How do you keep a backup of all your programs' settings?


Fortitude

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Windows 11 Pro 22H2 OS Build 22621.675
My recent experience with installing both Windows and all my other programs from scratch has given rise to the question of how to ensure that one should keep an up to date backup of program settings to the utmost degree possible.

Installing Windows was straightforward. Nothing much to ask from the user. However, installing one's programs can be a very long and tedious task when it comes to configuring or customising them. I took the precaution of safely saving or exporting my program settings including those of browser addons before going through Windows installation. It took some time, but it paid off in the end as I didn't have to customize every program after installing it. I simply used the backup configuration accordingly. Even so despite my diligence there were a couple of programs where I missed backing up the settings.

What do you do about keeping an up to date backup of your program settings including those of browser addons?
 
Windows Build/Version
Windows 11 Build 22000.376

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2 OS Build 22621.675
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 5482 2-in-1
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-8565U
    Memory
    8GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps/300Mbps (nominal)
    Browser
    Chrome, Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, Defender UI, Voodooshield

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook 14
    CPU
    I7
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    N/A
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
    PSU
    Yep, got one
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois
    Keyboard
    Built in
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wired
    Internet Speed
    72 Mb/s :-(
    Browser
    Edge mostly
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0
What do you do about keeping an up to date backup of your program settings including those of browser addons?
Unless there is a major update, even an old backup should cover it. I backup ini/xml files from %AppData%
Browser addons are a bit tedious, I do not understand why browsers do not backup those yet, unbelievable.
Code:
rem Enhancer for Youtube
rem {"version":"2.0.108","settings":{"blur":0,"brightness":100,"contrast":100,"grayscale":0,"huerotate":0,"invert":0,"saturate":100,"sepia":0,"applyvideofilters":false,"backgroundcolor":"#000000","backgroundopacity":50,"blackbars":false,"blockads":true,"blockadsexceptforsubs":false,"blockautoplay":false,"blockhfrformats":false,"blockwebmformats":false,"cinemamode":false,"cinemamodewideplayer":false,"controlbar":{"active":true,"autohide":false,"centered":true,"position":"fixed"},"controls":[],"controlsvisible":false,"controlspeed":false,"controlspeedmousebutton":false,"controlvolume":false,"controlvolumemousebutton":false,"customcolors":{"--dimmer-text":"#cccccc","--hover-background":"#232323","--main-background":"#111111","--main-color":"#00adee","--main-text":"#eff0f1","--second-background":"#181818","--shadow":"#000000"},"customcssrules":"","customscript":"","customtheme":false,"darktheme":true,"date":1590884155282,"defaultvolume":false,"disableautoplay":false,"executescript":false,"expanddescription":false,"filter":"none","hidecardsendscreens":false,"hidechat":false,"hidecomments":false,"hiderelated":false,"ignoreplaylists":false,"ignorepopupplayer":true,"localecode":"en_US","localedir":"ltr","message":false,"miniplayer":false,"miniplayerposition":"_top-left","miniplayersize":"_400x225","newestcomments":false,"overridespeeds":false,"pauseforegroundtab":false,"pausevideos":false,"popuplayersize":"640x360","qualityembeds":"hd720","qualityembedsfullscreen":"hd1080","qualityplaylists":"hd1080","qualityplaylistsfullscreen":"hd1080","qualityvideos":"hd1080","qualityvideosfullscreen":"hd1080","reload":false,"reversemousewheeldirection":false,"selectquality":true,"selectqualityfullscreenoff":false,"selectqualityfullscreenon":false,"speed":1,"speedvariation":0.1,"stopvideos":false,"theatermode":false,"theme":"default-dark","themevariant":"youtube-deep-dark.css","update":1619098163598,"volume":50,"volumemultiplier":3,"volumevariation":5,"whitelist":"","wideplayer":false,"wideplayerviewport":false}}

