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    Best program for preserving "factory" state after clean install

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by CC268, Jul 24, 2015.

  1. CC268

    CC268 Notebook Evangelist

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    Do you guys have any suggestions for a program to do a system image/backup after a clean install of Windows so that I can just go back to the "factory" state at any time?

    I don't have an optical drive and I don't know that my external optical drive can burn disks so something that doesn't require burning disks would be best
     
    CC268, Jul 24, 2015
    #1
  2. tijo

    tijo Sacred Blame

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    Macrium Reflect.
     
    tijo, Jul 25, 2015
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    TBoneSan and Spartan@HIDevolution like this.
  3. CC268

    CC268 Notebook Evangelist

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    Thanks for the suggestion...what do you think about Acronis? It is $50 but maybe worth it?
     
    CC268, Jul 25, 2015
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  4. Starlight5

    Starlight5 Yes, I'm a cat. What else is there to say, really?

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    Kawasaki268F, definitely worth it, yarr!
     
    Starlight5, Jul 25, 2015
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  5. CC268

    CC268 Notebook Evangelist

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    Now with Macrium...would I just create an "image" and save that on an external drive?

    Sorry, I have actually never really made a backup before...
     
    CC268, Jul 25, 2015
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  6. TreeTops Ranch

    TreeTops Ranch Notebook Deity

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    Select (some) Crucial SSDs come standard with a license key for Acronis True Image.
     
    TreeTops Ranch, Jul 25, 2015
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  7. Spartan@HIDevolution

    Spartan@HIDevolution Company Representative

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    Acton is True Image sucks when restoring backups from a GPT disk which most new storage drives seemed to be initialized as. It can backup but restoring is very flaky. Macrium Reflect FTW now even the free version allows you to add the recovery environment to the startup just like the paid version so it's a win win option.
     
    Spartan@HIDevolution, Jul 25, 2015
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  8. CC268

    CC268 Notebook Evangelist

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    I will use Macrium. Now when I do the clean install do I just do a system image with Macrium and then put it on a external drive? How do you get it to show up at startup like you mentioned?
     
    CC268, Jul 25, 2015
    #8