Windows 10: How To Back Up?

You have been given plenty of ideas. Either use the built-in Windows backup utility or conquer your fear of third party applications and use Macrium Reflect like the vast majority of users on this forum. Who knows what backdoors are built into Windows and macOS by collusion with government so how safe is using built-in applications anyway?

 

Over a year has passed from so I'm sure there's a new backup app that's considered the best.

Up until today I've been backing up my PC's internal HDD using a very crude system of "copying and pasting" folders to an external USB HDD.

I really want to create a more reliable back up system!

 

Macrium Reflect
Macrium Software | Macrium Reflect Free

 

Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect Backup Restore Tutorials

 

I'm running Windows 10 Pro by the way.

Macrium is still considered the best backup solution for Windows 10?

I know Windows 10 received a bunch of major updates since I created this thread so is the inbuilt backup system in Windows 10 Pro any better now?

 

Microsoft recommends that you use something else:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...ll-creators-up

The following features and functionalities in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update are either removed from the product in the current release (“Removed”) or are not in active development and might be removed in future releases (“Deprecated”).

System Image Backup (SIB) Solution
We [Microsoft] recommend that users use full-disk backup solutions from other vendors.

 

There has been no development of the in-built system imaging as it is a deprecated feature in Fall Creators Update.

Features removed or Deprecated in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

 

Thanks for your replies!

So it's now not possible to backup using Windows 10?

So I have no choice but to use a 3rd party app for backing up now?

 

It's possible, but not reliable.

 

Not so much it is that unreliable but if you get any issues MS will no longer fix it. But overall Macrium Reflect has proved to be very reliable. I have only had one failure in over six years and that was more due to the backup drive beginning to fail.

 

There are backups, and then there are backups. One aim is safe keeping of user document and files, the other is a system image that can recreate the working PC should the drive fail or become corrupted.

For the first aim...

...well, actually if you are methodical it's as good a way as any. I've automated that task by writing a batch file that uses RoboCopy to do much the same thing (with 'bells and whistles' on it to allow Full and Incremental backups).

For the second I still use the built-in 'create a system image'. Yes, I'm well aware of it's limitations, but stay within them and I find it can be reliable.

But you should never rely on just one 'backup solution', so I also have File History turned on.

Macrium is versatile and flexible and can satisfy both aims in one package. As and when the MS imaging is removed rather than just deprecated, that would be my first choice as a replacement (but I'll still have my other 'backup' solutions in place - you can never have enough backups).