rem 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
Some store settings in registry that is pretty straightforward, like 7-zip or XnView.
Code:
reg add "HKCU\Software\7-Zip\Compression" /v "Archiver" /t "REG_SZ" /d "7z" /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\7-Zip\Compression" /v "Level" /t "REG_DWORD" /d "9" /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\7-Zip\Compression\Options\7z" /v "Level" /t "REG_DWORD" /d "9" /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\7-Zip\Options" /v "CascadedMenu" /t "REG_DWORD" /d "1" /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\7-Zip\Options" /v "ContextMenu" /t "REG_DWORD" /d "263" /f

reg add "HKCU\Software\XnView" /v "UseRegistry" /t "REG_DWORD" /d "1" /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\XnView\Browser" /v "ShowToolTips" /t "REG_DWORD" /d "0" /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\XnView\Browser" /v "StartupDirectory" /t "REG_SZ" /d "Z:\Desktop" /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\XnView\Browser" /v "StartupIn" /t "REG_DWORD" /d "2" /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\XnView\Capture" /v "Delay" /t "REG_DWORD" /d "2" /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\XnView\Capture" /v "Directory" /t "REG_SZ" /d "Z:\Desktop" /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\XnView\Capture" /v "HotKey" /t "REG_DWORD" /d "9" /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\XnView\Capture" /v "IncludeCursor" /t "REG_DWORD" /d "0" /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\XnView\Capture" /v "Method" /t "REG_DWORD" /d "0" /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\XnView\Capture" /v "Multiple" /t "REG_DWORD" /d "1" /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\XnView\Capture" /v "SaveIntoFile" /t "REG_DWORD" /d "1" /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\XnView\Start" /v "MaximizeXnviewAtStartup" /t "REG_DWORD" /d "1" /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\XnView\Start" /v "OnlyOneInstance" /t "REG_DWORD" /d "1" /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\XnView\Start" /v "PathSave" /t "REG_SZ" /d "Z:\Desktop" /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\XnView\Start" /v "SavePosition" /t "REG_DWORD" /d "0" /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\XnView\Start" /v "ShowSaveDlg" /t "REG_DWORD" /d "0" /f
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 5 3600 & No fTPM (07/19)
    Motherboard
    MSI B450 TOMAHAWK 7C02v1E & IFX TPM (07/19)
    Memory
    4x 8GB ADATA XPG GAMMIX D10 DDR4 3200MHz CL16
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI Radeon RX 580 ARMOR 8G OC @48FPS (08/19)
    Sound Card
    Creative Sound Blaster Z (11/16)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" AOC G2460VQ6 (01/19)
    Screen Resolution
    1920×1080@75Hz & FreeSync (DisplayPort)
    Hard Drives
    ADATA XPG GAMMIX S11 Pro SSD 512GB (07/19)
    PSU
    Seasonic M12II-520 80 Plus Bronze (11/16)
    Case
    Lian Li PC-7NB & 3x Noctua NF-S12A FLX@700rpm (11/16)
    Cooling
    CPU Cooler Noctua NH-U12S@700rpm (07/19)
    Keyboard
    HP Wired Desktop 320K + Rabalux 76017 Parker (01/24)
    Mouse
    Logitech M330 Silent Plus (04/23)
    Internet Speed
    400/40 Mbps via RouterOS (05/21) & TCP Optimizer
    Browser
    Edge (No FB/Google) & Brave for YouTube & LibreWolf for FB
    Antivirus
    NoAV & Binisoft WFC & NextDNS
    Other Info
    Headphones: Sennheiser RS170 (09/10)
    Phone: Samsung Galaxy Xcover 7 (02/24)

