im new to backing up how can ido what i want to do below

ok im reinstalling windows and doing all the updates and programs i [put and antivirus ect. now its all super fresh i want to make a backup of the entire drive.

i have a bluray burner so i guass im not sure what tool to get am hopeing someone can help me from im new to backing up data to use as a one disk fits all

 

Are you set on using the blu-ray to back up your data? Not sure if you have - or have access to - an external hard drive. That being said,are you looking for a free solution or a paid solution? There are tons of good apps and knowing that will cut the list in half

 

If you have installed Win7, you can use the build in imaging feature.

Just go to (wording may differ since my Windows installation is not in English!):
. Start > Control Panel
. Under System and Security (the second line) you should find something that translated should be like "Do a security copy of the computer". Enter there and then, in the left panel, you'll find "Create a system image".
. You can now choose to backup to DVD's, a external drive or another partitions, for instance.
. After the backup is done, you'll be prompted to create a system disc repair. Just insert a blank CD or DVD and click next to burn. In the future, if you need to restore your backup, you just need to boot from this CD (another option, is to press F8 during the boot, and choose system repair, and restore a backup image; although in some situations that may not be possible, so is important that you create the rescue disc)

 

is it possable to make an all in one bluray disk like with a fresh install of windows all the programs and updates, that way if i decide to re-install windows all i have to do is format the hard drive and copy the disk back onto the hard drive? is this possable and is it the same process and hopw do i go about doing it? not woprried about space since i never load the bood drive with more then 20gb also it dont matter if its a paid solution or a free solution. thanks winter

 

You can create an installation DVD incorporating SP1 and all updates by slipstreaming. (This is for Win7 only - you never stated which OS. Other slipstreaming tools are also available for other versions of Windows)

For backing up your documents, photos, movies etc you can use the cloud (my least favourite option as I don't trust the cloud). My preferred option for backup files is to an external HDD.

Edit: If you carefully follow the instructions from RT Se7en Lite you will be a able to create a slipstream installation that allows unattended installation (ie Integrate product key, change UI language, Time zone, Skip automatic activation, Currency, Add OEM information's, Change network type, change Update type, Enable or disable upgrade option, Enable or disable Windows live, Skip EULA agreement, skip OOBE user creation, Enable or disable firewall, Change Display screen resolution, Disable Windows defender, etc.). You can also customise the installation to remove unwanted language packs, Windows applications etc etc

 

ok but can i slipstream all the programs i use and one video game to have it kinda an all in one

 

Hi winter,

No. However, I think you will be able to add programs that use a silent installer. ie Those that do not require user input during installation. "Slipstreaming" is essentially creating a Windows installation disk and is not a backup.

If you want to have a disk with Windows with all Service Packs, updates, latest drivers, games and any other third party applications to restore from then you will either need to create a backup or disk image.

Disk Image = An exact carbon copy of your current disk state. Your restore the image when required. It becomes outdated.

Backup = You either backup everything or select which applications and folders/files you wish to backup. Most backup software will also allow you to create either scheduled tasks where changes to the original backup are automated. This means it is possible to keep this current with any updates of software or new documents, saved games etc.

Many users use a combination of two or all of the above types. This allows the user to manage any type of situation that arises with ease.

For disk imaging and backup there are a ton of software available. I think (although I haven't checked the statistics) that most people use either Windows own backup/imaging software or backup suites from software developers such as Acronis or Paragon.

I currently use Acronis, but am looking to switch to an alternative product that suits my own personal requirements better.

Like I said before, my own preference for backups and imaging is to use an external hard drive. This makes it extremely easy to delete backups, make continuous changes to existing backups and of course entirely new backups. The reason I don't like the cloud is the potential for security breaches causing the leak of sensitive data sensitive data and/or loss if their systems fail. I additionally create DVD disks of some programs too for extra peace of mind (I could use a flash drive for this but don't as I tend to lose them and that defeats the purpose!)

You can of course backup everything on to optical disks. The main drawback with this option is that it cannot be automated. You can forget or become lazy causing loss of information/data when you have to restore in situations where it could be forced upon after for example disk corruption, hardware failure or malware attack.

Much better in my opinion to use several methods for peace of mind. Has saved my bacon lots of times by having more than one method....

 

Sorry about this.

For clarity. To do what you have requested in all of your posts.

1. Follow instructions from AlexC and create a disk image and rescue disk so you can recover from system failure.

2. Use Win7 "Backup & Restore" to backup other programs, folders & files as required.

You will need to fully research all other options if the above steps do not satisfy your current needs