a clean install to the drive when it was connected via USB, you would be good to go. But since it was originally installed internally and now is moved to external, you might have problems booting it.

Another option might be to connect the drive via USB, then mount it in a virtual machine. If you find that your physical computer can't boot the drive from USB, it can probably be booted in a VM.

Also, if I remember correctly, major updates to Windows (which are really basically upgrades) won't work on USB connected drives.

mackie · Dec 3, 2021

Awhile ago, before your replies NavyLCDR, I went ahead and swapped the ssd with the hdd and started the updates to Windows 10. Right now it's in the process of taking it up to 21H2.

The next time I try this in the future, I think I'm going to go with your suggestion to put it in it's own SATA port and leave it there.

It's a full-size desktop.

Thanks!!

NavyLCDR · Dec 3, 2021

mackie said:
Awhile ago, before your replies NavyLCDR, I went ahead and swapped the ssd with the hdd and started the updates to Windows 10. Right now it's in the process of taking it up to 21H2.

The next time I try this in the future, I think I'm going to go with your suggestion to put it in it's own SATA port and leave it there.

It's a full-size desktop.

Thanks!!

If you are concerned about virus infecting it, you might be able to disable the SATA port it is connected to in Bios until you wanted to access it again.

mackie · Dec 3, 2021

It just finished the update, so that's it for this go-round.

Btw, I do have another small form factor desktop that's running Windows 10. If I decide to upgrade that one to Win 11, I'll first try the usb route and see how far that goes. If not, then VM.

mackie · Dec 4, 2021

This morning I put the hdd in a usb docking station and tried to boot from it. The hdd originally was installed internally and contains Windows 10.
It kept spinning and spinning but would not boot. Finally Windows 11, which is presently mounted internally on ssd, booted up instead.

NavyLCDR · Dec 4, 2021

mackie said:
This morning I put the hdd in a usb docking station and tried to boot from it. The hdd originally was installed internally and contains Windows 10.
It kept spinning and spinning but would not boot. Finally Windows 11, which is presently mounted internally on ssd, booted up instead.

Most USB docking stations won't boot. You need an enclosure, or at a minimum a SATA to USB conversion cable. If you have the 5.25" space in the front of the computer (like for a full size DVD rom drive), you can get SATA drive docking stations that are bootable, but you need a free SATA port to connect them to.

Quandary · Dec 4, 2021

Here is an alternate approach.

1. Use the external HDD as a device to hold multiple backups
2. Create an image backup of the Win 11 SSD on the HDD
3. Boot the HDD Win 10
4. Create an image backup of the Win OS on the HDD
5. Test that the image backups can be restored

Now when you periodically want to update the Win 10 OS:
1. Create a current image backup of the Win 11 SSD on the HDD
2. Restore the last Win 10 image to the SSD
3. Perform the Win 10 update
4. Create a new image backup of the updated Win 10 on the HDD
5. Restore the Win 11 image backup

It would also be good to duplicate the last working image backups of Win 10 and Win 11 to another device (just in case).

This procedure protect you from any failures with the Win 10 update which result in the HDD OS being unusable, or a worse total failure of the HDD.

mackie · Dec 4, 2021

I was looking inside the pc case earlier, and I can install the hdd in the empty slot right next to the ssd. Now I have to order a long SATA data cable for it.

I have two DVD drives, one which I have never used. So that's an idea for a future expansion. Thanks again!!

mackie · Dec 4, 2021

Quandary said:
Here is an alternate approach.

1. Use the external HDD as a device to hold multiple backups
2. Create an image backup of the Win 11 SSD on the HDD
3. Boot the HDD Win 10
4. Create an image backup of the Win OS on the HDD
5. Test that the image backups can be restored

Now when you periodically want to update the Win 10 OS:
1. Create a current image backup of the Win 11 SSD on the HDD
2. Restore the last Win 10 image to the SSD
3. Perform the Win 10 update
4. Create a new image backup of the updated Win 10 on the HDD
5. Restore the Win 11 image backup

It would also be good to duplicate the last working image backups of Win 10 and Win 11 to another device (just in case).

This procedure protect you from any failures with the Win 10 update which result in the HDD OS being unusable, or a worse total failure of the HDD.

My windows 10 backup was the internal HDD that I replaced with an ssd. The data has also been saved elsewhere.

My Win 11, on the ssd, is backed up, via Macrium image, to another hdd via usb. I occasionally back it up, but there's no data there, just basically the OS.

I like the idea about multiple backups on one external hdd. Right now I have backups for a couple of pc's on different hdd's.

mackie · Dec 6, 2021

NavyLCDR said:
Why would you have to replace the SSD with the HDD? Why couldn't you just plug the HDD into its own SATA port? Use bios boot override to boot from the HDD when you wanted to update it.

A little while ago I installed the SATA data cable to the hdd with Win 10, and went into Win 10 OS hdd via boot override. Did a security update there, and now I'm back on the Win 11 ssd. Working good so far.

Thanks again NavyLCDR!