How to create a system image in Windows 10

A system
image is a one to one copy of your operating system drive used to quickly
recover your computer if anything happens. If you work or depend on your
computer, it’s useful to have one of these images around for if the worst
happens. You can rebuild your computer from an image ISO as always, but it is
much, much faster to use a system image.

Another
advantage of using a system image is that you can create one of your fully
functional, fully customized and personalized Windows 10 computer. All your
programs, settings, files and everything else can be included within this
image. That alone saves a ton of work if anything happens to your main drive.

Create a system image

You will
need a backup hard drive or network drive with several gigabytes of free space.
The exact size the image will take depends entirely on how you have your
computer set up.

1. Type
   Control Panel into the Windows Search box.
2. Navigate
   to File History and then System Image Backup in the bottom left corner.
3. Select
   Create a System Image.
4. A
   new window will appear as Windows searches for a suitable backup location. Select
   your backup drive or location.
5. Select
   Start backup.
6. Wait
   for the process to complete.

Depending
on the size of the image and speed of your computer, this could take from ten
minutes to a couple of hours. It will use from a couple of GB of space to
perhaps a couple dozen GB. It all depends on how you have Windows set up and
how much stuff you have loaded onto it.

Restore Windows from a
system image

So that’s
the creation phase done with. So now how do you restore a computer using a
system image? If you can boot into Windows, you use Steps 1 and 2 above. From
there you can use Restore from System Image to recover.

If Windows
doesn’t boot, use your installation media and boot from that. Select
Troubleshoot instead of Install Windows and the System Image Recovery option
after that.

If you
create a system image, any data loss from a hard drive failure should be
minimal. You can have your computer up and running within the hour and be
working or playing as if nothing ever happened!

If you
cannot restore your computer or the system image won’t work, bring your
computer to Dave’s Computers in New Jersey. We will be happy to help!