Macrium Reflect Restore


You can make the process more difficult to understand by using any of these scenarios here, because they work. But the easy peasy way to prove that a backup will work in a demonstration is to to do exactly that. That way, you can make virtual machines and How to create partitions lessons for another day.

But I would stress that backing up to another partition on the same drive is not a preferrable way to go because it won't help you if the drive fails.
 

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You can make the process more difficult to understand by using any of these scenarios here, because they work. But the easy peasy way to prove that a backup will work in a demonstration is to to do exactly that. That way, you can make virtual machines and How to create partitions lessons for another day.

But I would stress that backing up to another partition on the same drive is not a preferrable way to go because it won't help you if the drive fails.
Thanks, @glasskuter.

I know I can demonstrate the restore process, but what I'm after is to have each student prove to himself/herself that their backup actually works. Yeah, it's going to be more difficult to teach, because I'm learning too.

I am in agreement that backups should be otherwhere than a partition on the drive where Windows resides. That's why the students all have external drives for their backups. As I said, what I'm going for is to allow the students to restore so they can see how it works, and to be sure it will work.

BTW, the drive I was thinking of partitioning is my 1 TB Internal Data Drive, not the one where Windows 10 & 11 resides.
 

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    Windows 11Intel Core i7 (10th gen) 1070016 GBIntel UHD Graphics 630
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    Windows 11
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    HP
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    Intel Core i7 (10th gen) 10700
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    SuperSpeed USB Type-A (4 on front)
    HP 3-in-One Card Readr
    SuperSpeed USB Type-C
    DVD Writer
Thanks, @glasskuter.

I know I can demonstrate the restore process, but what I'm after is to have each student prove to himself/herself that their backup actually works. Yeah, it's going to be more difficult to teach, because I'm learning too.

I am in agreement that backups should be otherwhere than a partition on the drive where Windows resides. That's why the students all have external drives for their backups. As I said, what I'm going for is to allow the students to restore so they can see how it works, and to be sure it will work.

BTW, the drive I was thinking of partitioning is my 1 TB Internal Data Drive, not the one where Windows 10 & 11 resides.
Nice thing about VHDs is they are just a file and do not affect partitions. Downside is you cannot do a full build upgrade but you do get cumulative updates though.

I have Dev in a vhdx, but I sometimes need to run vhdx in a Hyper-V VM to get updates. If you only have Home, you can enable Hyper-V on Home Install Hyper-V on Windows 11 Home but like everything, do that Reflect Backup first.
 

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Macrium Reflect Home V8
Office 365 Family (6 users each 1TB onedrive space)
Hyper-V (a vm runs almost as fast as my older laptop)
I am in agreement that backups should be otherwhere than a partition on the drive where Windows resides. That's why the students all have external drives for their backups. As I said, what I'm going for is to allow the students to restore so they can see how it works, and to be sure it will work.
It would be a lot simpler if the students had a second external drive to restore to. Either just for practice or for serious in case a student upgrades HDD > SSD
 

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Windows 10 Pro
OS
Windows 10 Pro
It would be a lot simpler if the students had a second external drive to restore to. Either just for practice or for serious in case a student upgrades HDD > SSD
I imagine this is simply a cost issue. I would be willing to donate some old hard drives but it may cost too much to send then internationally - maybe some of our friends across the Pond have some kicking around they would be willing to donate (assuming @Wynoma was receptive to idea).
 

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Windows 11 Pro + Win11 Canary VM.I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ16 GB solderedIntegrated Intel Iris XE
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ASUS Zenbook 14
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I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ
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Yep, Laptop has one.
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16 GB soldered
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Integrated Intel Iris XE
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Realtek built in
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laptop OLED screen
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2880x1800 touchscreen
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1 TB NVME SSD (only weakness is only one slot)
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Internal + 65W thunderbolt USB4 charger
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Yep, got one
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Stella Artois (UK pint cans - 568 ml) - extra cost.
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Built in UK keybd
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900 mbs (ethernet), wifi 6 typical 350-450 mb/s both up and down
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Edge
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Defender
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TPM 2.0, 2xUSB4 thunderbolt, 1xUsb3 (usb a), 1xUsb-c, hdmi out, 3.5 mm audio out/in combo, ASUS backlit trackpad (inc. switchable number pad)

Macrium Reflect Home V8
Office 365 Family (6 users each 1TB onedrive space)
Hyper-V (a vm runs almost as fast as my older laptop)
@Wynona herself probably has some old drives that she took out of her computers before recycling. A bigger issue might be the USB-to-SATA cables.

It just strikes me, as it did @glasskuter that the extraneous stuff is more complex than the actual restore procedure itself.

All in all, perhaps @Ghot is right in suggesting to restore to the computer itself. It just takes a strong stomach to do that in a classroom setting (?)
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 10 Pro
OS
Windows 10 Pro
@Wynona herself probably has some old drives that she took out of her computers before recycling. A bigger issue might be the USB-to-SATA cables.

