BACKUP AND RECOVERY File History + Push Button Reset + Advanced Recovery Tools + System Image Backup The new Windows includes tools that can help you protect your documents and other important data, restore your PC to its factory-fresh state, and even back up the entire PC and then restore it later in the event of a hardware failure. Topic tasks Here are the key tasks you can accomplish in this chapter: Choose the backup strategy that meets your needs Use File History to back up your files Use File History to find and restore earlier file versions Use PC Reset to return your PC to its factory-fresh condition Use PC Refresh to return your PC to its factory-fresh condition but retain installed apps and data Create a Recovery drive Use the Windows Recovery Environment tools to fix problems with your PC Use System Image Backup to protect a traditional PC from a hardware failure Backup strategies The new Windows includes a number of technologies for replicating and backing up documents and other files on your PC, wiping out the PC to start over from scratch, and imaging the drive so that you can recover in the event of a hard drive failure. Which of these technologies you choose will depend on your needs. The following backup and recovery tools are available in the new Windows. SkyDrive sync. Thanks to pervasive SkyDrive integration in Windows, you can configure your libraries Documents, Music, Pictures and Videos to use SkyDrive-based folders, automatically replicating your data to the cloud as you work. File History. This intriguing backup solution backs up your documents and other important files as well as previous versions of those files so you can "go back in time" and recover an older file version when needed. Push Button Reset. A set of system restore tools called PC Reset and PC Refresh that let you wipe out your PC and very quickly return it to its original condition, while optionally saving your documents and other data files as well as your installed Modern mobile apps. Advanced recovery tools. The new Windows can start up in a troubleshooting mode that helps you fix problems with the PC, access its UEFI firmware, change startup settings, and access recovery tools like PC Reset, PC Refresh and System Image Recovery. So how do you choose? Everyone's needs are different. But the following sections describe a few backup strategies to consider.
Just use SkyDrive for file replication In the FILES chapter, we discuss how you can integrate Microsoft's SkyDrive cloud storage service with the libraries functionality in Windows so that your documents and potentially other files, such as photos are automatically synced with SkyDrive. That way, your most important files are available at any time on any device. Not just on Windows PCs, but also Windows RT devices, Windows Phone handsets, iphone, ipod touch and ipad, and Android handsets and tablets, using the SkyDrive mobile app that is available on each. This capability is really a form of automatic offsite backup called file replication. That's because every document (or other file) that you save in Windows, to a folder that is synced with SkyDrive, is also replicated to the cloud. That means that these files are located in two places, your PC's hard drive (or solid state storage, or similar) and SkyDrive. We feel that all Windows users should configure their Documents library to point solely to a SkyDrivebased folder, as described in FILES, and then configure other libraries similarly if needed. But depending on the type of Windows device you're using, this SkyDrive-based replication might be enough. That is, you may not even need the more full-featured but complex file and full PC backup features that are described in subsequent sections of this chapter. Before deciding, be sure to read through his chapter to more fully understand the file and PC backup features that are offered by the new Windows. And understand that this file replication capability, combined with automatic SkyDrive-based syncing of Windows settings, and the ability to quickly reset or refresh the PC and basically bring it back to factory-fresh condition (also described later in this chapters), may simply be all the backup and restore functionality you actually need. Note: You cannot use SkyDrive file replication and File History together. For example, if you configure your Documents library to point only to a folder in SkyDrive, that folder will not be included in any File History backups. Use System Image as a crapware-free alternative to Push Button Reset The new Windows includes an incredible set of Push Button Reset tools PC Reset and PC Refresh, respectively which allow you to restore your PC to its factory-fresh condition and, in the latter case, while retaining your user account, (many of) its settings and documents, and any installed Modern mobile apps. You can learn more about these tools in the section Push Button Reset: PC Reset and PC Refresh. Push Button Reset works incredibly well, and incredibly quickly, and if you do ever need to start over from scratch, this is the way to go. With one exception: If you obtained the new Windows with your PC that is, you didn't upgrade from a previous Windows version or buy the new version and install it on an existing PC it's likely far too likely that your PC maker installed a lot of non-essential Modern apps and desktop applications and utilities on your PC. This type of bundling is called crapware, and while some of these apps and applications are obviously useful, many are not. And because of the way Push Button Reset works, it is typically modified by the PC maker so that when you reset or refresh your PC, that factory-fresh Windows install you come back to is their customized version, complete with crapware.
