Question How reliable are File History and the free version of Macrium?

[modeonoff]

Hi, how is Windows' built-in File History and the free version of Macrium? Are they reliable?

Considering to use Macrium to clone my internal SSD where Windows 10 is installed and do an extra backup using Windows 10's File History before upgrading to Windows 11.

I have failed restoration experience using Norton Ghost, Acronis and Windows' Backup and Restore. Too bad I did not find out until I needed them to restore. What can we do to make sure that the backup/cloning works before it is too late?

 

[USAFRet]

but it looks like by replacing the original cable which came with the Sabrent enclosure with a Caldigit TB4 cable, performance improved.

As noted above...cable.

 

[modeonoff]

Here is a strange thing. I connected that Sabrent cable to the Adwits enclosure. The values should drop a lot but they are similar to those of Adwits enclosure with Caldigit TB4 cable. So the stock Sabrent cable does not work well with Sabrent enclosure but does well with Adwits enclosure!?

One strange thing I noticed is that whenever I use that Sabrient cable, I cannot go to the task bar of Windows to unmount the drive. Windows always says that the storage is in use. I have to shut down the PC to disconnect the SSD with enclosure from the PC. However, with the Caldigit TB4 cable, I could always unmount the drive regardless of which enclosure I use. What could be the reason?

 

[modeonoff]

So what remains now is to replace the internal SSD of my PC with another SSD. Then, try to recovery process?

The Adwits enclosure is not very stable because sometimes it mounted and unmounted itself. Sometimes the SSD in it did not even show up. If I buy a TB4/USB4 40Gbps enclosure, will I see a noticeable big improvement in performance?

 

[USAFRet]

If your current enclosure is not stable or reliable, something else would be in order.
I have no recommendations on a specific one.

The drive swapping and recovery testing is to prove to yourself that this procedure works, and that you then know exactly how to do it.
Testing the result is at least half the backup process.

Many times I've seen a person here with:
"My drive died. I think made a backup with SomeRandomTool, and I'm not sure how to recover my data. What do I do now?"

 

[modeonoff]

I will need to buy another NVMe SSD for testing then.

I seldom use the Sabrent and the Adwits enclosures. For sure Adwits is not stable. I will need to check with Sabrent why the performance dropped a lot when using the cable which came with it. In the product description, it just says a USB cable is included without mentioning about the type. However, using that cable on the Adwits improved performance. This is very strange.

https://sabrent.com/products/ec-tfne

 

[Lafong]

Do you have an over-riding need to use enclosures at all?

They appear to be problematic and slow for whatever reason.

What does your budget allow?

I'd at least consider using ordinary internal drives. Spinners if budget demands. Ordinary 2.5 inch SATA or M.2 if budget allows. NVMe would be a luxury.

Spinner 2 TB about 50 dollars; M.2 Intel 660P 2 TB NVMe about 130 dollars.

You could do your test restore from the enclosure to the new drive to polish your restoration technique and later re-use the internal as a destination drive for future 700 GB Macrium image files.

 

[modeonoff]

No over-riding need to use enclosures. Just try to get higher speeds to see how fast my system could go. Also NVMe is more future proof as I could use it for an internal SSD when I build another PC in the future.

In this case, no budget limit for such item.

So just getting a cheap SATA hard drive would be sufficient for such test? Do I need to worry about something like Master Boot Record? I used to have a dual-boot system (Windows and Linux) on my PC but I removed the SSD for the Linux one a month ago for backup/upgrade purpose.

 

[USAFRet]

So just getting a cheap SATA hard drive would be sufficient for such test? Do I need to worry about something like Master Boot Record? I used to have a dual-boot system (Windows and Linux) on my PC but I removed the SSD for the Linux one a month ago for backup/upgrade purpose.

ANY internal drive will work.
This is just to test the viability of your Imaging procedure, and to get you comfy with the recovery procedure.

Years ago, when I first started with Macrium, I did exactly this.
Some spare drive, recover the whole Image to that drive....see if the system boots from it.

If it didn't, then I did something wrong along the way.

 

[modeonoff]

Can I put a HDD for NAS to a PC? Since I am buying a HDD, perhaps get a higher capacity one for backup as well.

 

[USAFRet]

Can I put a HDD for NAS to a PC? Since I am buying a HDD, perhaps get a higher capacity one for backup as well.

Yes you can.

What specific one are you looking at?

 

[modeonoff]

How about Seagate Ironwolf? I used to use Seagate products 20 years ago without issue but why many recent reviews said they are not reliable and recommended WD products instead?

How is Seagate Ironwolf compared with WD Black? Is it better to get 7200rpm version rather than 5400rpm version?

 

[USAFRet]

How about Seagate Ironwolf? I used to use Seagate products 20 years ago without issue but why many recent reviews said they are not reliable and recommended WD products instead?

How is Seagate Ironwolf compared with WD Black? Is it better to get 7200rpm version rather than 5400rpm version?

For a drive used for backups, speed is irrelevant.

I have 4x 4TB Ironwolfs in my NAS.
Currently, 5+ years old, zero problems.

 

[modeonoff]

Speaking of NAS, I considered to get one two years ago but after seeing the total price of a Synology NAS (e.g. DS220+. )+2xHDD and the noise issue, several Samsung T5, T7, SSD enclosures seem to be less expensive. At this stage, is there any point to get a NAS?

 

[USAFRet]

Speaking of NAS, I considered to get one two years ago but after seeing the total price of a Synology NAS (e.g. DS220+. )+2xHDD and the noise issue, several Samsung T5, T7, SSD enclosures seem to be less expensive. At this stage, is there any point to get a NAS?

Personally, you'd have to pry my 4 bay QNAP out of my cold dead hands.

They do SO much more than a simple USB enclosure.

 

[modeonoff]

What kind of things that can be done using a NAS that cannot be done on an external USB enclosure? I mainly plan to use for backup of files from different comptuters/OS and file sharing.

 

[USAFRet]

What kind of things that can be done using a NAS that cannot be done on an external USB enclosure? I mainly plan to use for backup of files from different comptuters/OS and file sharing.

It is its own little PC/server.

Simultaneous access from multiple systems. Windows, Linux, Android, Apple
Direct recording of my house surveillance cameras
Automated backups. With an external connected to this PC, that requires this PC to be on all the time.
Multiple users, with their own 'Home' space
Easy backups to other devices. Can sync to another NAS, across the country.
Plex server
VM server
Access from outside your LAN
Dedicated hardware RAID, if you're into that
Multiple dev tools
etc, etc, etc

App Center - QNAP

Install-on-demand apps extend NAS features

www.qnap.com

But if an external enclosure connected to your PC works for you, then that is all you need.