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2 OS Build 22621.675
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 5482 2-in-1
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-8565U
    Memory
    8GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps/300Mbps (nominal)
    Browser
    Chrome, Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, Defender UI, Voodooshield
I use Macrium Reflect, if you update files a lot a weekly update works or whenever you feel your data has changed enough to warrant it. Aoemi Backupper is good to
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware M18 R1
    CPU
    13th Gen Core i9 13900HX
    Memory
    32GB DDR5 @4800MHz 2x16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Geforce RTX 4090HX 16GB
    Sound Card
    Nvidia HD / Realtek ALC3254
    Monitor(s) Displays
    18" QHD+
    Screen Resolution
    25660 X 1600
    Hard Drives
    C: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    D: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    Case
    Dark Metallic Moon
    Keyboard
    Alienware M Series per-key AlienFX RGB
    Mouse
    Alienware AW610M
    Browser
    Chrome and Firefox
    Antivirus
    Norton
    Other Info
    Killer E3000 Ethernet Controller
    Killer Killer AX1690 Wi-Fi Network Adaptor Wi-Fi 6E
    Bluetooth 5.2
    Alienware Z01G Graphic Amplifier
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware Area 51m R2
    CPU
    10th Gen i-9 10900 K
    Memory
    32Gb Dual Channel DDR4 @ 8843MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia RTX 2080 Super
    Sound Card
    Nvidia
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Hard Drive C: Samsung 2TB SSD PM981a NVMe
    Hard Drive D:Samsung 2TB SSD 970 EVO Plus
    Mouse
    Alienware 610M
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Norton
Loads of ways to BU .. you pays your money you takes your choice.. My choice use Acronis True Image 20 or 21 both as good as each other. Boot from a USB stick and make a weekly image back up (or when you intend to muck about with settings!!) It takes 8 - 10 minutes for the average W10 partition. Recovery is the same - boot from your USB etc. Other advice keep your images on an external drive or stick just in case!!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
Firefox is my browser of choice, but I don't use any addons. For a clean install on a new machine I copy my Firefox profile from %Appdata%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles to the new install. This contains all my bookmarks, login cookies and settings for Firefox.

There's also an %AppData%\Mozilla\Firefox\Extensions folder. I presume I could just copy that over too, though I've not needed to test that.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Lattitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
I use multiple methods:

1. Regular MR image backups, plus a "golden" image from a clean install with apps & customizations
2. Copies of config files where possible
3. A folder with all the app installers, periodically updated with the newest version
4. A detailed spreadsheet with all apps, settings, and OS configurations

