System Image Backups

[Babs3]

Can someone tell me please when making a System Image Backup, under File History, can I also use the same external hardrive to make make File History backups?

 

[Saltgrass]

I can't tell you for sure but trying it should get you a definite answer.

If you are going to use System Image Backups make sure you have bootable media in case the hard drive fails or fails to boot correctly.

 

[Babs3]

Thanks Saltgrass for your suggestion. It made me realise I had some time ago created a Win 10 iso disc but when I look at the disc I created I have failed to put on it whether it was for Windows 10 Home or PRO and as I have two different PCs running the two different versions I wonder is there a way of telling which version I have created. Size of the file maybe?

 

[Trouble]

created a Win 10 iso disc but when I look at the disc I created I have failed to put on it whether it was for Windows 10 Home or PRO

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/techbench
Choose Windows 10, the first item in the first drop down (not single language at the bottom)
Next choose your language and your bit version (32 or 64 bit to match your system architecture or in the case of an upgrade, to match your currently installed version of Windows).
That will provide an ISO that will upgrade (or clean install) either or both Windows 10 Pro and Home.
Once you have downloaded the ISO you can use ImgBurn to burn it to a DVD http://imgburn.com/index.php?act=download
OR
Rufus to burn it to a USB ThumbDrive http://rufus.akeo.ie/

Your only concern would be the system architecture and you current installation(s) (32 versus 64 bit)

 

[Saltgrass]

In addition to the Install Media Trouble refers to you can make a recovery drive from each system which is also bootable. In this case you would know the version of the media is the same as yours but you will need to keep it up to date.

When the Win 10 build number is changed the old version of the recovery media becomes unusable for the new install. So when a build is upgraded you need to remake any media. Of course there may be a time when you would need the old media to recover a prior image. Just some things to think about since the media is used to recover images and repair the current system.

I am expecting a new build to be released sometime before the end of this year, but that is just me. We don't yet know how upgrades will be handled in the future.

 

[Babs3]

Thank you all for your advice I think I have it covered now except for another question regarding the external hard drive.

On starting the File History backups (and they seem to be residing together on the same external HDD, at least I have not been warned of overwriting so far) I realised that the external hard drive was closing down when I shut down the PC. On checking around I found that in device manager I could uncheck the power options for the USB. Fine, now the external hard drive stays on when I shut down. But.......when I boot up the PC the external hard drive switches itself off. Does this mean every time I boot up I will need to unplug and plug on again either the power plug or the USB that connects it to the PC, and should I have left the drive to turn off when shutting down anyway, (heating problems)?

And how often does MS release a new build?