Best BackUp Solution?

[sillyrabbitt123]

In the Control Panel, go to System and Security (touch the heading). You'll see the "File History" section listed among other things. Long-press and release the "File History" heading, and you can "Pin to Start" or "Create shortcut" in the context menu (though it doesn't seem you can add this setting directly to the taskbar). Pin to Start is probably better than a desktop shortcut.

I have not yet set up my Outlook, so I can't test to see if File History does save Outlook files. Unfortunately it looks like Outlook 2013 doesn't have an easy setting for backing up either (mirroring the Outlook files into Documents would allow the Win8.1 File History to backup). The only reference I've found for this right now is here, a tad more technical.



System images are primarily to save complex/multiple software installations and the entire OS (e.g. patched, updated, with drivers), not for personal data. There are definitely advantages to creating a system image--mainly to save time after you've set everything up to your liking--but the biggest tripping point for these systems is that you MUST test the created image to see if it works. This can take a while. Most of the reviews for image backup software tend to start out with "It works great, created an image just fine" but entirely miss the point that if your system does require a reformat, the image must work. Most people never test their backup images. I don't intend on using an image for my Surface 2 because it's already a lean system and I don't have a ton of apps installed.

If you want to try the built-in system image feature, you will need larger external storage than just for file history, and you will need to take the time to actually test the created backup.

thanks for this info! How do you test it? INSTALL/RESTORE to the Surface then use it? I am glad to jump the MBA ship but Time Machine did work flawlessly a couple of times for me. i just got used to the ease of that and want to recreate it.

 

[oion]

thanks for this info! How do you test it? INSTALL/RESTORE to the Surface then use it? I am glad to jump the MBA ship but Time Machine did work flawlessly a couple of times for me. i just got used to the ease of that and want to recreate it.

Yes, the proper test for a disk image is to create it (the URL you found gives good direction) and also restore it--although I'd install some random apps before restoring to make sure the image restores to the backup state. There are slightly different methods to restore depending on if the system won't properly boot, as the easiest way is listed in the URL ("...simply plug-in the external drive that contains the backup... navigate to blah blah"). You'll note that in one of the comments, a user indicated he couldn't restore the image to his tablet. I honestly don't know if any Surface users here have done the entire process successfully--there was a recent thread where a Pro/8.1 user was having problems just creating an image (his MS thread is here). It wouldn't hurt to try, though.

Especially for a full system like Pro, I would actually do both File History and the Image Backup (assuming the latter works fine, you can always use another product): Do the Image Backup immediately after installing your applications and tweaking the settings when you did NOT use the device much to put personal data on it, then use File History to save personal data.

 

[sillyrabbitt123]

Yes, the proper test for a disk image is to create it (the URL you found gives good direction) and also restore it--although I'd install some random apps before restoring to make sure the image restores to the backup state. There are slightly different methods to restore depending on if the system won't properly boot, as the easiest way is listed in the URL ("...simply plug-in the external drive that contains the backup... navigate to blah blah"). You'll note that in one of the comments, a user indicated he couldn't restore the image to his tablet. I honestly don't know if any Surface users here have done the entire process successfully--there was a recent thread where a Pro/8.1 user was having problems just creating an image (his MS thread is here). It wouldn't hurt to try, though.

Especially for a full system like Pro, I would actually do both File History and the Image Backup (assuming the latter works fine, you can always use another product): Do the Image Backup immediately after installing your applications and tweaking the settings when you did NOT use the device much to put personal data on it, then use File History to save personal data.

THANKS Buddy! I made the image fine No problems it took 10 minutes worked like a charm. I also turned on file history settings so I got both going now. if and when the SHTF i will try the image.

thanks again!

 

[sillyrabbitt123]

Ok i got one more question. I went to make another backup image today but i copied over yesterdays image how do i set it to not override previous image? should I partition my external HD? is that they way?

thanks

 

[oion]

Ok i got one more question. I went to make another backup image today but i copied over yesterdays image how do i set it to not override previous image? should I partition my external HD? is that they way?

thanks

Partition might work, or an entirely different external drive--according to this, it looks like the backup image system in Win8.1 is designed to overwrite a previous system image.

 

[sillyrabbitt123]

Partition might work, or an entirely different external drive--according to this, it looks like the backup image system in Win8.1 is designed to overwrite a previous system image.

thanks for the info. now i have another question from reading this

"System Image Backup cannot be used for restoring individual files or folders: restoring the image means overwriting everything on the target drive. File History is the proper solution for backing up and restoring personal data in Windows 8.1."

so does this mean my .pst or entire outlook setup will not be saved? how do or what do i use nopn cloud based to do what time machine does on apple?

thanks!!

 

[oion]

I'm looking at my Outlook 2013 RT and it looks like you can manually export PST files. I don't know about Outlook settings, though... That might be saved under the SkyDrive > Sync settings > "Back up settings" option, but I'm not sure.

Edit to clarify: Technically you CAN use image backup for restoring personal data, but with the understanding that it'll be old data. The real purpose of image backups is for system cloning--fully working and activated software installations, customizations, tweaking, etc. Actual user data is highly volatile, which is why no one recommends that people use drive images to backup data--this includes browser caches, that offline email, so on. That's why only one actual drive image (or two) after you've setup everything plus File History is usually recommended here.

 

[sillyrabbitt123]

Thanks again for enlightening / helping me with this info. I am using Outlook 2007.

So if I use image backup [have 2 on hand] with file history i am good to go? the backup image would contain the pst and outlook settings? then I wouldnt need any other back up solution if my surface was toast/gone for whatever reason and i wanted to get back up and running fast i would be set? if all went according to plan and the backup image worked?

again thanks

 

[oion]

Thanks again for enlightening / helping me with this info. I am using Outlook 2007.

So if I use image backup [have 2 on hand] with file history i am good to go? the backup image would contain the pst and outlook settings? then I wouldnt need any other back up solution if my surface was toast/gone for whatever reason and i wanted to get back up and running fast i would be set? if all went according to plan and the backup image worked?

again thanks

Short answer, yes.

The backup image would contain everything on your hard drive including application settings and whatever was in your Outlook at the time. But as for volatile user data like email...

File History--this link gives waaaay more detail about how it works--it appears the PST won't be backed up with File History unless the mailbox is located in one of the libraries that are handled by that service, although that may not be the end of the discussion.

For Outlook 2002-2010: How to locate, move, or back up your personal folders (.pst) file in Outlook
Outlook 2013: Introduction to Outlook Data Files (.pst and .ost) - Outlook - Office.com
(I'm not sure if Outlook RT even supports PST. I'll have to look into that later.)

 

[sillyrabbitt123]

Thanks so much for the help. I dont feel like messing with this. its working so i will leave the file where it is. but i cannot find my .pst file. in 2007 it looks like its and .ost file is that right? should I just copy the .ost file to an external HD and I will be all set?

thanks!

 

[MCube74]

Can we create a system image into a USB 3.0 Flash Drive (Sandisk Extreme)? Or does it have to be an external hard disk only?

 

[guymalloc]

Ok i got one more question. I went to make another backup image today but i copied over yesterdays image how do i set it to not override previous image? should I partition my external HD? is that they way?

thanks

The trick is to open your external storage device after your backup completes, and rename the folder. I just add the date like 053114 at the end. This way the new system image won't overwrite your others.