Windows 10: How To Back Up?

Wow, I really appreciate you for making this post for me!

This is the best way for me to "combine" or "merge" the two USB HDD's right? Would you recommend a 3rd party app? I'd only install a 3rd party app if it made this process much more reliable or much faster...

 

This is the best Microsoft way to do this, but it has limitations. Say there two identical files (same name, same contents, in same folder) then you will end up with two copies on the one drive, the second one having ' (2)' appended to its name.

3rd party apps may have more intelligence and be able to spot (and not copy) such files, only copying ones with the same name but different contents. I don't have experience of any such app, but others may be able to advise.

 

I see! If I used your method that's built into Windows, would I need to go through each individual folder manually because this will take me a long time...*Eek

Thanks!

 

If you copy all duplicate named files then some may be duplicates with identical name/date/content, some may be be the same name and content but different dates and others may be the same name but different content.

If you let it skip files with the same name and date you should not the first type of duplicate above, but there's a small chance that two files may have the same name and date, but different content (so won't be copied) - your choice of which risk to take.

 

Thanks so much for your continued help!

I'm not sure what you mean by "you should not the first type of duplicate above"?

I was worried about this as well so I'm thinking of just going through each folder manually...

 

Sorry, somehow the word 'get' got left out. Should have read...

 

Or use 'copy-and-paste' then, when it shows the list of duplicates for you, check the contents manually to decide if you need to tick the box to keep one, the other or both.

 

Macrium reflect. I have done hundreds of restores with no issue and it is easy to use.

 

While Macrium Reflect Free is certainly infinitely more flexible and reliable than anything built into Windows 10, you will notice the OP stated:

So, while Macrium Reflect Free is a much better choice due to it's flexibility above and beyond what Windows backup and restore will do, and is much more reliable, based upon the numerous posts regarding the failures of built-in Windows backup and restore - the OP really wants to stick with the applications that MS supplies even though there is a much greater chance that doing so will leave him up the proverbial creek without a proverbial paddle to restore his computer with should something catastrophic happen.

 

Thanks! I'll need to think about what to do.

You make some good points, but it just seems like I'd be giving a 3rd party app soooo much access to my personal information since the 3rd party will have access to all of my files...

 

Thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people are using Macrium Reflect for backup imaging and restoring.

 

But how does that make it any more safer? I feel much safer knowing that only Microsoft has access to my files than an app company.

Does anyone else feel the same way?

 

I don't need you to censure my post, the OP can think for himself. Windows backup is just plain the wrong choice. And, why would you comment on my post then promote macrium in a post right afterwards. Bizarre.

 

macrium doesn't have access to your files. They just supply a program to you that backs your data up to your local disk. None of it is accessible to macrium the company. In fact you can choose to encrypt your backups with macrium.

 

Thanks, but I still feel less safe knowing that a 3rd party app is able to view all of my files.

Is the backup system in Windows 10 Pro really much worse than Macrium or other 3rd party backup apps???