Optimal way to back-up preinstalled Windows to restore the factory-state later
See also my related question.
Background: I have a refurbished (newly bought) laptop with Windows 10 on it. I would like to wipe it but be able to restore original factory state later. Partitioning looks as follows:
- 100 MB boot sector
- many gigs (~100) for Windows
- 2 gigs for recovery partition.
I don't care about my own data (even better if I get a "clean" copy), I just want to be able to restore factory settings.
Options I have considered so far:
- Block-by-block copy. This is seemingly a bad idea.
- As suggested in the above answer, use special cloning software (probably the best solution, but maybe overkill?)
- Use the system backup feature built into Windows. This asks for a 16GB pen drive. I am not sure if it will be able to restore everything from that backup? (Including the boot and recovery partitions?)
- I thought about wiping everything and just leaving the recovery partition, but I read that (probably here on SO) that it is not enough for recovering everything. Also that would make partitioning of the disk trickier as it takes up the last "primary" partition.
- Don't make any backups at all, just download Windows 10 again if needed, and use the activation key I got when I purchased the laptop. (But will this restore all the three partitions?)
Also, related to the last point (downloading and installing Windows again): what would I lose with this solution? (I'm thinking this must be viable, because I almost bought another laptop, which did NOT have Windows preinstalled, just the key, and if I could install it for myself if needed. But I guess that would not create a recovery partition...)
Questions
- Most important: is there an optimal solution for this case?
- If I use Windows system backup, what will I lose?
- Is it true that the recovery partition alone is not enough for restoring everything?
- What would I lose by downloading a fresh copy of Windows, and installing from scratch?
windows-10 hard-drive windows-backup
asked Feb 4 at 15:41
AttilioAttilio
1011
add a comment |
See also my related question.
Background: I have a refurbished (newly bought) laptop with Windows 10 on it. I would like to wipe it but be able to restore original factory state later. Partitioning looks as follows:
- 100 MB boot sector
- many gigs (~100) for Windows
- 2 gigs for recovery partition.
I don't care about my own data (even better if I get a "clean" copy), I just want to be able to restore factory settings.
Options I have considered so far:
- Block-by-block copy. This is seemingly a bad idea.
- As suggested in the above answer, use special cloning software (probably the best solution, but maybe overkill?)
- Use the system backup feature built into Windows. This asks for a 16GB pen drive. I am not sure if it will be able to restore everything from that backup? (Including the boot and recovery partitions?)
- I thought about wiping everything and just leaving the recovery partition, but I read that (probably here on SO) that it is not enough for recovering everything. Also that would make partitioning of the disk trickier as it takes up the last "primary" partition.
- Don't make any backups at all, just download Windows 10 again if needed, and use the activation key I got when I purchased the laptop. (But will this restore all the three partitions?)
Also, related to the last point (downloading and installing Windows again): what would I lose with this solution? (I'm thinking this must be viable, because I almost bought another laptop, which did NOT have Windows preinstalled, just the key, and if I could install it for myself if needed. But I guess that would not create a recovery partition...)
Questions
- Most important: is there an optimal solution for this case?
- If I use Windows system backup, what will I lose?
- Is it true that the recovery partition alone is not enough for restoring everything?
- What would I lose by downloading a fresh copy of Windows, and installing from scratch?
windows-10 hard-drive windows-backup
asked Feb 4 at 15:41
AttilioAttilio
1011
1
Depending on the manufacturer they might have a media creation tool you can download, or you could just install the generic copy of Windows from Microsoft.
– Mokubai♦
Feb 4 at 15:52
1
I always use a disk image program to make an image of the entire disk, I have used Acronis Home and Macrium Reflect Free and both worked fine for me, Acronis is not free, but I like it because I have used it over the versions and years and has never let me down.
– Moab
Feb 4 at 17:49
There is no problem making an exact block-by-block image since you plan to restore it to the same disk. That said, as @Moab stated, an efficient disk imaging tool copying only used sectors would likely be sufficient (though restoring such an image theoretically might leave PII accessible with forensic tools, rather than overwriting it).
– DrMoishe Pippik
Feb 4 at 18:11
add a comment |
See also my related question.
Background: I have a refurbished (newly bought) laptop with Windows 10 on it. I would like to wipe it but be able to restore original factory state later. Partitioning looks as follows:
- 100 MB boot sector
- many gigs (~100) for Windows
- 2 gigs for recovery partition.
I don't care about my own data (even better if I get a "clean" copy), I just want to be able to restore factory settings.
Options I have considered so far:
- Block-by-block copy. This is seemingly a bad idea.
- As suggested in the above answer, use special cloning software (probably the best solution, but maybe overkill?)
- Use the system backup feature built into Windows. This asks for a 16GB pen drive. I am not sure if it will be able to restore everything from that backup? (Including the boot and recovery partitions?)
- I thought about wiping everything and just leaving the recovery partition, but I read that (probably here on SO) that it is not enough for recovering everything. Also that would make partitioning of the disk trickier as it takes up the last "primary" partition.
- Don't make any backups at all, just download Windows 10 again if needed, and use the activation key I got when I purchased the laptop. (But will this restore all the three partitions?)
Also, related to the last point (downloading and installing Windows again): what would I lose with this solution? (I'm thinking this must be viable, because I almost bought another laptop, which did NOT have Windows preinstalled, just the key, and if I could install it for myself if needed. But I guess that would not create a recovery partition...)
Questions
- Most important: is there an optimal solution for this case?
- If I use Windows system backup, what will I lose?
- Is it true that the recovery partition alone is not enough for restoring everything?
- What would I lose by downloading a fresh copy of Windows, and installing from scratch?
windows-10 hard-drive windows-backup
asked Feb 4 at 15:41
AttilioAttilio
1011
See also my related question.
