Windows 7 How to take backup of Windows 7 as i dont have DVD ?

[ruseven]

Hello,

I have just purchased new laptop of HP, having pre-installed OS as Windows 7. But i dont have DVD in case if i want to install OS again. I did when i was using XP earlier but now i dont know how to manage here.
Could anyone please let me know how can i create BOOTABLE BACKUP of Windows 7?
So i can keep that DVD with me and i can use it anytime, if something goes wrong with my OS.

Thanks..

 

[MikeHawthorne]

If you just got a new laptop with Windows 7 there should be a option to create a restore set of disks.
I just did it for my wifes new Dell laptop a few months ago.

Look on your start menu and you should see something like create a restore DVD.

It takes several disks so be ready.

If you can't find it you might check the HP site for instructions.
I don't know exactly how HP handles it but it has to be there someplace.

I'd also recommend that you buy an external USB hard drive and make a system backup of the entire drive and keep it up to date. Then you can restore everything in and hour or so. If you have 2 computers you can back them both up on the same drive.

Mike

 

[ruseven]

Thanks,

Do you know from where i can get the exact steps and methods for windows 7 to take a backup or restore DVD...

 

[Photog1]

Start > Control Panel > Backup and Restore > Create a system image... and then follow the on-screen instructions. Hope this helps, let us know.

 

[patcooke]

Two things here - first your laptop should have come with an HP utility program to burn a set of recovery disks as Mike as said - it is essential you burn these to enable you to run a full system recovery if and when you suffer a major system or hard drive crash. The exact method for doing it is system dependent so you need to read your user manual.

Secondly I'd strongly advise maintaining a regular image of your system drive using something like Acronis True Image (google for a free trial download). This is most easily done if you partitin your hard drive and keep just your op sys on drive C (40gb should be big enough but subject to your hard drive size you could make bigger). Use the remaining space to create a scond partition for storing all user data files, downloads, etc. This keeps the image file size down to manageable limits. It is convenient to keep the most recent image of the system drive on the data partition but to secure against a hard drive crash you should keep all your data backed up to an external drive as recommended by Mike.

 

[Joe S]

If you get an External HD from WD they have a free version of Acronis there. HP should have an option to burn a set of recovery disks. Look on their site it should show how. It was pretty simple on my desktop it took 3 DVDs.
Joe