Windows 10: Best image backup for Windows 10

What do people think is the best fastest full image backup for Windows 10, like Macrium or Paragon whatever, free or paid. Also being able to do an image to put on any PC or migrating to SSD etc.

:)

 

Best option for Windows 10 system image backup?

Hi,

Concerning the Flash Drive types... here is a link to a SanDisk forum that mentions it briefly...

http://forums.sandisk.com/t5/All-SanDisk-USB-Flash-Drives/USB-Flash-Drive-showing-up-as-LOCAL-DISK/td-p/309565

They are not the only manufacturer to do this, but the ones I had the initial encounter with.... I actually wish I could find a couple 64GB-128GB models... I have actually purchased a couple 32GB models thinking they would be a "Local Disk" like my previous
purchase, and they were not...

RE: Images... I have been able to copy the WindowsImageBackup files without any issues. I have also been able to Rename them, but the original file name must be restored to be useable...

I would think that copying the images from your Network Drive to a USB HDD would work just fine... Each folder having it's own name also helps to overcame the naming issue...

You could do a quick test just by booting with installation or repair media as though you were going to Recover an Image... just to see if it is available... then cancel the process and reboot...

 

Best option for Windows 10 system image backup?

Hi,

You can save a System Image to a USB Flash Drive of the proper type...

They are hard to find, and are not even specifically identified as being different...

At Microsoft's request, some manufacturers created some Flash Drives that DO NOT appear as Removable Drives, but a Fixed or Local Drive...

They won't work for a RECOVERY DRIVE though... weird, I know...

The biggest disadvantage of using the Backup and Recovery (Windows 7) is that it is limited in what it will let you restore the image to... If you are not upgrading your HDD to a SMALLER SSD or HDD, it will probably not work...

If restoring to a drive the same size or larger, it will probably work...

The Image file it creates will not work if it is renamed... That can be a bit of a problem if you want to save more than one of them...

I have read a number of threads in which the Image stored on a Network Drive was not available to Recover the Image because the computer\Repair Media that was booted with, is not effective in accessing the Network drive...

A standard USB HDD would be the best storage media...

I know nothing about Aomei, and very little about Macrium, other than the fact that it works... I personally use Acronis TrueImage..

For the most part, the 3rd party tools will not have most of the limitations as the Backup and Recovery (Windows 7)... which actually works well if used under the proper circumstances...

The problem with Aoemi, Macrium, and even Acronis, is that they need to be installed to be able to create bootable media... Then they clutter things up when are no longer needed to be installed...

Acronis comes on a bootable CD, but that isn't of much benefit if you purchase a download version...

Macrium MIGHT have bootable media ISO's available for download... I have never messed with Aoemi, but maybe I should check it out...

 

Couple of free versions:
1. AOMEI Backupper Free Backup Software for Windows 8.1
2. Macrium Reflect Free

Personally I use Macrium Reflect. I also tested AOMEI Backupper and found that Backupper is a little faster and their rescue disk also includes the Windows Recovery and Startup Repair.

Here's a short demo using Macrium to backup Windows 10

[youtube]IhhDU66HGyk[/youtube]

 

Thanks Topgun, I'll play around with those over the next few days, anymore?

 

Hi

I have already used EaseUS TODO backup to backup and restore my Windows 10 installation.
I managed to mess up the sound installing Windows Media Center, so I used the disk image to restore it.

In 20 minutes I was back up and running again.

I'm going to keep making backups as I progress so If I mess it up again I don't lose a lot of work.

EaseUS TODO backup is extremely easy to use.

Basically you just select the System Backup option. It has a Windows Logo on it.
It will show you the option to backup Drive C:\ and you just say Proceed.

That's it.

Under tools you will see the you will see the option to make a recovery disk that will boot your computer and give you just as simple an option to restore it.

I verified that the disk selected was the correct one (I'm dual booting) by checking the partition size.
I have backups for my Windows 8 install as well but it only saw my Windows 10 backups from Windows 10.

EaseUS Todo Backup software for data backup and recovery in Windows PC & Server.

Just pick the free one.

Mike

 

I just downloaded Macrium and burnt the PE disk, backed up the system, all in all about 30 minutes, but only 10 minutes for the image, not bad for a 5 year old computer.

I'll try some more over the next few days, but Macrium is looking pretty good so far.

 

Good choice! I have been using Macrium for a few years now and it as never once failed to restore an image.

 

+1 for Macrium

Macrium Reflect FREE Edition - Information and download

 

Backupper does incremental system backups while Macrium does not in the free version. Once a base image was created, the following backups only save the changes made to the system partition. This allows smaller backup files, is much faster than creating always a new base image and allows a reasonable backup history. Just fyi

 

It only takes ME 3mins max to create an entire image using Macrium.

 

DISM and a winPE disk.

 

I don't suppose you have a link to somewhere that describes how to do this?

 

Hi there

As a Commercial product I'd go for Acronis over the freebies - you can also selectively backup DATA as well as Images - and it handles ANY file system such as LINUX File systems or the new Ms file system due to replace NTFS and is currently incorporated into the Storage Spaces concept if you use those (better than RAID especially as you can use HDD's of DIFFERENT capacities whereas RAID expects the HDD's to be of the same size).

Incremental backups are a great idea too (some people might call these Differential backups) - but the idea is to backup data that's CHANGED since the last backup was taken.

Imaging is all very well and good - but you shouldn't forget your DATA as well - especially if you have large music collections which you ripped from 100's of CD's and stuff possibly got long ago from iTunes or whatever - or even stuff got from torrents. Re-creating all those again - even if possible - could take WEEKS !!. Don't forget also precious photos, scans of important documents, work documents, tax calculations, emails etc.

I don't like the PE approach either - unnecessarily complicated - and with Macrium you have to use some 3rd party solution to get the wretched thing to boot from a USB.

The other thing about Acronis is that you CAN do it from within Windows as well - and it doesn't rely on the somewhat "flakey" VSS (Volume shadowing system) which fails if you don't have about as much space on the HDD you are imaging to the amount needed for the backup.

Cheers
jimbo

 

Kari's tutorial: System Image - Create Hardware Independent System Image