Can I keep windows on an external HDD

[cratftierspace]

I have an external HDD and I have cloned my Windows 10 on to the drive. Can I make a partition on the External HDD so that the unused space can be for normal files and I can store it on that external HDD. If yes, what will happen if I use the drive to boot off of and my internal SSD is not working. Will the partition that isn't apart of the clone drive partition interfere with a boot up?

 

[USAFRet]

I have an external HDD and I have cloned my Windows 10 on to the drive. Can I make a partition on the External HDD so that the unused space can be for normal files and I can store it on that external HDD. If yes, what will happen if I use the drive to boot off of and my internal SSD is not working. Will the partition that isn't apart of the clone drive partition interfere with a boot up?

1. You can't boot off that external without a lot of prep work. There is one migration tool that will create a bootable external, but you probably did not use that one. Casper.
2. There are much better ways to safeguard your OS install, rather than having the whole thing on that non-bootable external.

 

[cratftierspace]

I have an external HDD and I have cloned my Windows 10 on to the drive. Can I make a partition on the External HDD so that the unused space can be for normal files and I can store it on that external HDD. If yes, what will happen if I use the drive to boot off of and my internal SSD is not working. Will the partition that isn't apart of the clone drive partition interfere with a boot up?

1. You can't boot off that external without a lot of prep work. There is one migration tool that will create a bootable external, but you probably did not use that one. Casper.
2. There are much better ways to safeguard your OS install, rather than having the whole thing on that non-bootable external.

So what do I do.

 

[USAFRet]

So what do I do.

This depends on what you have, and what you want to do.

Drives, sizes, uses, internal/external, what OS...
What do you have?

 

[cratftierspace]

So what do I do.

This depends on what you have, and what you want to do.

Drives, sizes, uses, internal/external, what OS...
What do you have?

I have a 1 TB external HDD and in my PC I have windows 10 installed. I want to make a complete back up of my internal hard drive so if Windows has problems I don't have to reinstall all of my programs after restoring.

 

[USAFRet]

I have a 1 TB external HDD and in my PC I have windows 10 installed. I want to make a complete back up of my internal hard drive so if Windows has problems I don't have to reinstall all of my programs after restoring.

No prob.
1. Download and install Macrium Reflect.
This will allow you to do a drive image on a schedule you set.
This image, either a Full or Full + Differential, gets saved to a folder on that external. Just a folder.

This image gets updated/replaced on whatever schedule you set, so it is always fresh.

You then have the whole rest of the drive to use as you see fit.

2. In the Macrium application, create a Rescue DVD or USB

3. In the rare possibility of your C drive failing, you put in a new drive, boot from that Rescue USB you made.
Tell it where the image is, and the new drive.
Click
Wait 20 minutes, done.

I have my system set to do a full image of the C drive every night at 2AM. Keep for 14 days, deleting the oldest.

 

[cratftierspace]

I have a 1 TB external HDD and in my PC I have windows 10 installed. I want to make a complete back up of my internal hard drive so if Windows has problems I don't have to reinstall all of my programs after restoring.

No prob.
1. Download and install Macrium Reflect.
This will allow you to do a drive image on a schedule you set.
This image, either a Full or Full + Differential, gets saved to a folder on that external. Just a folder.

This image gets updated/replaced on whatever schedule you set, so it is always fresh.

You then have the whole rest of the drive to use as you see fit.

2. In the Macrium application, create a Rescue DVD or USB

3. In the rare possibility of your C drive failing, you put in a new drive, boot from that Rescue USB you made.
Tell it where the image is, and the new drive.
Click
Wait 20 minutes, done.

I have my system set to do a full image of the C drive every night at 2AM. Keep for 14 days, deleting the oldest.

So lets say windows gets corrupt like it did for me the other day I can use this rescue disk and have all my files/programs all there?

 

[USAFRet]

So lets say windows gets corrupt like it did for me the other day I can use this rescue disk and have all my files/programs all there?

Yes. You use an image from the day before the BadThing happened.
This is a list of some of my current backup images.

I could use any image from the last two weeks.
For instance, if I did not notice the weirdness for 3 days, I could use the image from the day before that.

 

[cratftierspace]

So lets say windows gets corrupt like it did for me the other day I can use this rescue disk and have all my files/programs all there?

Yes. You use an image from the day before the BadThing happened.
This is a list of some of my current backup images.

I could use any image from the last two weeks.
For instance, if I did not notice the weirdness for 3 days, I could use the image from the day before that.

Whats the difference between full, differential and incremental. Also should I make the back ups on and external HDD or on my second internal HDD

 

[USAFRet]

Full is just that. A full image of the drive on a designated day/time. Since I have the available drive space, I just make a Full image every night.
Incremental and Differential work with the initial Full.

Explained in detail here:
http://kb.macrium.com/KnowledgebaseArticle50143.aspx

Which drive? Either would work.
I do mine to an internal 3TB drive every night at 2AM.
Then every Sunday night at 3AM, another Full image to another PC in the house.
So my main PC could melt into a pile of goo, and I could resurrect the system to how it was last Sunday.

Anything really critical (scans of birth certificates, pics of the kids, etc) all live on a whole different drive that is stored at work.

 

[cratftierspace]

Full is just that. A full image of the drive on a designated day/time. Since I have the available drive space, I just make a Full image every night.
Incremental and Differential work with the initial Full.

Explained in detail here:
http://kb.macrium.com/KnowledgebaseArticle50143.aspx

Which drive? Either would work.
I do mine to an internal 3TB drive every night at 2AM.
Then every Sunday night at 3AM, another Full image to another PC in the house.
So my main PC could melt into a pile of goo, and I could resurrect the system to how it was last Sunday.

Anything really critical (scans of birth certificates, pics of the kids, etc) all live on a whole different drive that is stored at work.

Alright well Im just gonna keep a full back up Every Sunday and a incremental backup everyday on to my internal HDD.

Wait How do i make macrium select my internal HDD

 

[USAFRet]

Alright well Im just gonna keep a full back up Every Sunday and a incremental backup everyday

That works.

 

[cratftierspace]

Alright well Im just gonna keep a full back up Every Sunday and a incremental backup everyday

That works.

How do I make it select my internal HDD.

Update: Never mind, found it

 

[USAFRet]

Alright well Im just gonna keep a full back up Every Sunday and a incremental backup everyday

That works.

How do I make it select my internal HDD

Top left, click on "Image selected disks..."
Select your C drive, all the partitions.
In the bottom, Destination. You probably want to make a folder on that target drive first.

 

[cratftierspace]

Alright well Im just gonna keep a full back up Every Sunday and a incremental backup everyday

That works.

How do I make it select my internal HDD

Top left, click on "Image selected disks..."
Select your C drive, all the partitions.
In the bottom, Destination. You probably want to make a folder on that target drive first.

Thanks I now have mrimg files in my other drive

 

[USAFRet]

Thanks I now have mrimg files in my other drive

There ya go.
Now you'll always have an up to date image, rather than a full clone that is 6 months out of date.
And bonus...you get to use the rest of that drive.

 

[cratftierspace]

Thanks I now have mrimg files in my other drive

There ya go.
Now you'll always have an up to date image, rather than a full clone that is 6 months out of date.
And bonus...you get to use the rest of that drive.

Thank you very much. I now changed it to a daily differential and incremental as well as 1 full every week