assume your system stops working next week then ask yourself how much of an issue that will cause you?I've created a DVD Repair Disc, a USB Recovery Drive, and a bootable ISO on DVD
a usb fits in your pocket, gets dropped in a bucket of water and still works 4 years from now!I understand that the Repair Disc has an option to return to an earlier Restore Point. When would a USB Recovery Drive be needed, instead? What does it offer over a Repair Disc and if I have the Recovery Drive do I even need a Repair Disc?
when the system stops working your recovery drive may not boot... thats when a bootable iso will let you get back into your system and grab the files that may still be ok so that you can copy them over to the new computer.When would I need the bootable ISO? What is the value of having it in addition to the Recovery Drive?
I understand that, Mike, and that would be my preferred backup if I could afford the $60 or so for a 1T external drive. At his time, however, I'm stuck with having a Repair Disc (DVD), a USB Recovery Drive, and a bootable ISO on DVD. My original questions remain and I hope someone can help answer those.Hi
No matter what repair disks you make...
My preference is to create a System Image file and save it on a separate drive or partition than Windows.
You will need to keep it up to date, by creating a new image once in a while, I do it every month.
I use EaseUS Todo backup.
It's free works really well and is super easy to use.
EaseUS Todo Backup for Personal - Best PC Backup & Recovery Solution
You can literally back up you computer with 3 clicks.
It will create a recovery DVD in either Windows PE or Linux format, (either will work on your PC) and it will backup your Windows installation and anything else on your C:\ drive in a fairly short time, (for me about 20 minutes) and it will boot a dead computer and restore it in about the same amount of time it takes to back it up.
Everyone should have a System Image, it will let you recover a corrupted Windows install, remove any kind of Virus or correct anything that isn't working by wiping your C:\ drive and restoring your system back to the last time everything worked correctly.
I can't tell you how many times it's saved my computer over the years.
Mike
if you made it yourself then it should be ok for about 1/2 a year before the files become corrupt... factory made disc last forever if you look after thema Repair Disc (DVD)
good forever... in theory a magnet can upset the data but it would need to be very powerfula USB Recovery Drive
a bootable usb is better because a dvd doesn't last as long but this is better than nothinga bootable ISO on DVD
Please read the original posting again, ussnorway. Thanks.if you made it yourself then it should be ok for about 1/2 a year before the files become corrupt... factory made disc last forever if you look after them
good forever... in theory a magnet can upset the data but it would need to be very powerful
a bootable usb is better because a dvd doesn't last as long but this is better than nothing
p.s, perhaps you could try asking different questions?
Thanks for looking that up, Mike. Looks like there would be free shipping, so it would save me $10. Much appreciated.Hi
You don't need an external drive, just a partition on your hard drive large enough to hold the back up file.
It depends on how much free space you have on your drive.
If you have enough space, you can create a partition in disk management.
You can get an external 1 TB drive now for $50.
Amazon.com: WD 1TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive - USB 3.0 - WDBUZG0010BBK-EESN: Computers & Accessories
Mike
Okay, I sent away for the external drive and will make a full system image. I should have enough space to partition the drive and save an image of a second computer, too. If a time comes, however, when I can't boot up enough to reinstall the image, then I'll still want to have a repair disc handy, correct? Should I toss the recovery drive and burned ISO?Hi
You have to do what you can but many Windows 10 recovery options involve losing data, and don't always work.
I'm just pointing out one of the most effective way of safeguarding the data on your computer.
Because I was in the graphic design business for a long time and had 20 years of files to protect I'm paranoid about backing data up.
I have a 250 gig SSD that has only Windows on it, no software, and no data.
Everything else is on other internal drives, and then backed up to external drive as well.
The only thing I use the image file for it Windows, this makes for speedy backups and recovery when I need to do it.
Mike
It's also a good idea to make and keep all the RECOVERY or RESCUE media the maker of your computer allows you to create, along with the Microsoft discs or USB. There are hundreds probably thousands of different ways that your computer can fail, and there are times when restoring your Image Backup file may not be necessary or may not work *in the case of failed hardware*. You want to have as many repair/rescue tools available to you or the person you pay to fix your computer as possible. Angsting over throwing out 1 or 2 extra DVD/CD discs or USB drives which might total $10 for all 3 just makes no sense whatsoever IMO. In over 10 years, I've never seen anyone so bent on getting rid of 1 or more pieces of low-cost rescue media. The few dollars you invested might allow you to keep from having to spend days, weeks, or months of rebuilding your computer from scratch, so why throw away any one of them? I just don't see the logic there. Perhaps you are not understanding that each of them does slightly different tasks, they are not all duplicates of one another. They are used for different things. I regularly tell Customers not to throw away any manuals, or discs, or usb drives that come with their brand new computers. Most folks who have owned a computer before know to do this. But, yet a majority of my customers throw this stuff away, telling me when I ask them for it, "I didn't think I'd ever need it", or "computers are made much better these days, and that stuff will never be needed, it's just taking up space in my drawer!", etc. etc. Many say they had it once, but can't find it, the dog ate it, etc. etc. Hell, if they knew how really important that media was they'd spend the time to lock it into a fireproof safe or take it to their bank safety deposit box. But, they don't, and take it for granted that the repair Tech can reproduce all this media--truth is we can't. We often have to work around it.
Keep all those discs in a safe place-for as long as you own the computer. period. My 2 cents.
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