Backup of software, drivers, data (Full System Image) for Windows(7/8/10)
Transferring data from old PC to new, or maintaining a complete backup of not only data but all software, drivers, system settings is no longer a big deal. Copying data always was an easy task, but installing all software again and signing into them, changing settings of given software according to our need now too can be saved, also if you have any pirated software where you entered keys and all… now could be all backed up.
Microsoft windows provide the Backup and Restore option, where we can create a system image and can save the current state of the PC and can use it whenever required.
To take the backup of the full system follow the steps given below:
1.) Open Control Panel, by typing control panel in search bar present inside Taskbar.
2.) Inside Control Panel, select Large Icons in View By dialog present on top right hand, then click on Backup and Restore(Windows 7). It will work for windows 7/8/10 and your windows version will remain as it was before it won’t be changed to 7, so no need to worry you can go with it.
3.) Plug in an external HDD (hard disk) of capacity greater than or equal to capacity of your Drives in the PC, i.e. the hard disk must have enough space to store all the data. The hard disk need not to be completely empty, as even after creating the system image hard drive won’t get formatted.
4.) Inside Backup and Restore click on Create a System Image.
5.) Create a System Image dialog box opens. Select the name of your external hard drive in the dialog box present in, On a hard disk. Then Click on Next. If the next button is not enabled it means that you don’t have enough space on your external hard drive.
6.) Select the drives for which you want to take backup, Your Drive C (where Windows is present is selected by default), You can also select the other checkbox, if you want their drive data too for backup. Then click on Next.
7.) Finally click on Start Backup, and your backup starts, Please do not use the PC while it is backing up the data. The process can take some time depending on the size of your backup.
8.) You will see a progress bar with data backing up
When backup gets completed you will see a dialog box, asking to create repair disk click on No.
And you are done, now you may eject the hard disk and can use it anytime when your system crashes or if you want the same state to be transferred to another laptop.
Now whenever you want to restore the same system image you can follow steps given below:
We will see if we can get automatic repair tools to start the computer, if not then we will have to use a recovery drive.
To check if you get automatic repair tools, these come up if Windows fail twice to start up.
- ) For that Turn on your computer and wait for Please wait graphic to start spinning, as soon as it comes long press the on/off Button for 10 seconds and force the system to shut down.
2.) Once the computer shuts down, then again turn on the computer, and wait for please wait graphic, and force the computer off.
3.) Again try to open the computer, this time the computer will try to fix it up automatically. It will give a message Preparing Automatic Repair.
4.) Automatic repair window pops up click on Advanced Options.
5.) Click on Troubleshoot. If you come to screen having Advanced Options it’s great.
If this case fails you will need a USB recovery drive. Click on Advanced Options.
6.) Under Advanced Options click on System Image Recovery, If you are unable to find it click on see more recovery options, it might be present there.
7.)Now you will find your backup drive listed, with the date and time you made backup. Click on Next.
8.) A Choose additional restore options screen pops up, click on Next.
9.) A Re-image your computer dialog box pops up, click on Finish, then click on Yes.
Now your computer will start a long process of restoring your data.This will take few hours, when it is finished your computer will work exactly how it was on the day you did the backup. You are all done with Backup and Restoring.