If you don't reinstall Windows that frequently, this strategy is unnecessary. You can simply uninstall the apps and applications you don't want and get on with life. But if you would refer to restore your PC to a clean Windows install without that crapware, the simplest way is to skip Push Button Reset and use the System Image Backup utility instead. To Using System Image Backup for this purpose is not difficult, but it is a bit time-consuming. First, you get your PC to a state at which you think is ideal, one that you will want to return to later. Ideally, if this is a new PC, you do so after first signing in, removing the crapware, and installing any pending Windows Updates. Then, just use the System Image Backup utility as described in the section Create a system image. Later, if you want to restore the PC to this point in time, you can just use System Image Restore, as described in Recover your entire PC with a system image. Use PC Reset before selling or giving away your PC PC Reset and PC Refresh as described in the section Push Button Reset: PC Reset and PC Refresh are great tools for quickly bringing your PC back to its original, factory-fresh state. But PC Reset the more destructive Push Button Reset tool, which removes your user accounts, data, and any installed apps and applications from the PC has a useful side use. It can be used safely erase your personal data from the PC during the reset process so that no one can recover it later. Why is that useful? If you plan to sell or give away your PC, you can use PC Reset to remove your user accounts, documents and other data, and installed mobile apps and desktop applications from the PC. That way, the recipient of the PC has a "clean" experience that is basically identical to how the PC behaved, looked and performed the day it was first used. During the PC Reset process described in Push Button Reset: PC Reset and PC Refresh, you'll eventually be asked if you want to fully clean your drive. If you plan to sell or give away the PC, choose the second option, "Fully clean the drive." The reset process will take longer, but any personal data that might have otherwise been hidden on the PC's drives will now be wiped out and inaccessible by others. File backup: File History Windows includes a feature called File History that will automatically backup your most important files to a separate hard drive or network location. But it's better than a basic backup: File History also lets you retrieve earlier versions of a file, so that if you make a change to a document or other file, you can "go back in time" and return to an earlier version. File History works only with certain file locations: It will back up all of the files in your libraries and Desktop, Contacts and Favorites folders. In the case of libraries, that means whatever folders that you or Windows have configured for the Documents, Music, Pictures and Videos libraries. (By default this is the
Documents, Music, Pictures and Videos in your own user profile as well as the Public Documents, Public Music, Public Pictures and Public Videos folders.) And it does require external storage, so it's not an ideal choice for tablet, 2-in-1 or other hybrid PC, or many portable computers. That said, you can use File History with SD and micro-sd storage if you'd like. Or you can configure File History to use a share on another PC or device on your home network if you have such a thing. Note: You cannot use SkyDrive file replication and File History together. For example, if you configure your Documents library to point only to a folder in SkyDrive, that folder will not be included in any File History backups. Enable File History File History has two manage interfaces, a desktop control panel and a Modern interface in PC Settings. Since the latter is new, let's look at that first. File History is located in PC Settings, Update and Recovery, File History. Or, use Smart Search, look for file history, and choose "File History settings" from the results list. To enable File History, change the File History option here from Off to On. Manage File History If you wish to examine or configure File History further, you need to use the desktop-based Control Panel instead. The simplest way to access this utility is to use Smart Search, look for file history, and choose "File History" from the results list.
