Terri218
Member
I decided to give in and get a new computer with Windows 11. Will my games be transferable?
Is there a way to transfer my password manager file and my bookmarks (I seem to remember I did this last time I got a computer)?
I am not looking forward to this change and hate Windows for making me do it.
Thanks as always for your help.
ChrisS
Administrator
Will my games be transferable?
You can typically copy the game's directory from C:\Program Files (x86) and then make a new shortcut to the game's executable.
Is there a way to transfer my password manager file and my bookmarks
Yes. It may depend on the browser you're using. I use Firefox and the easiest way is to simply copy your existing profile to the new PC and then install Firefox. The installation process should find the existing profile and use it. This article tells you how to copy your Firefox Profile -- Transfer Firefox Profile to New Computer [How to]
You can also export/import the bookmarks and passwords separately. For Firefox, look under Bookmarks - Manage Bookmarks - Import and Backup and Tools; and for the Passwords under Settings - Privacy and Security - Saved Passwords then click the 3 dots in the upper right and export/import the passwords.
A number of the browsers also offer a sync feature that would automatically setup the new browser on the new PC like the old one. You might try a search on "how to transfer (insert name of browser) to new pc"
mikiem2
Moderator
The games I've downloaded from GOTD, mainly on the weekends, will work if you copy the game's folder to another copy of Windows -- you'll want to create shortcuts to the game.exe files. The saved games, levels etc. however are often stored in the Users folders &/or ProgramData. To transfer that you'll have to hunt down those folders and copy them too.
RE: other software... some software activation is tied to numbers derived from the specific hardware, and *may* not be transferable unless you deactivate them on your old PC, then install & activate them on the new one. If it's not tied to the specific hardware, you *might* be able to hunt down related folders in the Users & ProgramData folders, along with any registry entries under the app's name, and transfer those to the new PC.
Chris is correct on syncing browsers. You can also drag the URL from a browser's address bar to any folder on your Windows PC, where it will create a shortcut. You can then use that as a favorites folder, which will work pretty much anywhere.
That said, the way I always do it is a bit of work, but I hate setting up a fresh copy of Windows. The first step is to do a complete disk image backup of the new PC/laptop, just in case. Make sure that the new PC/laptop will work with the USB stick for whatever backup app you use, e.g., Backupper, and sign in so it knows that device is activated & tied to your account. Next, copy the folder c:\Windows\ System32\ DriverStore\ FileRepository\ to an external drive. Then either clone or restore a complete image backup of your old PC to the hard disk/SSD of the new PC/laptop. When you start the new PC/laptop your old copy of Win10 should detect that it needs different drivers, and download & install them from, Microsoft. That process is Not foolproof however, so check Device Mgr. for anything that's wrong or not working. If automatically searching for drivers for a problem device in Device Mgr. doesn't work, update the driver for that device by having it look in the FileRepository folder you saved earlier. Note: some drivers may be Win11 only, so you'll have to add them later. Note 2: you'll want to download and install the latest/greatest graphics driver, since the copy in FileRepository is incomplete. Now download a Win11 ISO from Microsoft, right click it in File Explorer and select Mount, and double click setup.exe to run setup, selecting to keep everything from Win10, but Not to download & install updates. Finally, once you're sure everything's working, go to Windows Tools and run Disk Cleanup to get rid of the old Win10 files, then check Windows Update.
Terri218
Member
"The saved games, levels etc. however are often stored in the Users folders &/or ProgramData"
What do I look for? I have one game from Big Fish Games that was open when I had a power failure and now I'm getting an Access Error message. I was at over 140 million points so I'm upset about it. I'm pretty sure if I redownload it, I'll have to start over again.
"Chris is correct on syncing browsers."
"The first step is to do a complete disk image backup of the new PC/laptop"
How do I do that?
Any suggestions on which computer to buy? I use it only for internet, Word and Excel files and mainly hidden object or fairly simple games. I don't do RPG or complex games. I don't think I need a heavy duty computer. Did I mention how much I hate that Windows is making me go through this?
Thanks again.
Terri218
Member
"The saved games, levels etc. however are often stored in the Users folders &/or ProgramData"
What do I look for? I have one game from Big Fish Games that was open when I had a power failure and now I'm getting an Access Error message. I was at over 140 million points so I'm upset about it. I'm pretty sure if I redownload it, I'll have to start over again.
"Chris is correct on syncing browsers."
"The first step is to do a complete disk image backup of the new PC/laptop"
How do I do that?
Any suggestions on which computer to buy? I use it only for internet, Word and Excel files and mainly hidden object or fairly simple games. I don't do RPG or complex games. I don't think I need a heavy duty computer. Did I mention how much I hate that Windows is making me go through this?