Background: I have a refurbished (newly bought) laptop with Windows 10 on it. I would like to wipe it but be able to restore original factory state later. Partitioning looks as follows:
- 100 MB boot sector
- many gigs (~100) for Windows
- 2 gigs for recovery partition.
I don't care about my own data (even better if I get a "clean" copy), I just want to be able to restore factory settings.
Options I have considered so far:
- Block-by-block copy. This is seemingly a bad idea.
- As suggested in the above answer, use special cloning software (probably the best solution, but maybe overkill?)
- Use the system backup feature built into Windows. This asks for a 16GB pen drive. I am not sure if it will be able to restore everything from that backup? (Including the boot and recovery partitions?)
- I thought about wiping everything and just leaving the recovery partition, but I read that (probably here on SO) that it is not enough for recovering everything. Also that would make partitioning of the disk trickier as it takes up the last "primary" partition.
- Don't make any backups at all, just download Windows 10 again if needed, and use the activation key I got when I purchased the laptop. (But will this restore all the three partitions?)
Also, related to the last point (downloading and installing Windows again): what would I lose with this solution? (I'm thinking this must be viable, because I almost bought another laptop, which did NOT have Windows preinstalled, just the key, and if I could install it for myself if needed. But I guess that would not create a recovery partition...)
Questions
- Most important: is there an optimal solution for this case?
- If I use Windows system backup, what will I lose?
- Is it true that the recovery partition alone is not enough for restoring everything?
- What would I lose by downloading a fresh copy of Windows, and installing from scratch?
windows-10 hard-drive windows-backup
windows-10 hard-drive windows-backup
asked Feb 4 at 15:41
AttilioAttilio
1011
asked Feb 4 at 15:41
AttilioAttilio
1011
asked Feb 4 at 15:41
AttilioAttilio
1011
asked Feb 4 at 15:41
AttilioAttilio
1011
asked Feb 4 at 15:41
AttilioAttilio
1011
1011
1
Depending on the manufacturer they might have a media creation tool you can download, or you could just install the generic copy of Windows from Microsoft.
– Mokubai♦
Feb 4 at 15:52
1
I always use a disk image program to make an image of the entire disk, I have used Acronis Home and Macrium Reflect Free and both worked fine for me, Acronis is not free, but I like it because I have used it over the versions and years and has never let me down.
– Moab
Feb 4 at 17:49
There is no problem making an exact block-by-block image since you plan to restore it to the same disk. That said, as @Moab stated, an efficient disk imaging tool copying only used sectors would likely be sufficient (though restoring such an image theoretically might leave PII accessible with forensic tools, rather than overwriting it).
– DrMoishe Pippik
Feb 4 at 18:11
add a comment |
1
Depending on the manufacturer they might have a media creation tool you can download, or you could just install the generic copy of Windows from Microsoft.
– Mokubai♦
Feb 4 at 15:52
1
I always use a disk image program to make an image of the entire disk, I have used Acronis Home and Macrium Reflect Free and both worked fine for me, Acronis is not free, but I like it because I have used it over the versions and years and has never let me down.
– Moab
Feb 4 at 17:49
There is no problem making an exact block-by-block image since you plan to restore it to the same disk. That said, as @Moab stated, an efficient disk imaging tool copying only used sectors would likely be sufficient (though restoring such an image theoretically might leave PII accessible with forensic tools, rather than overwriting it).
– DrMoishe Pippik
Feb 4 at 18:11
1
1
Depending on the manufacturer they might have a media creation tool you can download, or you could just install the generic copy of Windows from Microsoft.
– Mokubai♦
Feb 4 at 15:52
Depending on the manufacturer they might have a media creation tool you can download, or you could just install the generic copy of Windows from Microsoft.
– Mokubai♦
Feb 4 at 15:52
1
1
I always use a disk image program to make an image of the entire disk, I have used Acronis Home and Macrium Reflect Free and both worked fine for me, Acronis is not free, but I like it because I have used it over the versions and years and has never let me down.
– Moab
Feb 4 at 17:49
I always use a disk image program to make an image of the entire disk, I have used Acronis Home and Macrium Reflect Free and both worked fine for me, Acronis is not free, but I like it because I have used it over the versions and years and has never let me down.
– Moab
Feb 4 at 17:49
There is no problem making an exact block-by-block image since you plan to restore it to the same disk. That said, as @Moab stated, an efficient disk imaging tool copying only used sectors would likely be sufficient (though restoring such an image theoretically might leave PII accessible with forensic tools, rather than overwriting it).
– DrMoishe Pippik
Feb 4 at 18:11
There is no problem making an exact block-by-block image since you plan to restore it to the same disk. That said, as @Moab stated, an efficient disk imaging tool copying only used sectors would likely be sufficient (though restoring such an image theoretically might leave PII accessible with forensic tools, rather than overwriting it).
– DrMoishe Pippik
Feb 4 at 18:11
add a comment |
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Depending on the manufacturer they might have a media creation tool you can download, or you could just install the generic copy of Windows from Microsoft.
– Mokubai♦
Feb 4 at 15:52
1
I always use a disk image program to make an image of the entire disk, I have used Acronis Home and Macrium Reflect Free and both worked fine for me, Acronis is not free, but I like it because I have used it over the versions and years and has never let me down.
– Moab
Feb 4 at 17:49
There is no problem making an exact block-by-block image since you plan to restore it to the same disk. That said, as @Moab stated, an efficient disk imaging tool copying only used sectors would likely be sufficient (though restoring such an image theoretically might leave PII accessible with forensic tools, rather than overwriting it).
– DrMoishe Pippik
Feb 4 at 18:11