Windows 10: How To Back Up?

Backup and Restore's 'make a System Image' is very basic. Like all free MS apps supplied with a Windows install (think Wordpad, Paint) it does a no-frills job, but other apps offer far more features (think MS Word, PhotoShop).

Windows own System Image backup has very few user options, for instance it does use a compression algorithm but it is not user-selectable - it compresses if saving an image to DVD, doesn't if to an HDD. There are no options to resize a system image on restore to fit a different partition size. The only boot media it can create is on an optical drive (CD or DVD), not a lot of use on recent systems with no DVD drive and only USB ports. When a system image is created on external media (HDD or DVD) it may not be recognised and offered as a valid image to be restored - it seems critically important to boot from a CD made by the same revision of software that made the system image.

Having said all that, I have used it regularly and successfully since Windows 7. Only once did I have a problem - and that was resolved by trying each of my (extensive collection of) boot CDs in turn until I found the one that could see the image to restore.

Macrium Reflect (by all accounts on these boards and elswhere) is reliable and feature-rich (think LibreOffice Write vs, Wordpad). I haven't (yet) needed to try it, but it would seem the obvious first choice if I did.

 

Thanks, but you're referring to the "System Image" backup option in Windows 10 Pro, but what about the other option called "File History"?

What's your opinion of "File History"?

 

File History is an excellent idea, though bear in mind it only backs up your user files. I'd recommend it should always be turned on, preferably pointing to a network drive so it never complains about a disconnected drive. That's not to say you shouldn't also use other more conventional backup regimes as well (as I do) but as a 'turn it on and forget about it' solution that works unobtrusively in the background it can't be beaten (IMHO).

(you can never have enough backups)

 

Thanks so much!

New problem:
I just found two folders with many .DOC files inside them. Many of them have the identical file name, but I don't know if their contents are identical... It would take me days to open each individual .DOC file and compare them manually so how can I compare them and see which .DOC files are different?

Thanks for any help!

 

No offence, but you think a third party backups may be less discrete with your files than Microsoft? That is pretty naïve, You should read Macrium privacy policies and compare them to Microsoft's. Or stick your head in the sand and put plind faith in Microsoft.

 

Right click the files and select properties. If the number of bytes for file size is the same you are 99% guaranteed they are identical files. You have to look at the properties, though, to get the actual byte file size.

 

Well, my thought was this: I already have Windows running on my PC so Microsoft already has access to my files, but by installing an app like Macrium I'd be installing another "layer" of risk.

 

It doesn't matter what app you use to backup your computer, it is more about what you are comfortable with and gets the job done.
When you use Microsoft Backup, you choose where to store your backup, just like Macrium So, Microsoft does not have access to your backup files, unless you give them access.
If you don't like the fact that Microsoft Phones Home, you can disable these security settings on your computer.

 

Thanks!

How do I disable Windows 10 Pro from phoning home?

 

Disable all WiFi adapters and unplug all Ethernet connections.

 

Hi NiceAndShy Over the years I have used a few 3rd party backup solutions and Windows own but I find Macrium Reflect to be the one that works best for me *Smile

 

Macrium seems to be highly regarded so I may take another look at it.

Thanks!

 

Surely there must be an easier way than this...? *Sad

 

I really wish there was something similar to Apple's Time Machine... Is there an "add-on" or something I can install that's made by Microsoft?

 

Settings -> Updates & Security -> Backup -> Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7) -> Create a System Image

Or instead of Create a System Image, try Set up backup.