Backing up Dell Laptop questions

Lady_K

I have only backed up my laptop once when it was new and even though my system keeps asking me to back up again I have just clicked remind me later.

Now I want to be prepared if anything goes wrong. What I want to know is will it confuse things if other files are stored on the same external usb hardrive? if so do I have to separate them into folders so that if I need to use the back up it will automatically go for only the files it needs to or would I be asked which folder to go to?. I've never had to redo a laptop before from a backup so I'm a bit worried about getting it right.

Also the original backup from new was stored on a loaned portable hardrive which I now want to give back, that also has other files on it but will I need to transfer my back up to the new hardrive I'm going to get or should I start a complete new backup?

I also don't understand about the drivers and things Will I need to save these to the backup drive too?
I have never updated the laptop from the Dell website at all, I've tried a few times but just don't know exactly what to do so I've just left it rather than make a mess of the laptop.

I've got to order a new portable hardrive so just didn't know what size to get

forgotmyname

What files do you want to store? How big is the current drive? Is it full?

Depends on the backup software. Do you want a clone image of the entire drive that can be replaced onto any hard drive you install?

Or just the files you want to keep safe?

What are you backing up onto? The external drive or DVD's?

Lady_K

Thanks

Oh dear I don't know what a clone image is or how to do it but really I suppose I need the easiest simplest way to be able to restore my laptop afresh if anything ever goes wrong or even both ways if its worth saving it both ways.

I haven't actually bought the external hardrive yet I want to order something today so any advice would be much appreciated, I was just thinking about an ordinary 2.5 portable hardrive although I do know the ssd ones are more reliable they are really expensive.

As I mentioned there is a back up I made when the laptop was brand new on a portable hardrive that I borrowed at the time but I want to return that and get a new one now. When I did that I just followed what it said on the laptop but I don't think I saved any drivers or anything, I don't know why they do it that way but if anything goes wrong I will be in a right mess as I have no idea how to do any of it. I remember it told me that nothing else would be saved though, no folders or anything just the basic system.

The things I am wanting to back up are just all my personal stuff from the laptop, files, folders, photos, anything really but could I save them on the same back up drive?

I do not have a drive

Laz123

I'd suggest getting an external hhd like this one http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008PSEWRG/ref=pe_217191_31005151_M3C_dp_1
It's 500gb and light and a good price. Then just b/up your data. You can either use click and drag or software.
If you don't have any Dell restore discs it would be a good idea to make some. Then if things go wrong just restore to factory settings, it will format, load the operating system and drivers, then you can install your saved data.

closed

buy portable external drive (forget about ssd)
install macrium reflect free
create disk image backup using macrium, save it on external drive, do not choose the clone option
create macrium reflect boot cd at the end of the backup
for extra safety create dell windows disc and burn important files to dvd, leaving them in place on the c: drive
repeat backup every few months.

always keep your data in at least 2 places.

Lady_K

No I didn't have any restore discs that came with the laptop it just encouraged me to create a back up so that's what I put on the borrowed portable hardrive but every day it pops up saying I need to back up again. Is it better to use discs rather than a portable hardrive?

I'm a bit confused as to how I back up the drivers I am under the impression that when I do a back up it does not include the drivers and I need to get them separately, if so why aren't they saved during a back up and if I have to get them separately would I have to saved them on the same portable hardrive or discs

Do I have to save my files and personal data on a different hardrive to the one that I save a back up onto?

scheming_gypsy

How long have you had your laptop?

Making a clone image of it takes an image of how it looks now. If you restore the image then your laptop will look exactly as it does now - including any junk. So if your laptop is fairly old / well used and running slow, you don't really want a clone of it as you won't be in any better position if you have to rebuild.


If you just want to backup data; make sure it's all stored in one place (ie My Documents), and just copy that folder to the external drive. If you want to be safe and not sure if everything is in one place, you can create a new user account (with admin rights), log in with that one and copy your entire user folder (from c:\users if on Vista / Windows 7) to the external device.


Clones are best used on a clean build. Install the operating system, and all your applications and 'clone' the image so you've a clean build ready to go back on if you need to.... Then just back up your data regularly.

Lady_K

closed wrote: »

buy portable external drive (forget about ssd)
install macrium reflect free
create disk image backup using macrium, save it on external drive, do not choose the clone option
create macrium reflect boot cd at the end of the backup
for extra safety create dell windows disc and burn important files to dvd, leaving them in place on the c: drive
repeat backup every few months.

always keep your data in at least 2 places.

Thankyou, that sounds quite scary but I will order a portable hardrive today and already have some discs, would I then have to instal the macrium reflect onto my laptop itself and not the hardrive?

The laptop I have is Dell XPS L702X WIN 7 64bit, is that way better than doing it the way dell seem to keep popping up the backup messages? and does the above save all my data too or do I have to do that separately?

closed

it is better, and I suggest you do an image backup not clone, because clone deletes everything on the external drive. There is a video in the speedup sticky showing how to do it, takes a few minutes and is very easy.

disk image backups save everything, windows, data, programs, recovery partitions, diagnostic partition

software is installed on a computer, not on an external drive.

to create recovery discs, go into dell datasafe software.

Lady_K

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

How long have you had your laptop?

Making a clone image of it takes an image of how it looks now. If you restore the image then your laptop will look exactly as it does now - including any junk. So if your laptop is fairly old / well used and running slow, you don't really want a clone of it as you won't be in any better position if you have to rebuild.


If you just want to backup data; make sure it's all stored in one place (ie My Documents), and just copy that folder to the external drive. If you want to be safe and not sure if everything is in one place, you can create a new user account (with admin rights), log in with that one and copy your entire user folder (from c:\users if on Vista / Windows 7) to the external device.


Clones are best used on a clean build. Install the operating system, and all your applications and 'clone' the image so you've a clean build ready to go back on if you need to.... Then just back up your data regularly.

Thanks, I keep seeing updates on these threads later than I'm posting. I will get the portable hardrive delivered first then attempt all this stuff afterwards, quite nervous about it though.

The laptop is about 2 years old is just under 2 years old now

Lady_K

closed wrote: »

it is better, and I suggest you do an image backup not clone, because clone deletes everything on the external drive. There is a video in the speedup sticky showing how to do it, takes a few minutes and is very easy.

disk image backups save everything, windows, data, programs, recovery partitions, diagnostic partition

software is installed on a computer, not on an external drive.

to create recovery discs, go into dell datasafe software.

Oh that is useful if there is a video that should help I will take a look at that too, Thankyou

If I have to keep backing up every so often what size hardrive is best to get a 1TB ?