Backup/System Image for both SSD and HDD

[darkbloom]

I recently purchased an external hard drive for backing up my computer and I have a few questions.

1. Do I combine my SSD (C:/) and HDD (E:/) into the same external hard drive for system image/backup?
- My SSD (C:/) is for the OS and important programs and my HDD (E:/) is for media library and everything else.

2. If I combine my SSD and HDD for system image/backup onto my external hard drive, will it separate itself when I restore them onto a new SSD and HDD?
- Let's say my computer fails and I get a new SSD for OS and HDD for everything else.
- When I restore my system image, will it return everything to my original set up which is: (C:/) on the new SSD and (E:/) on the new HDD...
- Or will it decide to return everything only onto one drive?
- If I get a new computer, I'd like to continue installing only the OS on my SSD and everything else on my HDD.

3. Are third-party backup programs better than the built-in Windows Backup and Recovery?
- I've read a few rants online by people who have found that the Windows Backup program is either too confusing or it did not recover their data like they wanted.
- I am no expert on backing up, so I don't know what's the best way to go about it.
- I'm mostly set on using Windows but only because it's already built-in and I'm guessing it should be fine but other opinions say otherwise.
- I've also been looking at Macrium Reflect Free, in case I decide not to go with Windows Backup.

4. Should I create a System Image AND a backup? Or is a system image enough?

Thank you for your time reading this!

 

[mcnumpty23]

1.i use macrium free its a great free software--you have 2 choices--make an image containing C and E drive or make separate images of each

personally i would make 1 image that includes both of them

2.macrium should return it to whichever option you chose in part 1

3 yes macrium is more versatile than windows back up/recovery--you can select individual drives or partitions or more than 1 drive or to clone

4.you can never rely on a single image/back up so making both wont hurt

 

[ArtPog]

The basic point of a disk-cloning program is that by "cloning" the contents of one's day-to-day working HDD or SSD to another HDD or SSD (internally or externally connected in the system), the user creates a precise copy of his or her "source" HDD. Thus, a comprehensive backup of one's system has been accomplished in one fell swoop, i.e., the user has backed up his/her system including the operating system, all programs & applications, and of course, all user-created data. In short - *everything* that's on the "source" HDD or SSD. So that the recipient of the cloned contents - the "destination" HDD - will be, for all practical purposes, a precise copy of the source HDD/SSD with all data immediately accessible to the user. It's hard to imagine a better comprehensive backup system for the great majority of PC users.

While a disk-imaging system will also a provide a comprehensive backup strategy the backup takes the form of a file or a series of files so that a recovery process of one sort or another must be employed before resurrection of the data is achieved. While there is usually some savings of disk-space employing a disk-imaging approach vis-a-vis disk-cloning, in most cases given the large capacity of today's HDDs that's not an important or significant difference to opt for a disk-imaging approach in my opinion.

Disk-imaging can be particularly important when a user is primarily or exclusively interested in maintaining "generational" copies of his/her system, i.e., the user needs or prefers to have backups of their systems at particular dates-in-time.

Given your situation (as I understand it) I would suggest you give serious consideration to employing a disk-cloning approach rather than a disk-imaging approach. The Macrium Reflect Free program that mcnumpty recommended provides disk-cloning capability.

Responding to your specific queries...

1. You would multi-partition your USB external HDD into two partitions - one for the cloned contents of your SSD and the other for your HDD.

2. Should your SSD containing the OS fail you can clone the contents of the USBEHD's partition containing the previously cloned data back to the SSD and that drive will be fully restored.

Ditto for cloning the contents from the USBEHD's second partition back to a new HDD secondary drive.

If, for some reason, you decide to employ a single drive in your system to contain the total contents of the C: & the secondary drive that you cloned to the USBEHD, then you would simply undertake a disk-to-disk clone from the USBEHD back to the single drive.

3. The rants you've read about re the Windows Backup & Recovery program have merit. Simply stated, the program is a dog. My advice is not to consider it.

4. As mcnumpty has pointed out it never hurts to create multiple backups. It really depends upon the user's level of interest re his/her assessment as to whether they could bear the loss of their data. Frankly, we rarely perform multiple backups except where the data is particularly critical, e.g., family photos, precious documents of one sort or another, and the like. But it's for you to decide. No one will ever criticize you for doing so. In any event if you do decide to opt for multiple backups on a routine basis where you're performing backups of your entire system fairly frequently then the disk-imaging approach may be more suitable as a general proposition.