OS image

Question

Can i create a backup image of OS and put it on a thumbdrive.

I know nothing about this. I don't have an external hard drive.

How do i do this please

thanks

Answer 1

Backup programs offer many choices of places to store backups. By far, the easiest and least expensive of these is an external hard drive. (The term 'portable' hard drive simply means an external hard drive that is small enough to carry around in your pocket.)

For storing backups you do not need a fancy-shmancy external hard drive with additional software and ultra-fast speed. I use a years' old Toshiba Canvio Basics drive and it works very well. A plain black 500GB version costs less than $50 and will last a long time. (At the moment it's $44 on Amazon.)

Full disclosure: There is a learning curve to image backup programs, but nothing you can't climb. These programs can do lots of sophisticated things with backups, but all you need to concern yourself with are the basics of making a Full backup. One of the great things about Macrium Reflect is that it was developed in Great Britain, so the user instructions (known as the knowledgebase) are written in the Queen's English.

More disclosure: Like many other backup programs, Macrium Reflect has a free version and a paid version. You might want to start with the free version, which has limitations, but is a great way to learn how to use the software. I myself have the paid version because I appreciate the extra features it offers plus it gives me access to technical support from the developers.

Take it slowly and you'll do great. But I think you'll find that backing up is a lot like Oreo cookies: Once you get started, you want to keep on going.

Answer 2

Hi Paul,

I am Dave, an Independent Advisor, I will help you with this.

The best option is to create a bootable Windows 10 USB on the thumb drive, it is free to do so and keep that safe for the future in case you ever experience any problems.

Click this link:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-downlo...

to download the Media Creation Tool (Click on Download Tool Now)

Insert the USB thumb drive into your PC

Run the Media Creation Tool

Select Create Installation Media for Another PC

Then select USB, not ISO and let that tool create the Windows 10 Bootable USB for you.

Answer 3

Can i create a backup image of OS and put it on a thumbdrive.

Absolutely! Savvy users have been doing this for years, although I wouldn't recommend a thumb drive.

An image is an exact copy of a hard drive, and you can make them quickly and easily with image backup software. The product I use is called Macrium Reflect, but there are plenty of other excellent image backup programs on the market. Windows does not have a supported image backup utility; they got out of that space once the commercial market started filling with great backup applications.

A portable hard drive is a better choice for storing backups, for several reasons. For one, the memory modules are more robust than in a USB flash drive, which is not really intended for multiple writes and re-writes. And with more space you can store more backups and create incremental and differential backup chains.

With an image backup program and a portable hard drive, you can easily and automatically backup every day, on whatever schedule you choose. A daily backup would be great. And even more important, you can just as easily restore your backup if you need to, and your computer will go back in time to exactly as it was when the backup was made.

You'll never need to reinstall Windows again, and you won't have to bother with repairing, restoring or resetting anything. If your computer gets into trouble, even if it's totally messed up, even if it's unbootable, all you have to do is restore a backup and in a short time you'll be back at work like nothing happened. That's computing with confidence.

if i use this program you suggest where does the back go? I am not able to go out and buy a hard drive.. Is there one you recommend on Amazon?

Answer 4

Can i create a backup image of OS and put it on a thumbdrive.

Absolutely! Savvy users have been doing this for years, although I wouldn't recommend a thumb drive.

An image is an exact copy of a hard drive, and you can make them quickly and easily with image backup software. The product I use is called Macrium Reflect, but there are plenty of other excellent image backup programs on the market. Windows does not have a supported image backup utility; they got out of that space once the commercial market started filling with great backup applications.

A portable hard drive is a better choice for storing backups, for several reasons. For one, the memory modules are more robust than in a USB flash drive, which is not really intended for multiple writes and re-writes. And with more space you can store more backups and create incremental and differential backup chains.

With an image backup program and a portable hard drive, you can easily and automatically backup every day, on whatever schedule you choose. A daily backup would be great. And even more important, you can just as easily restore your backup if you need to, and your computer will go back in time to exactly as it was when the backup was made.

You'll never need to reinstall Windows again, and you won't have to bother with repairing, restoring or resetting anything. If your computer gets into trouble, even if it's totally messed up, even if it's unbootable, all you have to do is restore a backup and in a short time you'll be back at work like nothing happened. That's computing with confidence!