Storage and Backup external hard drive

[SirJabbar]

Hello,

I have 2 computers. One with family media and another is my work computer which has very small files but having a backup of Windows, Programs, and settings is important.

In the event that I need to restore my work computer, I'd only want to restore what was originally on there.

Could I store everything from both computers on one external hard drive or should I get two? Should I be able to do this with any external hard drive?

Thank you

 

[USAFRet]

What you want to do is create an image of the drives.
Macrium Reflect can do this easily.

This requires a drive of sufficient size, but it works.
Just make 2 different folders on the external - "FamilyPC" and "WorkPC"
Save an image of the whole C drive in the relevant folder.

Of course, this being a single drive...if anything happens to it both backups are lost.
And being an external, much more susceptible to being dropped.

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

I keep and maintain entire hard drive images of all three computers in my family, all three image files are written to the same external hard drive, then copied to three more external hard drives so as to have multiple backups.

I guess two external hard drives would be sufficient though, but I lost several hundred photos 15 years ago so it's been a "belt and braces" approach by me ever since.