Post by drcard on Feb 8, 2021 20:56:07 GMT -5
Use Windows to Backup – Part 4
Overview:
This is the last part in this series which explains how to use these backups when the time comes. The following instructions will explain the simple way to restore any personal data from your backup copy, how to create a bootable flash drive to use to restore an image backup.
Restore Personal Data Files from Backup Copy
• If you need to restore a file or folder from the backup copy, copy that file/folder in the backup copy and paste where you want to restore it to.
• If you need to, you can copy all the personal files/folders in the backup copy to paste to a new drive.
Create a Bootable Flash Drive
• In order to restore a backup image to the drive Windows is installed on, the PC must boot to a different drive. This different drive can be a bootable DVD, or bootable external USB drive. I chose to explain how to make a bootable external USB drive because many PCs today come without a DVD drive, but all come with USB ports.
• The bootable external USB drive (aka: flash drive) needs to be at least 16 GB in size. Using flash drives of a larger size is a waste of space. The boot files will be all that you will keep on this flash drive.
• Plug the flash dive into the USB port and make sure Windows recognizes the drive by seeing it listed in File Explorer AND note the drive letter that Windows assigned to that flash drive.
• Press Win key + R to open the Run box. Type in RecoveryDrive.exe and press the Enter key. Click Yes to the UAC box that opens. This will open the Recovery Drive Creation Tool.
• On the first page the tool opens to, make sure the checkbox next to Back up system files to the recovery drive. is checked. Press the Next button.
• On the next page the tool will scan your system and present a list of attached external USB drives (the scan may take a while, be patient). Select the flash drive (remember the drive letter Windows gave it) and press Next to start the creation of the recovery drive.
• This will take a long time, so be patient and let it do its thing. You can use your PC for other things while it is creating this recovery drive.
• Once it finishes it will display a message that it is finished. Press the Finish button to close the tool.
• The next step is to test this bootable flash drive as in the next section.
Testing/Using the Recovery Flash Drive
• In order to test the Recovery flash drive you made; you must change the boot order of your PC. The boot order for a PC resides in the BIOS/UEFI firmware which is accessed by pressing a keyboard key while the PC is booting up. Different PCs use different keys for this access and different PCs have different ways to change the boot order. Do a Google search for your make and model PC for instructions on how to access the BIOS and change the boot order on your PC so it boots to a USB drive first. Record these instructions down.
• Plug the Recovery flash drive you made into a USB port and verify that Windows File Explorer recognizes the drive.
• Reboot the PC. Use your instructions from above to enter BIOS/UEFI and change the boot order so the USB drive boots first. Press Save and exit in BIOS to continue the boot process of booting to the Recovery flash drive. Be patient as it takes a long time for a PC to boot to a flash drive and it will "seem" like nothings happening.
• When the boot process is complete a screen will appear asking you to select the keyboard language layout you want with the correct one highlighted. Press Enter key to make your choice and proceed to the next screen.
• If you are testing the Recovery flash drive to make sure it boots, then select Continue to exit and boot to the Windows drive (C:) because this screen demonstrates that the PC booted to the recovery flash drive and it works. If you are booting the Recovery flash drive to restore a backup image, continue with these instructions.
• From the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot.
• From the Troubleshoot screen select Advanced options.
• System Image Recovery should be on the Advanced options page. If not, click the More Recovery Options to open the next page where System Image Recovery will be listed. Click this System Image Recovery button.
• Select the option to restore from a system image on another drive.
• The tool will look for the backup image in the WindowsImageBackup folder. If you don’t want the image it selected you can direct it to another image. After selecting the image to restore you may be asked for your user logon and password to complete the task.
• Be patient as this will take more time that it took to make the image.
• When the image has been restored you can exit and boot to Windows (now exactly like it was the day the image was made).
One last task to complete this backup system:
Get an old DVD storage case like the ones a movie comes in. Remove the paper cover insert, turn it over, write on its blank back side of the paper Image Recovery, insert the paper back into the case with this Image Recovery showing as the “title” of this DVD. Copy the instructions of how to change the boot order and the above instructions on how to restore an image onto a piece of paper and place this inside the DVD case. Now tape the bootable Recovery flash drive you made to the inside of the DVD case. Place this on your shelf near your PC. When disaster hits, all you need will be inside this DVD case.
