Windows 10: Trouble Creating Image of my PC Using External HDD

I'm trying to create an image, for backup purposes, of my Toshiba laptop, W10 OS, using the built in backup utility. I'm using a 1 TB external hard drive. When I try to create the image onto the external drive the 'proceed' button in the dialogue box is greyed out and therefore not clickable. The external drive has been fully formatted and IS being recognized. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

:)

 

How do I restore a system image to a NEW hard drive?

I have a failing HDD in my laptop, so I need to replace it, but it's the drive with the OS on.

I created a system image, and saved it to the laptop's 2nd HDD.

I now have a 3rd HDD, a new one to replace the 1st one. I've plugged it in using an external casing.

How do I use the system image to put my OS onto the new, 3rd HDD?

Every time I try to restore, it just wants to put it back on the 1st, failing, HDD.

 

Windows needs to format drive that Recovery Environment is running on

I was trying to restore it using the "Hold shift when you press Restart, go to Troubleshooting->Advanced->Restore System Image". The system image was created onto my external HDD using the Backup and Restore from the Control Panel on the failed internal
HDD (before it failed, obviously). I reinstalled Windows 10 on the new HDD from a USB if that helps.

 

Macrium Reflect Free has proven to be much more reliable and has more features than Windows built-in imaging. That's what most of us here use and recommend:
Macrium Reflect Free

 

I totally agree with @NavyLCDR about Macrium Reflect. It is considerably better, more flexible and more reliable than Windows backup.

 

Thanks, I've heard of Macrium Reflect. I'll give it a try. Evidently, backup is flawed in W 10.

 

Does not work here either, Windows 10 System Image does not work to my NAS box, it used to work with Windows 8.1 OK.

I have had discussions with the NAS box manufacturer who have checked it out, and a long session with MS demonstrating it not working. Even re-installing Windows 10 and various other checks.
They finally came back to say it's not supported.

There are various errors listed in the Event Viewer related to this, I don't have the knowledge to suss any further, other than to register a complaint to MS Support.

I use Macrium Reflect as an alternative which seems to work (also did with Win 8.1), though I have not had an occasion to use the image as yet.

 

I use windows 10 system image. It would only work using the NTFS file system.
I have successfully backed up and restored an image.
Currently I backup to internal HD and then copy image to external HD formatted with exfat

 

Hi,

When the external drive containing the Windows backup is formatted as NTFS it works just fine.
Haven't tried exFat yet.

Cheers, *Wink

 

It won't backup to or restore from exFat. I tried a few times. You can copy a backed up image to an external drive using exFat. It must be copied back to a NTFS drive to restore it, which is what I do.

 

OP here. Well, I wound up with Acronis. So far, so good. I'll try macrium if, for some reason, I don't like Acronis.