No worries about doing a clean install, if necessary, except for the day or two required to get everything back to normal.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP / Spectre x360 Convertible 13
    CPU
    i5-8250U
    Motherboard
    83B9 56.50
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel(R) UHD Graphics 620
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio(SST)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 256GB SSD
    Internet Speed
    500Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Browser addons are a bit tedious, I do not understand why browsers do not backup those yet, unbelievable.
I have found that Edge's sync function tends to remember and install my extensions, if not their settings.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Pro (Insider Beta channel)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer AN515-54
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-9300H CPU @ 2.40GHz 2.40 GHz
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650, Intel UHD 630
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer CB272D
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    256GB and 1T SSD
    Keyboard
    Logitech K375S
    Mouse
    Logitech M510
    Internet Speed
    250MB
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
  • Operating System
    Win 11 Pro (Insider Canary Channel, unsupported)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell E6430
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3540M CPU @ 3.00GHz 3.00 GHz (non-compliant)
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000, NVIDIA NVS 5200M
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Yes Edge does and so Does Chrome as long as you select what to sync and have it turned on
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware M18 R1
    CPU
    13th Gen Core i9 13900HX
    Memory
    32GB DDR5 @4800MHz 2x16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Geforce RTX 4090HX 16GB
    Sound Card
    Nvidia HD / Realtek ALC3254
    Monitor(s) Displays
    18" QHD+
    Screen Resolution
    25660 X 1600
    Hard Drives
    C: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    D: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    Case
    Dark Metallic Moon
    Keyboard
    Alienware M Series per-key AlienFX RGB
    Mouse
    Alienware AW610M
    Browser
    Chrome and Firefox
    Antivirus
    Norton
    Other Info
    Killer E3000 Ethernet Controller
    Killer Killer AX1690 Wi-Fi Network Adaptor Wi-Fi 6E
    Bluetooth 5.2
    Alienware Z01G Graphic Amplifier
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware Area 51m R2
    CPU
    10th Gen i-9 10900 K
    Memory
    32Gb Dual Channel DDR4 @ 8843MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia RTX 2080 Super
    Sound Card
    Nvidia
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Hard Drive C: Samsung 2TB SSD PM981a NVMe
    Hard Drive D:Samsung 2TB SSD 970 EVO Plus
    Mouse
    Alienware 610M
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Norton
Now I tend to use Macrium Reflect for images and Aomei backupper for files and folders
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware M18 R1
    CPU
    13th Gen Core i9 13900HX
    Memory
    32GB DDR5 @4800MHz 2x16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Geforce RTX 4090HX 16GB
    Sound Card
    Nvidia HD / Realtek ALC3254
    Monitor(s) Displays
    18" QHD+
    Screen Resolution
    25660 X 1600
    Hard Drives
    C: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    D: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    Case
    Dark Metallic Moon
    Keyboard
    Alienware M Series per-key AlienFX RGB
    Mouse
    Alienware AW610M
    Browser
    Chrome and Firefox
    Antivirus
    Norton
    Other Info
    Killer E3000 Ethernet Controller
    Killer Killer AX1690 Wi-Fi Network Adaptor Wi-Fi 6E
    Bluetooth 5.2
    Alienware Z01G Graphic Amplifier
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware Area 51m R2
    CPU
    10th Gen i-9 10900 K
    Memory
    32Gb Dual Channel DDR4 @ 8843MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia RTX 2080 Super
    Sound Card
    Nvidia
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Hard Drive C: Samsung 2TB SSD PM981a NVMe
    Hard Drive D:Samsung 2TB SSD 970 EVO Plus
    Mouse
    Alienware 610M
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Norton
They're stored on my own hard drive :wink: The brain
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    10700k@5.2
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Gaming X Z490
    Memory
    Viper Steelseries 32gb@ 3600mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte 2070 Super 8GB, +200 core + 600 memory
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS 4k HDR, Two 1080p Benq and Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160/2560x1440/1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Adata XPG SX8200 PRO 1tb
    Samsung EVO 870 500GB
    PSU
    Corsair RX 650
    Case
    NZXT h510
    Cooling
    CM HYPER 212 RGB
    Keyboard
    Razer Ornata Chroma
    Mouse
    Steelseries Rival 710
Firefox is my browser of choice, but I don't use any addons. For a clean install on a new machine I copy my Firefox profile from %Appdata%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles to the new install. This contains all my bookmarks, login cookies and settings for Firefox.

There's also an %AppData%\Mozilla\Firefox\Extensions folder. I presume I could just copy that over too, though I've not needed to test that.
I use this
Firefox backup 1.2. Simple an efficient :wink:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i9-12900K Desktop Processor 16 (8P+8E)
    Motherboard
    Asus TUF Gaming Z790-PLUS WIFI D4
    Memory
    G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32gb (2x16gb) DDR4 3200mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus Dual Geforce Rtx™ 3060 TI Edition 8gb Gddr6
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ EW3270U 31.5” 3840x2160 UHD 16:9 HDR LED 4K LG 27UK850-W 27'' 4K UHD IPS LED Monitor with HDR10
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 990 with heatsink PRO PCIe 4.0 Gen 4 NVMe® SSD 1TB
    WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe M.2 2280 1TB PCI-Express 4.0
    Crucial T500 2TB Gen4
    Samsung 970 Evo M.2 2280 2tb Pcie Gen3. X4
    PSU
    Corsair AXi Series AX860i Digital 860W 80 PLUS PSU
    Case
    Fractal Meshify C ATX Mid Tower Case
    Keyboard
    Logi MX Keys
    Mouse
    Logi M705
    Internet Speed
    400 mbs
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Eset NOD32
    Other Info
    Love fast boots
I have found that Edge's sync function tends to remember and install my extensions, if not their settings.
I don't use sync on all machines so:

