[SOLVED] Can I back up an HDD hard drive to an external SSD drive?

[inlimbo]

Hello. I have a Dell XPS 8700 with an HDD drive. Has about 200 GB on the C drive. I want to use Windows to back it up onto an external hard drive. I also have a Samsung Galaxy Note 9. I don't know what kind of "drive" it has. The phone has 30 GB of used storage on it.

Ideally, for convenience, I would like to be able to back up both of these devices to the same external hard drive.

You're probably wondering why I want an SSD external drive. Well, I plan to buy a new computer or laptop one day, and that will presumably have a SSD on it. Also, I read that external SSD drives are more reliable. So I'm trying to plan ahead.

Please tell me a straightforward way to back up my Dell XPS and, if possible, cell phone to the same external hard drive, knowing that I don't want to break the bank and am somewhat technically challenged.

Thank you!

 

[Koekieezz]

Hello. I have a Dell XPS 8700 with an HDD drive. Has about 200 GB on the C drive. I want to use Windows to back it up onto an external hard drive. I also have a Samsung Galaxy Note 9. I don't know what kind of "drive" it has. The phone has 30 GB of used storage on it.

Ideally, for convenience, I would like to be able to back up both of these devices to the same external hard drive.

You're probably wondering why I want an SSD external drive. Well, I plan to buy a new computer or laptop one day, and that will presumably have a SSD on it. Also, I read that external SSD drives are more reliable. So I'm trying to plan ahead.

Please tell me a straightforward way to back up my Dell XPS and, if possible, cell phone to the same external hard drive, knowing that I don't want to break the bank and am somewhat technically challenged.

Thank you!

Yes you could, for C: drive you would mean the data right? not the windows? it is better to install the windows on ssd first and copy the necessary data from previous C: and make paste it on the C; drive. Cloning the windows to the ssd should work but not always recommended if it causes error later. backing up phone data to ssd is just as simple plug the phone to the pc and backup all the folder into the ssd.

 

[inlimbo]

Thanks. Before I really try to process what you said, I must clarify that I am trying to save everything, Windows and all the files, to the external hard drive. I am trying a Windows 10 upgrade and want to be able to go back to how everything was if it isn't successful and messes up my machine. My understand is that you can create a system image to go back how how everything, OS, programs, and files included.

 

[USAFRet]

Ideally, for convenience, I would like to be able to back up both of these devices to the same external hard drive.

Yes.

Macrium Reflect can create an Image of the drive, saved on whatever external USB thing you wish.
100% of the data, incl Windows.

Never tried it, but it might also be able to Image the phone contents.
Connect the phone to the PC via USB, tell Macrium to image that whole thing, whatever drive letter it shows up as.

 

[inlimbo]

OK. I'm not willing to install any third-party software or anything.

I have Windows 8.1. What I want to do is go Control Panel > System and Security > File History and use "System Image Backup" to generate a clone of my hard drive at that moment.

I'm assuming that can just plug the external hard drive into the computer via USB cable and do this. My Q is whether the external hard drive that I save the system image to must be HDD like my computer or if it can be SSD.

The second issue is whether I will be able to plug my cell into the external hard drive and save my cell phone contents on it as well. I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 9.

Thanks again.

 

[USAFRet]

OK. I'm not willing to install any third-party software or anything.

I have Windows 8.1. What I want to do is go Control Panel > System and Security > File History and use "System Image Backup" to generate a clone of my hard drive at that moment.

I'm assuming that can just plug the external hard drive into the computer via USB cable and do this. My Q is whether the external hard drive that I save the system image to must be HDD like my computer or if it can be SSD.

The second issue is whether I will be able to plug my cell into the external hard drive and save my cell phone contents on it as well. I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 9.

Thanks again.

Macrium Reflect is a tried and tested tool.
I use it daily, it is the basis for my entire backup routine.
The free version works just fine for this purpose.

But, whatever.
"System Image Backup" - You have the drive, you have the OS...try it.
Should make no difference between HDD or SSD.

The Galaxy?
Will need to plug it into the PC, be seen as a USB, then copy all to the external.
You can't plug the phone directly into the internal and copy.

 

[inlimbo]

The Galaxy?
Will need to plug it into the PC, be seen as a USB, then copy all to the external.
You can't plug the phone directly into the internal and copy.

Thanks for responding. Are you sure about the cell? This webpage from Samsung makes it seem like you can connect the external hard drive directly to the phone and back up directly to the external hard drive.

Samsung webpage

 

[USAFRet]

The Galaxy?
Will need to plug it into the PC, be seen as a USB, then copy all to the external.
You can't plug the phone directly into the internal and copy.

Thanks for responding. Are you sure about the cell? This webpage from Samsung makes it seem like you can connect the external hard drive directly to the phone and back up directly to the external hard drive.

Samsung webpage

Well, I guess you can do it.
Did not know that.