Windows 10: Good method to back up Win 10 system?

I am just curious, does anyone know how the backup works in Win10? In other words, does it default to a differential backup of the system image....or a differential backup of the files/folders? I am a bit confused on this issue. I understand the free version of Macrium Reflect only makes system images and differentials of those system images (no backups of files/folders nor differentials of those files/folders). Am I correct on this? I am just trying to get an understanding of how Macrium Free differs from the built in version inside Win10. No doubt, the paid version of Macrium Reflect is best, but I want to experiment with the free options first.

I did run into a problem today. My Western Digital My Book Essential external hard drive (1TB) is not being recognized in Windows 10. And when I called WD about it today, the person I spoke to didn't have any answers about when/if it will be supported. So I had to resort to using a smaller Seagate 500GB SSD. Now, this drive is nicer because it's SSD. However, it's also only half the size as my WD. So this brings up a second question. Does anyone know if older versions of WD external drives (like mine) will be supported anytime soon in Win10?

 

Thank you! Didn't know what kind of image file Windows backup created 'cause I never used it Macrium Reflect also has an option to convert it's image files to VHD.

 

Same here.

 

@NavyLCDR
I made a mistake, actually the file extension is .VHDX not .VHD.
Here's the screen shot of what Windows Built in backup containing multiple files which is bad. If any of these files are corrupted/missing then it will fail to restore while Macrium Reflect Free or AOMEI Backupper produces only a single file which you can just double click and mount. With Windows built in, you have to open Disk management->Attach the .vhdx, assign a letter then you can explore it. In addition, there's no way to verify whether the backup is any good.
NOTE: The 3 .VHDX files are: Recovery, EFI System and C Drive.




As mentioned above, Macrium also has an option to convert its .mrimg file into a VHD file. Which you can use to create a virtual machine using VmPlayer.

Macrium also can be used as a mini partition manager using drag and drop.

 

I use Macrium Reflect exclusively. Just didn't know you could mount an image file made from Windows back up.

 

Has anyone tried the new NovaStore Backup 17.1 yet? they have a deal that's is ending today for $50 for 2 PC's. If not, I may opt for AOMEI instead.

 

I have my way, I like mine better. Boot with EaseUS ISO/USB drive, Take a full backup of as many drives as you want, Store on USB drive, call it a day .If I want a single file, I can restore it from it by pretty much drag and drop.

 

Yes I tried it last week but was very dissapointed. It started with the install where I kept getting errors. I finally got it installed but was not impressed. The reviews I read said it was the best but not in my opinion! I didn't like the interface much , I can't remember much more to be honest but i ditched it pretty fast.
I liked macrium but it doesn't do backups on an hourly basis without having to write scripts and its twice the price of AOMEI (when you take into account AOMEI comes with two licenses) Also all future updates are free !
I am still evaluating it but I think I will buy it. I haven't had any problems so far and it seems to do what I need.
Interface is pretty good too.

MIke

 

I have a NAS but prefer not to use it to store my backups. I store backups in offline drives, NAS drives are always online and hence prone to failure (yes, certain RAID types decrease failure rates, but still nothing beats offline backups).
Regarding backup methods, I use a bootable USB flash drive with Acronis to create an image of the OS drive.

 

NAS is always online but doesn't mean the drives are always spinning.

 

True, they might be hibernating, but still, they are subject to more stress than an offline drive. I don't think a NAS is a safe place for your backups,however it might be an additional place where you might consider storing your backups mainly for convenience.

 

The only problem with NAS and image backups is speed that's why I don't also use it to store my images. But the chance of dropping your external hard drive is higher than the NAS drive having failures.

I also have a dedicated hard drive for images only and I use a "toaster" to access it.

 

So you're saying that an offline HDD kept in my safe has a higher chance of failing than an online NAS drive?

 

Yes. The NAS is stationary. I never touched or moved it since I installed it more than 2 years ago. It goes to sleep when not in use. How many times did you move that HDD out of the safe? Static electricity or any form of charge can ruin your data. My NAS is running on RAID 1 mode. If one fails, I still have another one.
The NAS actually protects the drive from surge and monitors the temperature and controls the fan speed to keep it cool when in use. So. it's like keeping it in a safe without having to touch it.

 

Personally.... I do both. Image to NAS, then backup NAS to a USB External.