The following unique capabilities are available from this more advanced interface. Restore personal files. If you wish to get back to the previous version of a file, you can do so from here. This functionality is important enough that it's discussed separately, below, in the section Restore an earlier version of a file. Exclude certain folders. By default, File History will back up all files in your libraries and Desktop, Contacts and Favorites folders. If you'd rather not waste disk space by backing up unnecessary folders, you can exclude them using the Exclude certain folders link in the left of the File History control panel window. (Unfortunately, you can't arbitrarily include other folders.) Change how File History works. Using the Advanced settings link in the left of the File History control panel window, you can access an Advanced Settings interface from which you can change how frequently File History backs up, the amount of disk space used by File History, and how long it will store saved versions of backed up files.
Restore an earlier version of a file For the most part, File History is a "set it and forget it" feature: It will run automatically in the background, backing up your files as well as each version of those files as they're changed. But you may eventually need to recover an earlier version of a file that is being backed up by File History. To do so, open the File History control panel and click the "Restore personal files" link in the left of the window. A File History window opens, letting you navigate between the various times at which File History backups were made. This interface lets you browse through the folders that are backed up by File History, and do so in whatever backups are available. The initial view is the most recent backup, but you can use the navigational buttons at the bottom of the window to "go back in time" and find older backup sets.
Beyond that, navigation works much like it does in File Explorer. When you find an earlier version of a file you might wish to restore, right-click it. Three options are available. Preview. This will provide a preview of the file so you can ensure that it's the version you want before you restore it. Restore. This will restore the file to its original location. You'll be prompted about replacing an existing file if there is a newer version of that file there already. Restore To. This lets you choose a new location to which to restore the selected file. This can be the safest approach when restoring a single file, since you can compare the restored version side-by-side with the more recent version. You can also restore all files in the current view by clicking the prominent green button in the center of the navigational controls at the bottom of the window. Push Button Reset: PC Reset and PC Refresh The new Windows includes a powerful system restore technology, collectively called Push Button Reset, which lets you return your PC to the condition it was in the day first bought it. And you optionally can do so non-destructively where you retain all of your documents and other data, as well your installed Modern apps if desired. There are two tools in the Push Button Reset arsenal:
PC Reset. Here, everything on your PC is deleted and Windows is reinstalled, bringing your PC back the way it was when you first received it. You will need to create an account on the PC as if it were the first time you've ever used it and reinstall any apps you like to use. PC Refresh. Here, your PC is wiped out as with PC Reset, but your user account and its documents and other data are retained, as are any Modern apps you may have installed. (Desktop applications are deleted and will need to be reinstalled manually.) Aside from the details noted above, PC Reset and PC Refresh work similarly. And while PC Refresh retains installed Modern apps, any desktop applications you've installed will be removed and will need to be reinstalled when the process completes and you've booted back into your cleaned PC. For this reason, you should make sure any desktop application installers are readily available before using Push Button Reset. Warning: There's one other issue to consider here, or any other time you reinstall Windows. Some applications Apple itunes and most Adobe applications, like Photoshop, most notably use softwarebased activation schemes to ensure you're not pirating the software. Be sure to deactivate these applications before you use Push Button Reset, or you could lose an activation. What's particularly amazing about Push Button Reset is how fast it works usually in under 20 minutes, unless you select to fully clean the PC, an option that is only provided by PC Reset. You can launch these tools from PC Settings they're in Update and Recovery, Recovery or via the Windows Recovery Environment that's described in the next section. We'll examine the PC Settingsbased procedure here, but both methods work similarly. Decide whether to use PC Refresh (the top option) or PC Reset (the second option) and then tap the appropriate Get Started button. A full-screen notification will appear, warning you about what this procedure will do to your PC. PC Reset:
PC Refresh: Tap Next to continue. If you chose PC Reset, a second notification will appear, providing you with the option to fully clean the PC, which will require a lot more time than a normal reset. You should only choose to fully clean the PC if you are resetting it in order to sell or give it to someone else. There's no reason to do so if you're going to continue using the PC. If you chose PC Refresh, a second notification will appear noting the desktop applications that are installed on this PC. There's no reason to write down the list now, however, as Windows will provide a file on the desktop when the refresh process is complete. Tap Next to continue. In the Ready notification, tap the Refresh or Reset button as appropriate to get started. The PC will reboot and perform the refresh or reset procedure.