I save the user folder (C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Edge\User Data) and place it back on new install with a reg tweak.
Save 2 folders
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Edge\PreferenceMACs\Default
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Edge\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings]
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i9-12900K Desktop Processor 16 (8P+8E)
    Motherboard
    Asus TUF Gaming Z790-PLUS WIFI D4
    Memory
    G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32gb (2x16gb) DDR4 3200mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus Dual Geforce Rtx™ 3060 TI Edition 8gb Gddr6
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ EW3270U 31.5” 3840x2160 UHD 16:9 HDR LED 4K LG 27UK850-W 27'' 4K UHD IPS LED Monitor with HDR10
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 990 with heatsink PRO PCIe 4.0 Gen 4 NVMe® SSD 1TB
    WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe M.2 2280 1TB PCI-Express 4.0
    Crucial T500 2TB Gen4
    Samsung 970 Evo M.2 2280 2tb Pcie Gen3. X4
    PSU
    Corsair AXi Series AX860i Digital 860W 80 PLUS PSU
    Case
    Fractal Meshify C ATX Mid Tower Case
    Keyboard
    Logi MX Keys
    Mouse
    Logi M705
    Internet Speed
    400 mbs
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Eset NOD32
    Other Info
    Love fast boots
I use Chrome and have the sync feature enabled, so I don't have to worry about any of my bookmarks, extentions, etc. I take regular backups with Macrium so I can restore if needed. My email is in the cloud. I don't actually have a ton of software installed that requires much configuration. The games I play all have an online component it seems where my progress is stored in the cloud.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Beelink SEI8
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8279u
    Motherboard
    AZW SEI
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 2666Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Iris Plus 655
    Sound Card
    Intel SST
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus ProArt PA278QV
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    512GB NVMe
    PSU
    NA
    Case
    NA
    Cooling
    NA
    Keyboard
    NA
    Mouse
    NA
    Internet Speed
    500/50
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    Mini PC used for testing Windows 11.
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Ryzen 9 5900x
    Motherboard
    Asus Rog Strix X570-E Gaming
    Memory
    64GB DDR4-3600
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GeForce 3080 FT3 Ultra
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQ. ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV 27” WQHD
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    2TB WD SN850 PCI-E Gen 4 NVMe
    2TB Sandisk Ultra 2.5" SATA SSD
    PSU
    Seasonic Focus 850
    Case
    Fractal Meshify S2 in White
    Cooling
    Dark Rock Pro CPU cooler, 3 x 140mm case fans
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Keyboard
    Corsiar K65 RGB Lux
    Internet Speed
    500/50
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Defender.
My OS is imaged 3 times a week and copies kept over time via Macrium. What I work with/on, is recorded daily and copies over time recorded.
Images of my work folders and of my OS has saved me when needed.
I used Macrium images to help the transition from W10 to w11, and back, a number of times. OMG, so pleased and thankful for utilities that make changes so easy. :ufo:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 11
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Omen 880-030
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen R7-1700 8-Core 3.0GHz
    Memory
    16gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX1070
    Hard Drives
    ssd + ssd +HD
    Internet Speed
    100/100
    Browser
    Edge
    Other Info
    Macrium Reflect
Is there a button to clcik that will export all your personalizations? NO.
"Some" few programs, do have a way to export their settings. Not many though.


As many have mentioned... backup software is the way to go. The method you end up using, the method that works the best for you... will be discovered by you, by trial and error.

