(1) Backup & Restore (Win 7) was removed from Win 8 (I've read) but was restored in Win 8.1 (mine had it). It has remained through all the many Win 10 upgrades (ending in 21H2) -- & I've been informed even Win 11 still has it! It never fails to make an image, & twice it restored one to me when needed. OK, fine,...
(a) It won't run if you've got more than one System partition (EFI or System Reserved) plugged in at once, but you shouldn't have that anyway.
(b) Sometimes it won't run, saying it can't get an exclusive lock on EFI -- but just try again.
(c) I thought the restore screens looked odd when dry-running a restore from a WindowsImageBackup folder that I had moved off the original drive to which it was made. So, keep it put.
(d) If you've got really large partitions, 3rd-party apps will likely be much quicker.
(2) To backup your system, make a Windows system image backup at "START, Settings, Update & Security, Backup, Go to Backup & Restore (Win 7), Create a system image". Afterward (if you haven't already got one), make the Repair Disc or (even better) ask Cortana for Recovery Drive to put it on USB. A Recovery Drive should be renewed after each new Windows version (not OS Build) comes in. That can be used to do a restore. Just plug it in, boot to it, & click "Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > System Image Recovery".
Backup & Restore makes a backup of all the Windows partitions required to boot & run Windows: EFI, MSR, Windows (C:), & Recovery. If you've got additional partition(s), they will also be offered for inclusion. A 2 TB external HDD is large enough to never fill with images. An 8 GB flash drive should be large enough to hold a Recovery drive (used to restore an image).
I make one after each new OS Build comes in & runs well, & I keep the last five...
I rename the computername folder which is inside the WindowsImageBackup folder (by appending the OS Build to it) in order to keep them separate & distinct. All five will be offered during the restore process. If you don't do that, multiple images go into the single computername folder (PCRsComputer, for me). You still get to select among them by date at Screen 3. However, when B&R decides there are too many, they all are deleted & only a new base image will remain. So you'll only have one. Here are the B&R screens I've seen (when doing a restore), but they are dynamic & may not show up unless applicable...
Screen 1: "Select a system image backup".
The latest image is the default. It shows drive name & letter, date & time, & computername. But you can choose to "select a system image" for screen 2.
Screen 2: "Select the location of the backup for the computer you want to restore".
Shows a list of external drives that hold an image (have a WindowsImageBackup folder). Each item in the list shows drive name & letter, date & time, & computername. All computername folders (if you've been renaming them) are listed per drive, like...
Seagate 2TB Slim Red (F:) 11/27/2020 6:40:06 PM PCRsComputer-19042.572
Seagate 2TB Slim Red (F:) 11/27/2020 6:40:06 PM PCRsComputer-19042.906
Seagate 2TB Slim Blue (E:) 11/27/2020 7:56:25 PM PCRsComputer
An Advanced button has two options:
a. Search for a system image on a network.
b. Install a driver.
Select an image, & click Next for screen 3.
Screen 3: "Select the date & time of the system image to restore.
If in doubt, select most recent.
Backups available for PCRsComputer Seagate 2T Slim Blue (E:)"
This screen shows the list of incrementals by date, & it names the partitions to be restored...
11/27/2020 07:56:25 PM EFI System Partition, C:, \?\Volume{457EF4FB-B253- etc.}
11/23/2020 10:22:25 PM EFI System Partition, C:, \?\Volume{457EF4FB-B253- etc.}
Screen 4: "Choose additional restore options".
Has an option to "format & repartition disks" (greyed, if in the internal recovery environment). There is an "install drivers" & an "Advanced" button, which has two options preselected...
(a) Automatically restart after restore.
(b) Automatically check & update disk error information.
Screen 5: "Your computer will be restored from the following system image".
Shows date & time, computername, & names the partitions that would be restored. If running from the internal recovery environment (Shift+Restart), the Recovery partition isn't named because it is in use. I had selected the bottom one of screen 3, & screen 5 showed...
Date & Time: 11/23/2020 10:22:25 PM (GMT -5:00)
Computer: PCRsComputer
Drives to be restored: EFI System Partition, C:
If your external hard drive (or the internal one I guess) is a Seagate or Maxtor, there will be a free version of Acronis True Image at their site. Seagate calls it DiscWizard. Macrium Reflect, AOMEI Backupper & others also offer free versions of their image makers. These 3rd-party apps are quicker, make more compact images, & are more flexible in use. But the Windows version works in under 15 minutes on my small & uncomplicated system. I must add, DiscWizard's Bootable Media (to restore an image when Windows won't boot) requires a Mouse to operate. Plug one in, & it is instantly recognized. I must admit, I do make an image with DiscWizard at each new Windows version (not each OS Build) just in case B&R will someday fail.
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