The following instruction will walk you through how to create a Windows OS backup in the event you need system image restore. An image backup copies everything on your drive, including partitions and the boot sector. It’s the only way to back up your Windows installation properly, with all of your programs and settings.

Windows Backup Prerequisites

  • NTFS Formatted External Device (External HDD recommended)
  • Up-to-date OS

Instruction:

  1. Go to Start menu Creating a Windows Backup Image_1 > Settings Creating a Windows Backup Image_2 > Update and Security Creating a Windows Backup Image_4 >Backup Creating a Windows Backup Image_3. You should see the following page.
Creating a Windows Backup Image Backup main page
Fig 1.1 Backup main page

2. Select “Add a drive” and select the external drive for the backup

Creating a Windows Backup Image Add your external drive
Fig 1.2 Add your external drive

3. Now that you’ve mapped the external drive select, “Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7)” — this will open a new window in the Control Panel.

Creating a Windows Backup Image Navigating to create an image
Fig 1.3 Navigating to create an image

4. In the new window, select “Create a window system image

Creating a Windows Backup Image create window image
Fig 1.4 Create window image
Creating a Windows Backup Image load screen
Fig 1.5 Load screen

5. Select your external drive and click “Next.“Note: if your drive is not formatted correctly you will see the following:

Creating a Windows Backup Image external not formatted
Fig 1.6 External not formatted
Creating a Windows Backup Image correctly formatted
Fig 1.7 Correctly Formatted

6. Select the Windows OS drive and OEM recovery drive. Some instances will vary, i.e. VMs will only have OS (C:) no OEM recovery drive; whereas, the client’s end-user PC/Laptops will, most likely, contain an OS (C:) drive and an OEM recovery Drive. The recovery drive is crucial to an end user’s system because the OEM contains all firmware to make the vendor’s product function with OS. (i.e., from wireless card drivers to proprietary offerings. Do not select any data drives. We are creating a backup of the OS not the data.

Creating a Windows Backup Image Windows image drive selection
Fig 1.8 Windows image drive selection (End User Laptop).

7. From here, you will get a recap screen to confirm your image configuration and then select “Start Backup

Creating a Windows Backup Image Backup settings confirmation screen
Fig 1.9 Backup settings confirmation screen
Creating a Windows Backup Image backup progress sample
Fig 1.10 Backup progress sample

8. When the initial backup is completed, Windows will prompt if you want to create a system repair disc. Select “No (This requires disc burner)

Creating a Windows Backup Image create system repair disc
Fig 1.11 Create system repair disc
Creating a Windows Backup Image successful backup example
Fig 1.12 Successful backup example

9. You can confirm backup by going back to steps 3-5 and locating your external drive to confirm the most recent backup.

Creating a Windows Backup Image confirm successful backup
Fig 1.13 Confirm successful backup
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