Sometimes you need to disable anti virus
Though even then I don't find it reliable enough
To depend on
I use macrium reflect there's a free version
With my fast m2 drives loading a 40gb compressed
Image backup (about 60gb installed)literally takes 2 minutes 50 seconds to restore it
Can restore from bootable USB
Can even add macrium to the boot menu
So restore with no usb needed
Not sure if that bits in free version or not
I also use it to clone to a second drive
So if windows won't boot I can just boot to second drive
The image backup can be mounted to recover individual files too
Very useful software definitely top of my must install list
Edit
image backups can turn on ransomware protection
On them so they can't be altered
Good to hearThanks, it took a few attempts, I had to completely disable the antivirus to get it to work.
I agree, if I had to do a restore more often I would switch.Good to hear
Luckily Sometimes that's all it takes
Or sometimes you have to try a few different restore points
Until one of them works
It's better than no recovery solution at all
Just not reliable enough or versatile enough for me personally
If you have no important data on there it's not so muchI agree, if I had to do a restore more often I would switch.
Yeah I know but it good to have the option to do a roll back when you want clear any changes and in case I dont have something backed up.If you have no important data on there it's not so much
Of a worry
Reinstalling windows is fast anyway
It's all the other software afterwards
Though if I decide it's time for a clean install
Which I do now and then
I have a Winget script to fetch and install it all for me
I think it maybe a good idea to looking into another backup option if I ever need it,If you have no important data on there it's not so much
Of a worry
Reinstalling windows is fast anyway
It's all the other software afterwards
Though if I decide it's time for a clean install
Which I do now and then
I have a Winget script to fetch and install it all for me
Okay, How did you find mini tool ? how did it compare to macrium, I assume macrium has more features, also what is the interface like is it simple to use ?yeah tried those
to be honest free macrium probably as much
as most people need
load of guys in this forum also seem to use it
So out of the 2 you would still suggest mactiom for some one new ?I don't mind mini tool
Actually use their partition manager
Been so long since I've been using macrium
That I forget where I preferred it to the others I tested
The interface is pretty simple
Only thing I vaguely remember at the beginning was
Noticing there was a drop box below each drive
To select image or clone etc
Did take me couple minutes to see that
But other than that I found it point and click
Didn't need to read the help file
If the free version does the bootable USB
Or add to boot menu which it likely will do one of those
If not both
Then it's also got in there a great fix windows won't boot tool
Worked many times when windows recovery wouldn't
Either on automatically repair
Or by using CMD bootrec commands either
I would certainly recommend trying it
Either the free version or the 30 day trial
Backing up important data and being able to restore windows
With all your stuff installed too
In a couple of minutes is a godsend
will do thanksYep
It's only ever failed for me once
Because Microsoft altered some thing to do with
File system volumes or something
So wasn't really the fault of macrium
If you have the available storage
Try more than 1 see which you prefer
Thanks, does this go by the data used or the HDD size ? if I have 250gb drive and only 40gb data, does it need to clone the full 250gb or just the 40gb data used ?On devices with only 1 hard drive
And no where to fit 2 at once
You can save an image of it if you have a large enough
External/usb/flash drive
Macrium can compress so if you had 60gb for example
You would probably be able to compress it to under 40gb
If select maximum compression
Or you can get a usb to sata cable to clone to SSD/HDD
Some Samsung's you used to be able to get the cable with them