Unplanned full system image!

[PEV]

Hi Pete - or any other of you folk who can advise!

I just tried to back up my files to an external hard drive and am shocked to say I last did this a full year ago which only took me minutes!

However I don't know how it's happening a full system image is now being saved to the external hard drive which is taking a considerable time which leads me to fear that my ex hard drive will be full before the complete image is installed!

So in anticipation of that happening should I clean the hard drive and just download my files a previously last year/

Hope you can help

ray

[PEV]

Further to my above post, in fact my external hard drive has apparently made a full copy system image without becoming full! Not a bad thing Iwould say!

Ray

[KenB]

Hi Ray

 

I thought I would hold back to see if your hard drive would cope.

Normally software that creates a system image checks the destination drive first. :)

[PEV]

Thanks Ken

So although not out of design Inow have a complete rescue should my hard drive fail or get infected by some nasty ransomeware ETC?

Ray

[KenB]

Hi Ray,

 

If you are using Macrium Reflect you must be careful to keep the original rescue CD that you created.

We did find a while back when testing this that the re-install failed if we used an updated rescue CD.

[PEV]

no it's on an external hard drive Ken

Ray

[KenB]

Which system have you used to create an image of your external drive Ray ?

[PEV]

Sorry for late reply Ken!

I don't know to be honest Ken!

I was just backing up as i hadn't for yonks and a message came up saying something I had now created an image of my whole sysytem or words to that effect.

Ray

[Starbuck]

I used to use Macrium for my images.

But now I use this process.

Although the title says... 'Win 10'... it works just the same on Win 8.

 

How to create an image backup in Windows 10 and restore it, if need be

[PEV]

Hi Pete again apologies for my belated reply!

I took a look at the 'how to create an image backup to windows 10 (8) and restore it if need be and it seems somehow i have created this very same back up. Well the wording was very similar and it took quite a time for it to be put onto my ext, hard drive.

To be honest I would consider scrubbing the ext. hard drive and starting again using the link you provided but I'm a bit wary of doing it as I'm not sure of what I'm doing and may mess it up!

Anyway your advice will be appreciated.

Ray

[Starbuck]

Hi Ray,

 

Good to see you again.

 

To be honest I would consider scrubbing the ext. hard drive and starting again using the link you provided but I'm a bit wary of doing it as I'm not sure of what I'm doing and may mess it up!

If you want to scrub the whole Ext Hd and start again it couldn't be easier.

Plug your ext hd in to the PC.

Open up 'Computer' ( or My Pc which ever version you have)

Right click on the ext hd and select 'format' from the list.

Just go with the defaults it gives you and click quick format.

This will erase everything on the ext hd and give you a nice fresh drive to start with.

 

https://i.imgur.com/4GHU8EW.png

[PEV]

Hi again Pete

Another question:-

If I want to have a look at exactly what's on the x hard drive to see if indeed I have a proper copy how can I do it?

Ray

[Starbuck]

Hi Ray,

 

If I want to have a look at exactly what's on the x hard drive to see if indeed I have a proper copy how can I do it?

You can view the contents in the same way that you view the contents of any usb device.

It doesn't give as much info as you'd think though.

You'll basically see 2 folders....

 

https://i.imgur.com/0Ka9xKA.png

 

Clicking and viewing the Configuration folder just shows:

 

https://i.imgur.com/nDnGK1n.png

 

Clicking Data will give.....

 

https://i.imgur.com/NVW8dc7.png

 

$OF .... will give you a few numbered folders..... nothing readable.

 

C .... if you open this and the next few folders, it will show what personal folders have been backed up.