# Do i need backup media?



## mpeet611 (Dec 16, 2013)

I upgraded my Dell Inspiron 15 from Windows 7 Home Premium to Windows 10 Home about a month ago & i'm wondering if i need to make backup media for it. When i first got this pc i used the built in Dell Backup & Recovery Program to make a usb recovery stick for windows 7 & i still use it to backup my files regularly. After the upgrade Dell Backup & Recovery gave me this message in the image below.










Dell Backup & Recovery still has the option to do a factory restore but this message makes me think that it's factory restore will take me back to windows 7. If that's the case where can i get backup media for Windows 10 so i have it just in case.


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## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

download the ISO for windows 10 from here
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10


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## mpeet611 (Dec 16, 2013)

etaf said:


> download the ISO for windows 10 from here
> https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10


When i download the media creation tool from microsoft do i have to run it to make the windows 10 iso?


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## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

yes, you have the option to create a DVD or USB from the ISO 
should say 
Upgrade this PC 
or
Create a USB/DVD


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## mpeet611 (Dec 16, 2013)

Oh Ok good to know . Can you help me figure out how long it will take to download on a 15 mbps internet connection? I'll be moving soon & will change ISP's at that time so i may have to do the download on his internet & i would like to know how long it will take before i take my laptop over there. Also how big of a DVD or USB Drive will i need?


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## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

it will depend on the MS servers its difficult to calculate


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## mpeet611 (Dec 16, 2013)

So i'm not going to know how long the download will take until i get on his internet  Oh well. Guess i'll have to find some time to download the iso file. Thanks for the download link Wayne.


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## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

No, it took me 14hrs to download a 5GB file on a 12Mbps line when MS first started downloading windows 10 
he 64Bit ISO is 3.67GB 
There are some calculators on the web to estimate the time based on your download speed


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## mpeet611 (Dec 16, 2013)

The calculator i found says my download time if i use my brothers internet would be 00:35:01
For my current isp it gave me this download time 08:45:25
I know the download time could be affected by the microsoft servers but looking at these estimates i like the download time for my brothers internet better than mines. This is another reason why i'm changing isp's when i move later this month. 
Source: http://www.download-time.com/


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## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

What does you current ISP say it will provide, sometimes its down to cost or I have even found lines that have been capped


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## mpeet611 (Dec 16, 2013)

My current ISP is Verizon DSL & i'm paying for speeds up to 1 mbps. I only went with that plan because it was good for my needs at that time. Since then my speeds have gone down. I did a speedtest & below hopefully are the results.


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## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

i suspect the quoted speed is upto and NOT 1Mbps all the time - maybe worth checking with the ISP


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## mpeet611 (Dec 16, 2013)

I've tried calling them before & i always get somebody in another country who doesn't understand what i'm saying. The bad customer service & the fact that i would like more speed is why i'm changing ISP's when i move later this month.


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## Tabvla (Apr 10, 2006)

Is there reason why you would not use the System Image Backup tool that is built into W10..?

On my personal computers (since W8.1) I have used File History to constantly backup personal data files and System Image Backup to create a System Image on a monthly cycle.

If you have used File History and System Image Backup previously in W8.1 then you will already know how to use these tools because they have not changed in W10.

I have found these two utilities to be a real pleasure to use and one of the best utilities in Windows.

T.


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## mpeet611 (Dec 16, 2013)

I upgraded from windows 7 home premium & never heard of these utilities. I never used windows 8 or 8.1 because i didn't like it. Where can i find them & can you tell me how they work a little bit.


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## Tabvla (Apr 10, 2006)

File History and System Image Backup are two separate functions which are accessed from the same utility. This utility is a standard part of W10 and has been part of Windows since Windows 7.

To access the utility go to Control Panel > File History. The File History process takes up most of the window. You will find the System Image Backup process at the lower-left corner of the window.

*1. File History*

It is important to understand at the outset that File History is a completely automated process. Once setup there is no requirement for the User to do anything - the process works seamlessly and transparently in the background with no impact on system performance.

For File History to work properly you will need an external storage media to be connected permanently to your computer. For my personal computers I use an SD card. All computers now have at least one SD card slot. The capacity of the SD card will depend on how much Data you want to copy to File History. SD cards are relatively inexpensive and are obtainable everywhere and need no setup procedure. I use two SD cards and simply swap them out on a daily basis so as to ensure that I have 2 copies of my data and that if anything catastrophic was to happen (for example a Cryptolocker type malware infection) that I would at most lose only 1 day of data.

If you store your personal Data files on a separate Partition (as I do) or on a separate storage media then you will need to include the Top-Folder of your Data files in the Library. File History automatically saves all files included in the Library, so this is by far the easiest method to ensure that your Data files are being saved to File History.

