Help me backup my SSD / operating system drive!
July 18, 2016 11:01 AM   Subscribe

I'm trying to make sure that I'm covered if my SSD drive goes kaput.

The situation in a nutshell: 256GB solid-state "boot" drive, 2TB internal drive for user files, 2TB external USB drive, Windows 10, CrashPlan

CrashPlan is set, as recommended, to back up all the "user" files that live on the (magnetic platter) hard drive. Backups are kept both locally and in the cloud. I'm happy with that setup, though I hope I never have to run a "restore".

What I additionally want my computer to do: maintain a ready-to-go image of a disk volume that is replicated to a failover device (which I can buy/install this week) or, with boot tools, cloned onto a future replacement. Assuming I have a working, clean SSD drive to replace a dead SSD, I'd like to be back to normal in 24 hours with a drive image that is less than 1-2 weeks old.
(It's okay if I have a setup that has more frequent backups, but... I don't want my computer to be too preoccupied creating new restore points)

CrashPlan does NOT back up the "boot drive". CrashPlan doesn't do what I want to do to back up a boot drive anyway, and they (smartly) recommend not trying to archive OS files. So that's out.

Yes, I want my full O/S and application set cloned. This goes against a lot of common advice - "reinstall, don't replicate" - but I find that I need my computer to be available more than I need it to be clean. So the "reinstall" approach is out, too.

Note: I would not be using this setup to undo botched application installs or undoing malware infections.

I do have the Windows 7 Backup Tool available. I made a one-time backup & a system restore disc that I can boot from. The pitfalls of this setup are that the backup becomes outdated without my regular intervention, and I haven't tested a full restore. (Always test your backups!) I have no idea if I'm "covered" well by this setup or how I can automate Windows to keep refreshing the backups.

And, alas, an OS/X computer with a Time Machine connection is not going to come in to save the day for me anytime soon. :(

So, for anyone who has experience with this - and I do have a modest budget to apply here, so I'm prepared to buy software/hardware that does all this for me:
* Have you successfully set up a "failover" SSD drive for a Windows 10 setup that keeps itself up-to-date at least weekly?
* Alternately, does anyone have experience maintaining a drive image of a boot/application SSD drive that can be "restored" with a boot recovery utility and replace an old drive seamlessly? Which software does this best? Can the Win7 Backup tool do this on an automated basis?
posted by brianvan to Computers & Internet (1 answer total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: Macrium Reflect free will clone your boot SSD to an image. Get a 2nd SSD (or, a cheapo laptop spinning drive, same form factor as the SSD). Put it in an external enclosure. Use Macrium once a week or so to clone your SSD onto that disk. If SSD fails on you, swap the SSD for the backup clone. Restart computer. It will work.

It will be manual, I think. Macrium may have a paid version that will speed or automate the process if you leave the failover drive plugged in. And you'll have to physically unplug the SSD and plug in the replacement, but you'll be looking at ~10 min of work to be up and running again.

(Recently used Macrium to clone a small SSD onto a large SSD in almost the same configuration you have - SSD for OS and programs, 4 tb spinner for user data. Worked without a hitch.)
posted by caution live frogs at 1:33 PM on July 18, 2016 [1 favorite]


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