external backup HDD, internal SSD

[Vegasus]

I have a desktop PC with an HDD and Windows 10 Home 64-bit. First, I want to get an external HDD to backup the internal HDD. After backing up the internal drive, I want to add an SSD. Next, I presume I'll use the migration software included with the SSD to clone the contents of the (mostly empty) interal HDD onto it. Finally, I want to backup both internal drives to the external HDD regularly. The external drive will need to have enough capacity for both.

Can a single external HDD handle backing up two internal drives? What is the process? How long will it likely take?

How good is the backup software that is included with external HDDs? I heard WDs and Seagates come with a license for a hardware-vendor-specific version of Acronis. How does it compare to the backup software Acronis sells directly to the public?

What is the process of restoring both internal drives?

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I have a desktop PC with an HDD and Windows 10 Home 64-bit. First, I want to get an external HDD to backup the internal HDD. After backing up the internal drive, I want to add an SSD. Next, I presume I'll use the migration software included with the SSD to clone the contents of the (mostly empty) interal HDD onto it. Finally, I want to backup both internal drives to the external HDD regularly. The external drive will need to have enough capacity for both.

Can a single external HDD handle backing up two internal drives? What is the process? How long will it likely take?

How good is the backup software that is included with external HDDs? I heard WDs and Seagates come with a license for a hardware-vendor-specific version of Acronis. How does it compare to the backup software Acronis sells directly to the public?

What is the process of restoring both internal drives?

I've been reading "help" for the local Windows 7 backup solution. This should also be available and refined in Win 8 and Win 10.

I usually try and follow certain practices of my own choosing. If MS provides it, if it's no less convenient and just as reliable as Acronis Backup, then I won't use my Acronis installation for backup.

My WHS-2011[2008 R2] server backs up all our Win 7 and Win 10 workstations nightly. Since that's also an MS solution of the type you'd want to have with the local backup equivalent, I'll say that you can do exactly the same thing.

The WHS box allows me to select any combination of a client-workstation's drives and folders for backup. If I lose a cli-wkstn boot-system disk, I can flash a thumb drive on the server, replace the disk and restore to bare metal -- as they say. But I could, if I wanted, backup every local drive with the boot-system drive to the server backup system, or any combination thereof.

If you think about it, it would make sense that you could do the same thing in local Windows to an e-SATA or USB (I think e-SATA is the way to go unless other reasons compel.)

You would choose an HDD size that would allow expansion of these files, with limits set on how long stale backups are kept. And I deduce that Windows might warn you when the drive was approaching a comfort-limit of used space, and also tell you that it will delete stale backups to keep the drive from excessive used space as percent of the total.

 

[grimpr]

Try Veeam Endpoint backup for backups and Macrium Reflect for cloning to SSD.

 

[whattodo]

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