Question System Image Backup

[nbartolo7]

When choosing system image as a backup option in Windows, does the backup only save what's on the drive at that particular moment in time? Meaning, that if 2 minutes after it finishes backing up, I change a file or do whatever, and I want to backup that change as well, I need to do another system image backup manually?

 

[Darkbreeze]

Yes and yes.

Is there a specific reason you're using Windows itself to create backups when it does such a poor job of it and there are plenty of free options out there like Macrium reflect that allow you to create incremental backups both manually and automatically in addition to creating single instance full backups including only those partitions you wish to include?

 

[hotaru.hino]

Creating a system image backup is useful if you don't want to go through the hassle of reinstalling the OS, the applications you run, and how everything is set up. I don't really think it's useful as a general backup method because it'll contain a lot of things that you probably didn't need.

But if you subscribe to the "copy it anyway just in case" mindset, then I won't stop you.

 

[USAFRet]

As referenced in your other thread...Macrium Reflect.

Solved! - If I own a laptop

and someone steals it, what kind of backup do you guys recommend (preferably just one method so that I can remember it easily and how to do it), for me to be able to retrieve absolutely everything that I had on there, the same way as before, desktop items and all? Is there a more appropriate...

forums.tomsguide.com

 

[nbartolo7]

As referenced in your other thread...Macrium Reflect.

Solved! - If I own a laptop

and someone steals it, what kind of backup do you guys recommend (preferably just one method so that I can remember it easily and how to do it), for me to be able to retrieve absolutely everything that I had on there, the same way as before, desktop items and all? Is there a more appropriate...

forums.tomsguide.com

Yes. I just wanted to check that Macrium and other options were not addons to the Windows option but rather alternatives. I finally got it.

 

[nbartolo7]

Wait a second people, if recovery drives are not supposed to be backups, then why is this bozo trying to restore from a system image with a recovery drive?

 

[Lafong]

Wait a second people, if recovery drives are not supposed to be backups, then why is this bozo trying to restore from a system image with a recovery drive?

What's a "recovery drive"?

I didn't watch the whole thing, but it looks to me like that guy is making a system backup and then restoring it via the outdated and "deprecated" tool built into Windows.

"System images" are backups as that term is typically used.

If you make a system image with Macrium and store that image file on Drive E, would you call drive E a "recovery drive"? I suppose you could. What's in a name?

 

[USAFRet]

Wait a second people, if recovery drives are not supposed to be backups, then why is this bozo trying to restore from a system image with a recovery drive?

A "backup" is part or all of the contents of a drive or partition.
How you 'recover' differs, based on what tool you used to create it.

 

[nbartolo7]

What's a "recovery drive"?

I didn't watch the whole thing, but it looks to me like that guy is making a system backup and then restoring it via the outdated and "deprecated" tool built into Windows.

"System images" are backups as that term is typically used.

If you make a system image with Macrium and store that image file on Drive E, would you call drive E a "recovery drive"? I suppose you could. What's in a name?

A recovery drive is purely for repairing or restoring Windows to its original state, it's not a backup solution. The recovery drive isn't a system image. It doesn't contain your personal files, settings, or programs. And yet that bozo is using it as if it was a system image and telling people that they will recover their personal files.

 

[USAFRet]

A recovery drive is purely for repairing or restoring Windows to its original state, it's not a backup solution. The recovery drive isn't a system image. It doesn't contain your personal files, settings, or programs. And yet that bozo is using it as if it was a system image and telling people that they will recover their personal files.

People make incorrect or misleading uTube vids all the time.
Anything to get the clicks.

 

[Darkbreeze]

A recovery drive is purely for repairing or restoring Windows to its original state, it's not a backup solution. The recovery drive isn't a system image. It doesn't contain your personal files, settings, or programs. And yet that bozo is using it as if it was a system image and telling people that they will recover their personal files.

And a "recovery drive" certainly CAN be used for recovery of everything, as with a backup image, it's simply a matter of what you include in the image.

Any FYI, let's refrain from calling people "bozos" here. Regardless that it's not somebody in the thread, and regardless that they might actually be one, it's unnecessary and I've been sanctioned for saying less than that as a past moderator, you certainly don't want to be doing it as a regular member. Derogatory or insulting language toward others, whether they are in the same thread or elsewhere, is a violation of the forum guidelines. Just so you are aware.

 

[nbartolo7]

Coming back a year later to this thread to avoid creating a new one.

Can anyone tell me if a system image saves the folder "System32" and everything in it? I'm worried about having to reinstall all my drivers that are located inside that folder apparently. But it should save everything right? A system image does a complete copy bit by bit of the drive in question, right?