It just strikes me, as it did @glasskuter that the extraneous stuff is more complex than the actual restore procedure itself.

All in all, perhaps @Ghot is right in suggesting to restore to the computer itself. It just takes a strong stomach to do that in a classroom setting (?)
I have lots of old spinners! Not much in the way of external drives.

However, I've looked at Amazon and off brand externals between 250 & 300 GB can be had for under $25.00, so hopefully not a hardship for the students.

I'm sharing a link to Amazon's off brand externals to see if anyone is familiar with any of them:


This would be great if they're good enough to be used more than once.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 23H2 22631.2861Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10700 CPU @ 2.90GHz 2.90...16384 MBytesIntel UHD Graphics 630
    OS
    Windows 11 23H2 22631.2861
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy TE01-1xxx
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    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10700 CPU @ 2.90GHz 2.90 GHz
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    16.0GB Dual-Channel Unknown @ 1463MHz (21-21-21-47)
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    16384 MBytes
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    Intel UHD Graphics 630
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    Realtek High Definition Audio
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    Monitor 1 - Acer 27" Monitor 2 - Acer 27"
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    WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G-1006 (SSD)
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    HP
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    That's all Folks!
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    Windows 11Intel Core i7 (10th gen) 1070016 GBIntel UHD Graphics 630
    Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 (10th gen) 10700
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Built-in
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    Acer 27" & Samsung 24"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x
    Hard Drives
    SSD (512 GB)
    HDD (1 TB)
    Seagate
    PSU
    Intel i7 10th Generation
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    HP
    Cooling
    HP/Intel?
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    Logitech Wave K350
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    Logitech M705
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    50 mbps
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    Firefox 90.2
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
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    SuperSpeed USB Type-A (4 on front)
    HP 3-in-One Card Readr
    SuperSpeed USB Type-C
    DVD Writer
Again, thanks everyone for your input and advice.

I need to get all this information (and there's a lot of it!) into some kind of order because I think it would be mucho beneficial to my students.
 

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  • At a glance

    Windows 11 23H2 22631.2861Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10700 CPU @ 2.90GHz 2.90...16384 MBytesIntel UHD Graphics 630
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    Windows 11 23H2 22631.2861
    Computer type
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    HP Envy TE01-1xxx
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    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10700 CPU @ 2.90GHz 2.90 GHz
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    16384 MBytes
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    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Monitor 1 - Acer 27" Monitor 2 - Acer 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G-1006 (SSD)
    Seagate ST1000DM003-1SB102
    Seagate BUP Slim SCSI Disk Device (SSD)
    PSU
    HP
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  • At a glance

    Windows 11Intel Core i7 (10th gen) 1070016 GBIntel UHD Graphics 630
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    Windows 11
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    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 (10th gen) 10700
    Motherboard
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    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
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    Acer 27" & Samsung 24"
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    1920 x
    Hard Drives
    SSD (512 GB)
    HDD (1 TB)
    Seagate
    PSU
    Intel i7 10th Generation
    Case
    HP
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    HP/Intel?
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    Logitech Wave K350
    Mouse
    Logitech M705
    Internet Speed
    50 mbps
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    Firefox 90.2
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Headphone/Microphone Combo
    SuperSpeed USB Type-A (4 on front)
    HP 3-in-One Card Readr
    SuperSpeed USB Type-C
    DVD Writer
Thanks, @glasskuter.

I know I can demonstrate the restore process, but what I'm after is to have each student prove to himself/herself that their backup actually works. Yeah, it's going to be more difficult to teach, because I'm learning too.

I am in agreement that backups should be otherwhere than a partition on the drive where Windows resides. That's why the students all have external drives for their backups. As I said, what I'm going for is to allow the students to restore so they can see how it works, and to be sure it will work.

BTW, the drive I was thinking of partitioning is my 1 TB Internal Data Drive, not the one where Windows 10 & 11 resides.
Wynona, if you're looking for a warm and fuzzy notification that all is well, how about showing them the option to email themselves with a "Hurrah! It worked" email upon successful completion?

Just a thought..........................
2022-03-22_18h06_09.png
 

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Multi-boot Windows 11 & 10 - RTM, RP, Beta, D...11th Gen i9-11900KF @ 3.50GHz, 8 cores/16 log...32GBNVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 w/10GB GDDR5X mem
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1TB Samsung SSD 850 EVO,
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1TB WD Elements 10A8 USB Device,
1TB BUFFALO HD-PNTU3 USB Device,
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Altec 5.1 Speakers L-R, Mid Base Boom,

Macrium Home Premium, Revo Pro, Screenspresso Pro
Wynona, the email alert TC suggests would certainly provide a 'warm fuzzy' confirmation, but it is a Premium feature. It can only be used in Reflect Free if you upgrade to the 30 day trial, and you'll get an offer to upgrade if you try to use it. It's quite safe to upgrade, even if you never intend to buy. At the end of the trial it will prompt you to purchase, and if you decline it will revert to Reflect Free.

