I have read the manual and am still at sea, awash with questions and apprehension.

[Chris]

I used Norton Ghost about ten years ago, after creating a backup spanning 6 CDs, it did not work when I needed it. I have now just set up a new W 10 laptop just as I want it, all programs and settings are complete and apart from Documents and Downloads, no files to speak of. I thought I would do a System Image backup and the do separate File Backups on a more frequent basis. I used Windows to partition a external HD, formatted in NTFS and did a backup to find W 10 could not find the System Image. I posted in a Microsoft Forum and was told that it was disfunctional and would be removed from the next edition, okay fine, better them than me. I don't need another false sense of security, I need to get this right. That said if I can start with a few basics: Is the partition created and formatted in W 10 suitable for a backup using Paragon, or should it be reformatted or recreated? ( The disc now has a single partition with a W 10 System Image on one side and files and folders on the other.) Should the previous System Image be deleted? If I do a one time backup of my OS, programs and settings can I then do an incremental backup of the same only without accumulated files and folders in six months time? Can you put 2 full System Backups on the same partition of my external drive. (one with my initial settings and one with all changes to the system.) When creating a recovery disc, does it have to be made with Paragon in order to restore a Paragon backup?(Repair disc made with W 10 is useless?) Does the repair disc need to be made at the same time as the specific backup or would one Paragon recovery disc work with all future Paragon backup and restore scenarios at a later date? Also can resizing or modifying (change drive letter) a partition that contains a backup or files risk the integrity of the data?
Thank you.
Chris

[aoz987]

ok, I can try to help, but too confusing.

question - how big is your windows main partition (the c: drive) USED space, and FREE space?

question - how big is your hard drive?

question - do you have an external hard drive for backup, and if so, how big is that?

question - how much space do your storage files (pictures, documents, music) take up?

[Chris]

Previous questions amount to the basic dos and don'ts, best practices if you will.

Basic GPT Hard Disk is a 512 GB SSD: 5 partitions, 6 volumes.

System Reserved (OEM Service Volume) 700 MB
" " 128 MB
NTFS 462.4 GB OS C: 75.8 Used / 386.5 GB Free
NTFS (OEM Service Volume) 461 MB
NTFS " " " 12.1 GB
NTFS " " " 1 GB

External HD 1 TB Basic MBR Hard Disk: 1 partition, 2 volumes.

Disk Image (A NTFS 423.6 GB 423.6 Free
ADATA (F " 507.8 GB 94.1 Used (Files) / 413.6 Free Active: No

Update to original post, Windows disk image has been erased, partition Disk Image A: has been reformatted using Paragon Backup and Recovery Free, using NTFS.

As stated above I would like to backup a system image to the A: drive (OS, 3rd party programs and all settings), then incremental or differential backups excluding large files like pictures and the like. There are minimal files on the computer at this point, they will be backed up separately via file sync.

I have downloaded and installed ADK 1709 (my windows version), I have disabled secure Boot, added CD/DVD/CD-RW Drive and USB Storage Device to the Boot Options, UEFI is selected Legacy is deselected and changed the boot order to CD then USB and last Windows Boot Manager.

I have made a recovery disk, the Paragon created ISO burned to a 650 MB CD-RW (newly erased not Quick erase) in an external CD/DVD/BR drive it will not boot from it when restarted. When restarted holding down shift it is visible from the "Use a Device" option, choosing CD/DVD/CD-RW boots normally, the CD player is identified as Pioneer... but choosing it boots to a static blue screen, no options the power button must be used to exit.

Putting in the USB recovery media also boots normally and while booting with the shift key down shows it visible selecting it boots normally.

Thanks for responding.

Chris

[aoz987]

my suggestion would be to start simple, back up the WHOLE physical hard drive (including c.
you could run PHDM 16 FROM windows itself, it is reliable, and can back up the whole drive.
start PHDM 16, select "create single backup", and select DISK/PARTITION, and then click where my arrow is (in open space) IN that disk, and ALL partitions turn blue.
then continue.
THEN, later, yuou can learn how to add an INCREMENT to that backup, THEN later you can work with creating a backup JOB, which will do an initial full backup, and also schedule increments.

for the small amount of space yuou are using, you have plenty of space on the external drive (phdm 16 compresses anyway), and then later you can work with using the exclusions
then you cn experiment with using it from the usb media (if the usb media works, I would not worry about the CD, but you cah work on that to make it work, in free time)
see attachment

[aoz987]

this webinar may be advanced, but might be worgh watching

https://registration.paragon-downloa...-registration/