How to create additional bit-by-bit copies on a single external HDD?
How to create additional bit-by-bit copies on a single external HDD?
Hi,
I own a new laptop running WIN 11. Due to previous issues with my old device, I want to create regular system backups. To do this, I bought a 2TB external HDD. My idea was to create additional partitions on it and store a backup copy on each one. I divided the HDD into ten partitions and selected the first for the backup. However, no matter whether I use the standard Windows Recovery option or tools like DiskGenius, the outcome is always the same: only a very small partition (around 33GB) remains, while the rest is unallocated. Could there be a way to store more bit-copies on a single external HDD? Thanks!
There are various tools available, like Macrium Reflect, that can create images. Multiple pictures can be saved on a single drive, including incremental or differential backups. My backup strategy involves regular incremental images, which can be done daily or weekly based on system needs, stored in a folder structure on my NAS. Each physical drive is kept separate within the same tree. A direct clone, however, requires a complete copy and would use up the entire drive.
Thank you both for your helpful responses!
I attempted to use Clonezilla yesterday, but it proved quite challenging for me. After struggling with unclear choices in the Linux setup (even though I had instructions on two websites), the final step of cloning into a file didn’t work properly, leaving me back in Windows without a backup... Could anyone suggest a free, user-friendly program for creating images? Thank you!
Very simple to operate and entirely free of charge.
The only limitation is it requires a running Windows environment to function, meaning if you need to recover from a failed drive, you must first boot into Windows on another drive.
This might be an issue, though, because you can't create an exact backup copy to a drive that's currently running Windows (or any other operating system).
HDDGURU: HDD Raw Copy Tool
This free utility for copying raw HDD data can replicate nearly any type of media and generates sector-by-sector images (either raw or compressed) for future restoration. It supports SATA, IDE, SAS, SCSI, SSD drives, and also works with USB and external drive enclosures such as SD and MMC cards. hddguru.com
The free version of Macrium was used for this task. However, recently, most of its competitors switched to paid solutions. Yet...certain software still justify the cost. For me, Macrium qualifies as one of them. It has saved my money more than once, and fully covered the expenses.