Reflect Free v8 - email premium feature.png
 

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    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 2021 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, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.

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    I've now clean installed 25H2 and used Garlin's scripts to update Secure Boot to CA 2023 and revoke the PCA 2011 certificates. It's new role is to test secure boot issues.
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel® Core™ i5-520M8GB(integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
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    Dell Latitude E4310
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    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
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    0T6M8G
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    8GB
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    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
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    In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround.
    Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.
    In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media.
    Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package.

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  • My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

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    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
Wynona, if you're looking for a warm and fuzzy notification that all is well, how about showing them the option to email themselves with a "Hurrah! It worked" email upon successful completion?

Just a thought..........................
View attachment 25092
:ROFLMAO: :giggle: Nice one, TC!

So, if it tells me "all is well", does that mean the backup will restore as advertised?

My main concern is that I want my students to be sure they can restore if necessary.

And I do like Haydon's suggestion to restore to an external drive.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 23H2 22631.2861Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10700 CPU @ 2.90GHz 2.90...16384 MBytesIntel UHD Graphics 630
    OS
    Windows 11 23H2 22631.2861
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy TE01-1xxx
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10700 CPU @ 2.90GHz 2.90 GHz
    Motherboard
    16.0GB Dual-Channel Unknown @ 1463MHz (21-21-21-47)
    Memory
    16384 MBytes
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Monitor 1 - Acer 27" Monitor 2 - Acer 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G-1006 (SSD)
    Seagate ST1000DM003-1SB102
    Seagate BUP Slim SCSI Disk Device (SSD)
    PSU
    HP
    Case
    HP
    Cooling
    Standard
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wave K350
    Mouse
    Logitech M705
    Internet Speed
    500 mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    That's all Folks!
  • At a glance

    Windows 11Intel Core i7 (10th gen) 1070016 GBIntel UHD Graphics 630
    Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 (10th gen) 10700
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Built-in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer 27" & Samsung 24"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x
    Hard Drives
    SSD (512 GB)
    HDD (1 TB)
    Seagate
    PSU
    Intel i7 10th Generation
    Case
    HP
    Cooling
    HP/Intel?
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wave K350
    Mouse
    Logitech M705
    Internet Speed
    50 mbps
    Browser
    Firefox 90.2
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Headphone/Microphone Combo
    SuperSpeed USB Type-A (4 on front)
    HP 3-in-One Card Readr
    SuperSpeed USB Type-C
    DVD Writer
Wynona, the email alert TC suggests would certainly provide a 'warm fuzzy' confirmation, but it is a Premium feature. It can only be used in Reflect Free if you upgrade to the 30 day trial, and you'll get an offer to upgrade if you try to use it. It's quite safe to upgrade, even if you never intend to buy. At the end of the trial it will prompt you to purchase, and if you decline it will revert to Reflect Free.

View attachment 25095
Not a bad idea at all, Bree! Maybe they should know what they're missing by using only the free version.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 23H2 22631.2861Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10700 CPU @ 2.90GHz 2.90...16384 MBytesIntel UHD Graphics 630
    OS
    Windows 11 23H2 22631.2861
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy TE01-1xxx
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10700 CPU @ 2.90GHz 2.90 GHz
    Motherboard
    16.0GB Dual-Channel Unknown @ 1463MHz (21-21-21-47)
    Memory
    16384 MBytes
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Monitor 1 - Acer 27" Monitor 2 - Acer 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G-1006 (SSD)
    Seagate ST1000DM003-1SB102
    Seagate BUP Slim SCSI Disk Device (SSD)
    PSU
    HP
    Case
    HP
    Cooling
    Standard
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wave K350
    Mouse
    Logitech M705
    Internet Speed
    500 mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    That's all Folks!
  • At a glance