Overview:
This is the last part in this series which explains how to use these backups when the time comes. The following instructions will explain the simple way to restore any personal data from your backup copy, how to create a bootable flash drive to use to restore an image backup.
Restore Personal Data Files from Backup Copy
• If you need to restore a file or folder from the backup copy, copy that file/folder in the backup copy and paste where you want to restore it to.
• If you need to, you can copy all the personal files/folders in the backup copy to paste to a new drive.
Create a Bootable Flash Drive
• In order to restore a backup image to the drive Windows is installed on, the PC must boot to a different drive. This different drive can be a bootable DVD, or bootable external USB drive. I chose to explain how to make a bootable external USB drive because many PCs today come without a DVD drive, but all come with USB ports.
• The bootable external USB drive (aka: flash drive) needs to be at least 16 GB in size. Using flash drives of a larger size is a waste of space. The boot files will be all that you will keep on this flash drive.
• Plug the flash dive into the USB port and make sure Windows recognizes the drive by seeing it listed in File Explorer AND note the drive letter that Windows assigned to that flash drive.
• Press Win key + R to open the Run box. Type in RecoveryDrive.exe and press the Enter key. Click Yes to the UAC box that opens. This will open the Recovery Drive Creation Tool.
• On the first page the tool opens to, make sure the checkbox next to Back up system files to the recovery drive. is checked. Press the Next button.
• On the next page the tool will scan your system and present a list of attached external USB drives (the scan may take a while, be patient). Select the flash drive (remember the drive letter Windows gave it) and press Next to start the creation of the recovery drive.
• This will take a long time, so be patient and let it do its thing. You can use your PC for other things while it is creating this recovery drive.
• Once it finishes it will display a message that it is finished. Press the Finish button to close the tool.
• The next step is to test this bootable flash drive as in the next section.
Testing/Using the Recovery Flash Drive
• In order to test the Recovery flash drive you made; you must change the boot order of your PC. The boot order for a PC resides in the BIOS/UEFI firmware which is accessed by pressing a keyboard key while the PC is booting up. Different PCs use different keys for this access and different PCs have different ways to change the boot order. Do a Google search for your make and model PC for instructions on how to access the BIOS and change the boot order on your PC so it boots to a USB drive first. Record these instructions down.
• Plug the Recovery flash drive you made into a USB port and verify that Windows File Explorer recognizes the drive.
• Reboot the PC. Use your instructions from above to enter BIOS/UEFI and change the boot order so the USB drive boots first. Press Save and exit in BIOS to continue the boot process of booting to the Recovery flash drive. Be patient as it takes a long time for a PC to boot to a flash drive and it will "seem" like nothings happening.
• When the boot process is complete a screen will appear asking you to select the keyboard language layout you want with the correct one highlighted. Press Enter key to make your choice and proceed to the next screen.
• If you are testing the Recovery flash drive to make sure it boots, then select Continue to exit and boot to the Windows drive (C:) because this screen demonstrates that the PC booted to the recovery flash drive and it works. If you are booting the Recovery flash drive to restore a backup image, continue with these instructions.
• From the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot.
• From the Troubleshoot screen select Advanced options.
• System Image Recovery should be on the Advanced options page. If not, click the More Recovery Options to open the next page where System Image Recovery will be listed. Click this System Image Recovery button.
• Select the option to restore from a system image on another drive.
• The tool will look for the backup image in the WindowsImageBackup folder. If you don’t want the image it selected you can direct it to another image. After selecting the image to restore you may be asked for your user logon and password to complete the task.
• Be patient as this will take more time that it took to make the image.
• When the image has been restored you can exit and boot to Windows (now exactly like it was the day the image was made).
One last task to complete this backup system:
Get an old DVD storage case like the ones a movie comes in. Remove the paper cover insert, turn it over, write on its blank back side of the paper Image Recovery, insert the paper back into the case with this Image Recovery showing as the “title” of this DVD. Copy the instructions of how to change the boot order and the above instructions on how to restore an image onto a piece of paper and place this inside the DVD case. Now tape the bootable Recovery flash drive you made to the inside of the DVD case. Place this on your shelf near your PC. When disaster hits, all you need will be inside this DVD case.