*2. System Image Backup*

System Image Backup has two parts to it - the image of the system and the boot process. Each of these parts require separate medium.

For System Image Backup to work properly you will need an external storage media and a boot media. For my personal computers I use a USB HDD and a USB Flash Drive. Both of these media types are inexpensive and are obtainable from your local computer shop or online from places such as Amazon.

On W8.1 computers I run the System Image Backup process once a month BEFORE I apply the Microsoft monthly updates. On W10 computers that run the Home version of W10, updates are now no longer optional and are installed automatically (a real pain-in-the-rear-end idea). On W10 computers I recommend running the System Image Backup weekly - just in case our Redmond friends automatically install a bad update.

You can create the Bootable USB Flash Drive either at the end of the System Image Backup or as a separate task.

I test the Bootable USB Flash Drive on a regular basis - usually about every 3 months.

If you have any questions please ask in your next Post.

T.


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## mpeet611 (Dec 16, 2013)

For the system image backup do i have to keep the usb hdd connected permanently like file history or no? I'm assuming the usb hdd should be about the same size as my C drive but what size usb drive do i need for the bootable usb flash drive?


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## Tabvla (Apr 10, 2006)

mpeet611 said:


> _For the system image backup do i have to keep the usb hdd connected permanently like file history or no? I'm assuming the usb hdd should be about the same size as my C drive but what size usb drive do i need for the bootable usb flash drive?_


No, the USB HDD for the System Image Backup MUST be removed as soon as the backup has completed and then should be kept in a safe environment until the next time you take an Image. System Image Backup is only taking an image of the "system" and only needs to be larger than the total System files - a 160GB HDD would be more than enough.

The Bootable Flash Drive can be small as only a few hundred MB are needed - so a 1GB Flash is fine. This should also be kept in a safe environment together with the HDD.

T.


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## mpeet611 (Dec 16, 2013)

Thanks for clearing that up. When i have some free time i'll setup the file history & do the system image backup.


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## Tabvla (Apr 10, 2006)

File History has a number of very useful options in the way that it can be setup. It is worth your time and effort to look into that before you start.

Good Luck..... let us know how it worked out.

T.


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## mpeet611 (Dec 16, 2013)

How can i make the Bootable USB Flash Drive before doing the system image backup because i just found a 2GB USB Flash Drive in my junk drawer that i can use. In control panel do i click on recovery & select the top option "Create a Recovery Drive" as seen in this image. 








I clicked that option & this is the next screen i got. 








I clicked next & got this error.








Did i do something wrong or did i go to the wrong area? I'll get an sd card later this afternoon so i can turn on file history. The system image backup may have to wait until after i move because i'm not sure how much my moving expenses will cost.


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## mpeet611 (Dec 16, 2013)

I got it to work by unchecking the option to backup system files to the recovery drive. Do i need those system files or no once i make the system image.


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## Tabvla (Apr 10, 2006)

Apologies for the delay in replying.... I was not available over the weekend. Apologies also if my original instructions were not clear.

The Recovery Drive is used to start (boot) a system that won't start. At that point you have a number of options - you can try to recover your system using the Windows Recovery Console or you can Login using Safe Mode. For example, you may find that it is simply a corrupt system file which, while you are in Safe Mode, you can fix using the SFC command.

If you find that your system has to be completely recovered then you will use the System Image Disk to recover the last good image of your system.

If this is unclear then please ask.

T.


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## mpeet611 (Dec 16, 2013)

In Post 16 you said


Tabvla said:


> You can create the Bootable USB Flash Drive either at the end of the System Image Backup or as a separate task.


Is the recovery drive i made the same bootable usb flash drive that you were referring to in this quote.


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## Tabvla (Apr 10, 2006)

mpeet611 said:


> In Post 16 you said
> 
> Is the recovery drive i made the same bootable usb flash drive that you were referring to in this quote.


Yes, that is correct.

The 3 things that I recommend for every system are: -


Password Reset Disk -- if you use a password to login
Bootable USB Flash Drive -- for those times when your system refuses to start or Blue-screens
System Image Disk -- when your system is irrecoverable
T.


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## marguskask86 (Sep 19, 2015)

My recommendation also is to use a *password reset disk*.. If you haven't made one, there is no problem, becasue you can use a third party software that can easily remove passwords from windows accounts. Look more here and there is a presentation that shows how it works: http://www.passwordresetdisc.com Hope it is useful. =)


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## mpeet611 (Dec 16, 2013)

marguskask86 said:


> My recommendation also is to use a *password reset disk*.. If you haven't made one, there is no problem, becasue you can use a third party software that can easily remove passwords from windows accounts. Look more here and there is a presentation that shows how it works: http://www.passwordresetdisc.com Hope it is useful. =)


Thanks for the suggestion but i don't have a password on my laptop so i don't need a password reset disk at this time.


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