When this process completes, the PC will reboot again and go through a process that is very similar to the end stages of Windows Setup, as described in the INSTALL chapter. If you performed a PC Refresh, the PC will reboot again and you will eventually be presented with the lock screen, from which you can sign-in normally. When you navigate to the desktop, you will find a web document called Removed Apps that will list the desktop applications you previously had installed on this PC and, when possible, hyperlinks so that you can find them on the web and reinstall them. (Your installed Modern apps are available normally.) If you performed a PC Reset, the PC will reboot again and you will step through the Out of Box Experience, which is also described in the INSTALL chapter. During this wizard-like interface, you will personalize the PC with a name and color scheme, choose between express and custom settings, sign in to your Microsoft account (or otherwise create an account) and then, after the system's built-in Modern apps are installed, you will be presented with your new (and stock) Start screen.
Advanced recovery tools: Windows Recovery Environment The new Windows lets you optionally boot the PC into a Windows Recovery Environment that can be used to perform various troubleshooting and system restore activities using advanced recovery tools. This environment can be very useful if something goes wrong with your PC. You can get to this environment from within Windows by navigating to PC Settings, Update and Recovery, Recovery and then tapping the Restart Now button under Advanced Startup. This will cause the PC to restart into the Recovery Environment, where you can tap the Troubleshooting tile to access various recovery tools.
You can also create a USB-based Recovery drive so that you can access this environment if your PC no longer boots. Since this is such a crucial need, let's do that first before looking at the tools available in the Recovery environment. Note: Why USB? In the old days, we might have used a DVD disc for this purpose, but today we use USB media for the Recovery drive because it works with all modern PCs, including the tablets, 2-in-1/hybrid PCs and Ultrabooks that don't even have a DVD drive. Create a Recovery drive You can create a USB-based Recovery drive that can be used to boot your PC into a Windows Recovery Environment that includes advanced system recovery tools and, optionally, PC Reset and PC Refresh. To create a recovery drive, use Start Search: Type recovery and select "Create a recovery drive" from the results pane. The Recovery Drive wizard appears. In this initial, you will see an option titled "Copy the recovery partition from the PC to the recovery drive." It's enabled by default, and if you leave it as-is, you'll need a larger Recovery drive. But there's a big benefit to doing so: You'll be able to use the Recovery drive for Push Button Reset purposes PC Reset and PC Refresh in addition to accessing the Windows Recovery Environment tools. How much space does the Recovery drive require? While it varies a bit between the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows, the minimum size of Recovery drive media without the recovery partition is 256 MB. If you opt to include the recovery partition, you'll need a disk with a capacity of at least 8 GB. Click Next. In the next phase of the wizard you will select a USB flash drive and then be warned that the contents of the drive, if any, will be deleted during the creation process.
Note: To save disk space on their PC, some power users create a Recovery drive and then remove the recovery partition from the PC. This isn't advisable for most users, since you may find it difficult to reinstall Windows later, especially if you lose your Recovery drive. To use the Recovery drive, you will need to interrupt your PC's normal boot procedure and then select the USB-based Recovery drive from a menu. Or, you can configure it to boot from USB-based media before its internal storage. Since this process varies from PC to PC, please consult with your PC's documentation. Note: Be sure to accurately label your Recovery drive and keep it in a safe place. Indeed, it's not a horrible idea to create a few of them: Better safe than sorry. Use the advanced recovery tools When you boot your PC into the Windows Recovery Environment via PC Settings in Windows, or by using a Recovery drive you can access the advanced recovery tools described here or, optionally, the Push Button Reset tools, PC Reset and PC Refresh. To access the advanced recovery tools, boot into the Windows Recovery Environment and select Troubleshoot and then Advanced Options.