    Windows 11Intel Core i7 (10th gen) 1070016 GBIntel UHD Graphics 630
    Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 (10th gen) 10700
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Built-in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer 27" & Samsung 24"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x
    Hard Drives
    SSD (512 GB)
    HDD (1 TB)
    Seagate
    PSU
    Intel i7 10th Generation
    Case
    HP
    Cooling
    HP/Intel?
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wave K350
    Mouse
    Logitech M705
    Internet Speed
    50 mbps
    Browser
    Firefox 90.2
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Headphone/Microphone Combo
    SuperSpeed USB Type-A (4 on front)
    HP 3-in-One Card Readr
    SuperSpeed USB Type-C
    DVD Writer
Maybe I'm missing what you are saying but wouldn't a visual make it more effective. If they can see it, they'll believe it.
Let them each make a file, take a funny photo if they have a camera, install a program, whatever.
Make a backup. Physically delete the file, photo, or program and clean recycle bin so they can verify it's actually gone.
Restore the backup so they can see what was deleted has returned.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8875i9-10900 10 core 20 threads32 gbnone-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8875
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    2x1tb Solidigm m.2 nvme /External drives 512gb Samsung m.2 sata+2tb Kingston m2.nvme
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    #1 Edge #2 Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26200.8875AMD Ryzen 7 6800U32 gbintegrated
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26200.8875
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Beelink Mini PC SER5
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 6800U
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics card(s)
    integrated
    Sound Card
    integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Crucial nvme
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    still too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    System 3 is non compliant Dell 9020 i7-4770/24gb ram Win11 PRO 26200.8875
I don't know how you teach but, when I taught at the senior center, I actually planned my lesson with an outline, and made written step by step tutorials (in large fonts) that I passed out before we actually went over whatever that days' lesson was about. It seemed to keep me and the class on track. They could follow along as I went over it, make their own notes, and have something they could refer back to later. They considered it a security blanket.

They saved them all as did I so they were already prepared the next time I taught a similar class, or if a member lost his and wanted another copy. I haven't taught in a number of years and I really miss it. Health issues won't let me any more.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8875i9-10900 10 core 20 threads32 gbnone-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8875
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    2x1tb Solidigm m.2 nvme /External drives 512gb Samsung m.2 sata+2tb Kingston m2.nvme
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    #1 Edge #2 Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26200.8875AMD Ryzen 7 6800U32 gbintegrated
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26200.8875
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Beelink Mini PC SER5
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 6800U
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics card(s)
    integrated
    Sound Card
    integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Crucial nvme
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    still too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    System 3 is non compliant Dell 9020 i7-4770/24gb ram Win11 PRO 26200.8875
And I do like Haydon's suggestion to restore to an external drive.
Thanks for liking my suggestion @Wynona :D

That suggestion actually came from my own circumstance. I am still evaluating MR as one of my backup and restore tools, but I am beginning to like it more and more. If I decide to adopt it as a tool in my toolbox, I will buy a dedicated external SSD to test restore to it, test boot from it, surf the web a little with it, etc. at least once in a while and who knows, it may bail me out one day although I hope that will never be the case :eek1:
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 10 Pro
OS
Windows 10 Pro
I am still evaluating MR as one of my backup and restore tools, but I am beginning to like it more and more. If I decide to adopt it as a tool in my toolbox, I will buy a dedicated external SSD to test restore to it, test boot from it, surf the web a little with it, etc.
Another nice test of a Macrium image is to boot it up as a virtual machine using viBoot (included in Reflect Free). Starting with v8 you can also use VirtualBox with viBoot, in v7 it only supported using Hyper-V.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeAMD Athlon Silver 3050U8GBRadeon Graphics
    OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
    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 (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 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 2021 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, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.

    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to mechanical deterioration this PC has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven in 'Other systems' to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    I've now clean installed 25H2 and used Garlin's scripts to update Secure Boot to CA 2023 and revoke the PCA 2011 certificates. It's new role is to test secure boot issues.
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel® Core™ i5-520M8GB(integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude 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.
    In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media.
    Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package.

    Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.
  • My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
Another nice test of a Macrium image is to boot it up as a virtual machine using viBoot (included in Reflect Free). Starting with v8 you can also use VirtualBox with viBoot, in v7 it only supported using Hyper-V.
My goodness, I'm afraid I would need tutorials to get into such goodies :cool:
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 10 Pro
OS
Windows 10 Pro

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeAMD Athlon Silver 3050U8GBRadeon Graphics
    OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
    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 (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 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 2021 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, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.

    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to mechanical deterioration this PC has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven in 'Other systems' to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    I've now clean installed 25H2 and used Garlin's scripts to update Secure Boot to CA 2023 and revoke the PCA 2011 certificates. It's new role is to test secure boot issues.
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel® Core™ i5-520M8GB(integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude 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.
    In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media.
    Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package.

    Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.
  • My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
LOL, that will take me a while to get it under my belt :)
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 10 Pro
OS
Windows 10 Pro
LOL, that will take me a while to get it under my belt :)
It's actually very easy to use viBoot to make a VM - far easier then setting one up from scratch in either Hyper-V or VirtualBox.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeAMD Athlon Silver 3050U8GBRadeon Graphics
    OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
    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 (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 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 2021 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, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.

    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to mechanical deterioration this PC has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven in 'Other systems' to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    I've now clean installed 25H2 and used Garlin's scripts to update Secure Boot to CA 2023 and revoke the PCA 2011 certificates. It's new role is to test secure boot issues.
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel® Core™ i5-520M8GB(integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude 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.
    In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media.
    Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package.

    Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.
  • My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
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