Backup software

[Breelander]

...But you will probably also encounter licensing issues, the rules about transferring installations to new hardware depend on how the original installation was created...

The simple rule for Windows 10 is that a digital licence is linked to the unique hardware ID of the PC and stored on the Microsoft activation servers. A digital licence does not contain the product key that was used to activate Windows. In fact, most Windows 10 installs will only have a generic key recorded in the registry.

Provided the hardware you move Windows 10 to already has a digital licence for the edition of W10 you put on it (Home or Pro) then Windows will activate. The hard drive is not part of the hardware ID, so can be swapped out for another one without loosing the digital licence. The motherboard is the main contributor to the hardware ID.

[yorkshirelad1]

Any software recommendations for a Windows backup solution?

I have always used Acronis True Image in the past but now always receive 'validation' errors when the image is being verified.
I am looking at Aomei Backupper Standard as an alternative but need to check that both the source machine name and the date can be included in the backup folder/file name.
There is also Macrium Reflect as further possibility.

Any opinions on a good choice?

Lots of useful discussion of software and advice on restoring.
Very few thoughts on the media used (agreed, possibly a bit OT as the title is "software", but probably wise to view them together; frequency of backup is probably also another consideration).
For backups, I have two external HDDs which I rotate (so in the awful situation where one fails or gets damaged I have the other one).
Both drives are only connected to the machine when doing the backup.
One of the HDDs is stored in the same room as the machine, the other is stored in the garage (rotated).
I have two other older HDDs which I periodically back up to, that are stored off site (in other people's houses)
I don't use online storage because (a) my upload speed isn't fast enough and (b) I don't trust some online storage site with a huge amount of my personal data.
Just my 2p's worth Comments welcome.

[Breelander]

Very few thoughts on the media used (agreed, possibly a bit OT as the title is "software", but probably wise to view them together; frequency of backup is probably also another consideration)...

Good point.

For my part I have a separate arrangement to back up just my user files twice weekly, plus I have File History turned on and pointing to a network share (belt and braces) so the system only needs imaging when the software changes. With Windows that's once a month on 'Patch Tuesday'.

For all my machines I have created a separate Data partition just to hold system images. This is convenient for a quick restore, but not secure if the drive fails. So all my machines (including their data partitions) are also imaged to an external HDD. It would take both a PC to fail and the external HDD to die simultaneously to loose an image, so I don't have a strict rotation of the external HDD.

I suppose I should go the extra mile and have an off-site backup, but I just haven't got round to it .

[staffordian]

Ive been using EaseUS ToDo but thought Id give the free Macrium software a go given the recommendations here.

Am I missing something, or is it not possible to select folders and files to back up?

It seems to offer imaging etc, but when I fo to the files and folders option I get a prompt to purchase an upgrade.

TIA

Staffordian

[Infrasonic]

Ive been using EaseUS ToDo but thought Id give the free Macrium software a go given the recommendations here.

Am I missing something, or is it not possible to select folders and files to back up?

It seems to offer imaging etc, but when I fo to the files and folders option I get a prompt to purchase an upgrade.

TIA

Staffordian

Paid for option.

I use W10 File History set to daily (it has a variable scheduling option from 10 minutes up) for that, plus cloud syncs for more frequent versioning on specific shared files.

[Slarti]

Suppose my hard disc crashes , could I replace it, use the backup and then proceed as though nothing had happened?

To add to what others have said, yes pretty much, other than you will have lost anything you did since the last backup, which is why I now do daily incrementals and when I was working, also at lunchtime.

Slarti