Note: Many of the advanced recovery tools require you to sign in to an administrator account. What you see here will be based somewhat on the capabilities of your PC. System restore. Windows includes a legacy recovery tool called System Restore which creates restore points whenever a driver or desktop application is installed so that you can restore the system to the point it was at before that software was installed. If you select this option, you can restore the system from outside of Windows, which is useful if the previous software change made it impossible to boot properly into Windows. System Image Recovery. This tool lets you recovery the PC using a backup that you created using the System Image Backup utility. This topic is discussed in the section Recover your entire PC with a system image.
Startup Repair. If your PC is not booting properly, you can use this automated tool to fix the problem. Startup Repair doesn't have any options per se: It just diagnoses the PC, finds and fixes any problem, and then lets you reboot normally. Command Prompt. Power users can use the MS-DOS-like command prompt to run advanced command line tools. UEFI Firmware Settings. Select this option to reboot yet again and enter your PC's firmware interface (or what used to be called the BIOS on older PCs).
Startup Settings. This strangely-named tool doesn't let you change startup settings, as you might expect. Instead, it boots Windows into a special mode in which all of the normal default settings are detuned or disabled. Why use this? It's useful for when you can successful boot into Windows, but the system isn't working correctly. This will let you make configuration changes that might otherwise have been prevented by the built-in protections in Windows. Full PC backup: System Image Backup The new Windows still includes a legacy PC backup feature called System Image Backup that helps protect your PC against a hardware disaster by making a compressed duplicate, or system image, of the entire PC and everything stored in its hard drive (or other storage). That way, if your hard drive fails, you
can buy and install a new hard drive, restore the PC to its previous state using the system image, and then get back to work. As an old school tool, System Image Backup works best on a traditional desktop computer, or perhaps a laptop, that has a removable hard disk, SSD or other similar drive. It is not particularly well-suited to a tablet, 2-in-1 or other hybrid PC, or an Ultrabook with non-removable solid state storage. The one exception is if you'd like to make a crapware-free system restoration as described earlier in this chapter. Create a system image Because Windows now includes more modern backup solutions System Image Backup has been deprecated and purposefully made hard to find. But if you have the need, you can still use System Image Backup. You just need to find it first. And oddly enough, the only way you can launch this tool is to first launch the File History control panel described in the previous section. Then, click the System Image Backup link in the lower-left corner of the window. In this simple wizard, select a hard disk or other storage device, a DVD drive (where the system image will likely require multiple disks) or a network location, which would be a share on another computer connected to your home network. We'll assume a removable hard disk, since that's the most common scenario for this type of backup. Then, click Next.
In the next step of the wizard, you will learn how much space is required by the backup and which drives really, partitions that will be backed up as part of this process. Click Start Backup to continue. The system image creation process is time-consuming and will vary from PC-to-PC, but it will generally take more time usually much more time than a Push Button Reset operation on the same device. Recover your entire PC with a system image To recover your entire PC using a backup you created with System Image Backup, boot into the Windows Recovery Environment as described earlier in this chapter and choose Troubleshoot, Advanced Options, and then System Image Recovery. The PC will reboot and then present you with a screen from which you must choose an administrator-class user account and sign-in.
After doing so, the Re-image Your Computer wizard will start. From here, you can choose the most recent system image which is selected by default or browse for the system image backup you prefer. Once you've selected the backup you wish to use, click Next.
Click Next, and then click Finish in the next phase of the wizard. You'll be told via a prompt that continuing will replace all of the data on the drives with the data in the system image backup. Click Yes to continue. Your PC will be re-imaged. Once this process is complete, the PC will reboot and the lock screen will appear so you can sign into Window normally. Contents are copyright 2014 Paul Thurrott and Rafael Rivera. All Rights Reserved