Does it also save appdata folder? I guess so right?

Does it save hidden files and folders (that I may have hidden myself and are not hidden by default)? Say a Word doc that I decided to hide, does it also save that? And once the image restored on another drive/pc, how will that hidden folder/file show up? As hidden in the same location, or as visible?

Thanks

 

[SkyNetRising]

Can anyone tell me if a system image saves the folder "System32" and everything in it?

Windows System image contains all data from system drive.
All partitions, all folders, all files (hidden files too) in all partitions.

When you restore system image, you have created a clone. It's an identical copy of system drive.

 

[nbartolo7]

Windows System image contains all data from system drive.
All partitions, all folders, all files (hidden files too) in all partitions.

When you restore system image, you have created a clone. It's an identical copy.

Thank you. What about hidden files and folders, when I restore the image or mount it, did those get saved? and how will they show up? Everything will show up exactly as it was in the previous system, is that it?

 

[SkyNetRising]

Thank you. What about hidden files and folders, when I restore the image or mount it, did those get saved? and how will they show up? Everything will show up exactly as it was in the previous system, is that it?

You do understand, what identical copy means? Don't you?
If source drive has a hidden file/folder on it, then restored drive will have the same hidden file/folder too.

Some specific files usually don't get saved though - like pagefile and hiberfile. There's no need to save them and they would just unnecessary increase system image size.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Let's be honest here. Only somebody who REALLY wants to tempt fate would rely on Windows backups, for backup purposes. Regardless of which TYPE of Windows backup we're talking about. If you want to be sure to avoid any kind of unpleasantness, use something else to create your backup.

Macrium reflect works great. For those with Samsung SSDs their utility is pretty good. Acronis True Image, is what I've used for more than a decade now, and it's highly reliable, but that one isn't free like Macrium, however it also offers a lot that Macrium does not in terms of features and capabilities. There are certainly other options out there as well and probably about all of them are more trustworthy than anything built into Windows.

 

[ex_bubblehead]

Point of order. Macrium reflect is no longer free. It's a 30day limited demo now.

 

[Darkbreeze]

I was not aware. Thanks for the heads up. Still, there are a handful of pretty decent free backup utilities for Windows out there that ARE still free, even if Macrium is not now. Figures though.

 

[USAFRet]

Point of order. Macrium reflect is no longer free. It's a 30day limited demo now.

Yep.
And IMHO, that is a major fail from Macrium.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Yeah, 40 bucks a year for Macrium now? Jebus, did they get proud or what? Yeah, definitely other options. Hell, Acronis is cheaper than that since you can still get a lifetime license of the 2021 version through some sites for like 45 bucks. To me, that's worth it, especially if you consider what the cost of the loss of your data might cost you, or what NOT losing it is worth to you. And they have deals where you can get like a five license package for not that much more than that, and share the expense with friends, family or if you have several systems it might just make a lot of sense. But there are definitely free options out there that grossly outfeature anything in Windows.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Yep.
And IMHO, that is a major fail from Macrium.

SAF is. I mean, I get it that things cost money, but damn. It's been free for years, why not just go to like ten or twenty bucks per lifetime license and they'd rake in a lot more cash then they are going to trying to go the subscription route. Everybody is fracking idiots these days. They all think they can do what Adobe started, and even Adobe is not having the kind of success they used to because there are simply too many relatively equal options out there now. Why don't any of these companies learn? LOL.

 

[USAFRet]

Yeah, 40 bucks a year for Macrium now? Jebus, did they get proud or what? Yeah, definitely other options. Hell, Acronis is cheaper than that since you can still get a lifetime license of the 2021 version through some sites for like 45 bucks. To me, that's worth it, especially if you consider what the cost of the loss of your data might cost you, or what NOT losing it is worth to you. And they have deals where you can get like a five license package for not that much more than that, and share the expense with friends, family or if you have several systems it might just make a lot of sense. But there are definitely free options out there that grossly outfeature anything in Windows.

One time purchase, $80.

 

[USAFRet]

On my main system, I do have the paid version. Bought years ago.
All the others free, apparently grandfathered, because they still work.

For me, MR is one of those applications that are worth the money, because they simply "just work".

 

[Darkbreeze]

Of what? Macrium? I'd never pay that. Ever.

Not when you can get MUCH better, way more feature rich solutions like Acronis True Image for a lot less. Or other options for free. Macrium will go right on into obscurity and then obsolescence, I guarantee it.

 

[nbartolo7]

Point of order. Macrium reflect is no longer free. It's a 30day limited demo now.

Ok so at least I can have one image done in those 30 days, right? At least that's that. Sure I won't be able to do the automatic image thing every x amount of time.