Mostly, this is my method...
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦22631.3374 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 4702)
    Memory
    G.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220P / ALC S1220A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U3011 30"
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1600
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 860 EVO 500GB,
    WD 4TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    WD 8TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    DRW-24B1ST CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling 750W Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Cooler Master ATCS 840 Tower
    Cooling
    CM Hyper 212 EVO (push/pull)
    Keyboard
    Ducky DK9008 Shine II Blue LED
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-100
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox (latest)
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Internet Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1
  • Operating System
    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® (not in use)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
    Memory
    TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic G90FB Black 19" Professional (CRT)
    Screen Resolution
    up to 2048 x 1536
    Hard Drives
    WD 36GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
    Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA
    Lite-On LTR-52246S CD/RW
    Lite-On LH-18A1P CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Generic Beige case, 80mm fans
    Cooling
    ZALMAN 9500A 92mm CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 13 years?
I Have just read your post from Tenforums @Ghot I totally agree, I do all those things except I do update drivers more often (y)
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware M18 R1
    CPU
    13th Gen Core i9 13900HX
    Memory
    32GB DDR5 @4800MHz 2x16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Geforce RTX 4090HX 16GB
    Sound Card
    Nvidia HD / Realtek ALC3254
    Monitor(s) Displays
    18" QHD+
    Screen Resolution
    25660 X 1600
    Hard Drives
    C: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    D: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    Case
    Dark Metallic Moon
    Keyboard
    Alienware M Series per-key AlienFX RGB
    Mouse
    Alienware AW610M
    Browser
    Chrome and Firefox
    Antivirus
    Norton
    Other Info
    Killer E3000 Ethernet Controller
    Killer Killer AX1690 Wi-Fi Network Adaptor Wi-Fi 6E
    Bluetooth 5.2
    Alienware Z01G Graphic Amplifier
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware Area 51m R2
    CPU
    10th Gen i-9 10900 K
    Memory
    32Gb Dual Channel DDR4 @ 8843MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia RTX 2080 Super
    Sound Card
    Nvidia
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Hard Drive C: Samsung 2TB SSD PM981a NVMe
    Hard Drive D:Samsung 2TB SSD 970 EVO Plus
    Mouse
    Alienware 610M
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Norton
I Have just read your post from Tenforums @Ghot I totally agree, I do all those things except I do update drivers more often (y)


I've pretty much, done it that way since Windows XP.
Sometimes, it means a lot of backups and restores... like when I'm testing something or troubleshooting something.

Other times, it might be a month between backups.
Since Win 10, and definitely on Win 11, I pretty much always make a full backup, right before patch Tuesday.

Drivers, I don't really mess with except for chipset, vid drivers, and the occasional BIOS flash.
The rest... at least in my case, hardly ever need updated.
I also use Winaero Tweaker to block Windows driver updates. That solves most driver problems, before they start.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦22631.3374 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 4702)
    Memory
    G.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220P / ALC S1220A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U3011 30"
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1600
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 860 EVO 500GB,
    WD 4TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    WD 8TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    DRW-24B1ST CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling 750W Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Cooler Master ATCS 840 Tower
    Cooling
    CM Hyper 212 EVO (push/pull)
    Keyboard
    Ducky DK9008 Shine II Blue LED
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-100
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox (latest)
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Internet Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1
  • Operating System
    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® (not in use)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
    Memory
    TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic G90FB Black 19" Professional (CRT)
    Screen Resolution
    up to 2048 x 1536
    Hard Drives
    WD 36GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
    Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA
    Lite-On LTR-52246S CD/RW
    Lite-On LH-18A1P CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Generic Beige case, 80mm fans
    Cooling
    ZALMAN 9500A 92mm CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 13 years?
Snap ! I think I have been doing it without even thinking about it, especially the backups before testing etc.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware M18 R1
    CPU
    13th Gen Core i9 13900HX
    Memory
    32GB DDR5 @4800MHz 2x16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Geforce RTX 4090HX 16GB
    Sound Card
    Nvidia HD / Realtek ALC3254
    Monitor(s) Displays
    18" QHD+
    Screen Resolution
    25660 X 1600
    Hard Drives
    C: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    D: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    Case
    Dark Metallic Moon
    Keyboard
    Alienware M Series per-key AlienFX RGB
    Mouse
    Alienware AW610M
    Browser
    Chrome and Firefox
    Antivirus
    Norton
    Other Info
    Killer E3000 Ethernet Controller
    Killer Killer AX1690 Wi-Fi Network Adaptor Wi-Fi 6E
    Bluetooth 5.2
    Alienware Z01G Graphic Amplifier
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware Area 51m R2
    CPU
    10th Gen i-9 10900 K
    Memory
    32Gb Dual Channel DDR4 @ 8843MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia RTX 2080 Super
    Sound Card
    Nvidia
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Hard Drive C: Samsung 2TB SSD PM981a NVMe
    Hard Drive D:Samsung 2TB SSD 970 EVO Plus
    Mouse
    Alienware 610M
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Norton

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