Thanks again.
Good to read this topic
ChrisS
Administrator
There are a number of disk imaging programs. Both Haslo Backup Suite and Aoemi Backupper work well (Aoemi Backupper Pro is frequently offered on GOTD). You can also make a system image with "Backup and Restore (Windows 7) that you'll find under Control Panel.
I've done something like Mikiem mentions in moving a Windows 10 installation to a new Windows 11 PC using the Haslo Backup Suite with the "Universal Restore" option selected during the restore procedure and I really don't recommend it. I did it just to see if it would work (yes) and if it saved me any time (no). Ultimately, you'll need to reinstall any program that's actually installed (the games are not installed in the system).
For Word and Excel you'll need to deactivate on the Windows 10 PC and, once you've installed them on the new PC, reactive from your Microsoft account.
You might try installing Everything and then searching for the name of the game, the publisher of the game, or just "Big Fish" (Everything is vastly superior to Windows Search). The file you're looking for will probably be under Users\username\appdata (plus a lot of other directories) and it might have a "~" in front of the filename signifying that it's a temporary file, in this case that the file was open and in use when the system died and wasn't closed properly. If you find something like that, make a copy of the file then rename the file without the "~" and see if that works.
I bought one of these earlier this year: MINISFORUM UM870 Slim Mini PC AMD Ryzen 7 8745H(8C/16T), Mini Desktop. I was initially looking at used PCs on DellRefurbished but they're currently much too expensive even with the routine 50% off discount codes. The intended use was largely the same as what you mention, which I equated to needing an i3 level PC. The UM870 is roughly an i5 and comes with 32GB of RAM, a 1 TB SSD and has upgrade potential. Most of the mid to lower end systems seem to come with 16 GB of RAM and I don't think that's enough unless you're going to add a dedicated GPU which you probably can't because of the power supply. The only downside is the limited number of USB ports but a laptop dock solves that issue.
mikiem2
Moderator
Sorry for the late reply...
FWIW, re: migrating Windows to new hardware, I've had it work, & occasionally not. I've got a running copy of Win11 24H2 that was originally Win7 Beta (!). RE: Windows builtin backup -- it works fine but the hassle is there's no bootable USB stick if you need one. The (semi) official workaround is to use the recovery environment if/when needed, I believe from an ISO if the RE on disk is gone.
In no particular order...
Backing up & transferring Windows...
It's more work, and some expense if you don't have spare drives handy -- the choice of course is yours.
You'll need a drive to store the backups & a USB housing for that drive or a drive dock. The drive should have enough capacity to hold both the backup of your current PC and the new one -- right click the drive in File Explorer, select properties, and then read the Used space. [Note: your backup will actually be smaller than that.] You'll also need disk/partition backup software. AOMEI has a free version of Backupper, and you can still find the free version of Macrium Reflect online [what I prefer, as long as it keeps working] at download sites like Major Geeks. Install the backup app on your Win10 PC, and use it to create the bootable USB stick. Then make sure that USB stick works on your new PC/laptop. Unfortunately there's no universal way of booting to a USB stick -- it varies by brand of PC/laptop, and sometimes also model, so you'll have to do some research, e.g., for HP I believe you hit the Escape key when the PC/laptop is 1st starting up from a power off state.
On your new PC/laptop make a copy of the C:\ Windows\ System32\ Driverstore\ FileRepository\ folder to the external drive or a USB stick. Shut it down, plug in the bootable USB stick and the external drive, boot to the USB stick, and back up the entire disk to that external drive. Then back up your Win10 PC to that same external drive, boot to the USB stick on your new PC/laptop, plug in the external drive, and restore the backup from your Win10 PC, replacing everything that was originally on its drive. When that's done, shut down, unplug the USB stick & external drive, and start the new PC/laptop. Win10 should start, though it may take a while looking for new drivers, and it may restart once or twice. Once it's running right click the Start Button, click Device Mgr. look for anything out of place, e.g., a device with no name, try auto updating that device, and if that doesn't work, have it search for a driver in that FileRepository folder you copied. Update the graphics driver, then download & mount a Win11 ISO from Microsoft, and run setup to upgrade to Win11 saving all your files & settings. If everything's OK afterward, go to Windows Tools and run Disk Cleanup to get rid of the old copy of Windows.
Note: *If* you're going to put your games on the external drive, create a folder for them on the external drive and move them before backing up.
Finding saved games files...
It's a hassle -- one of many reasons I don't like starting with a fresh copy of Windows. The folders where that info is stored aren't intended to be easy for users to find, and may be named the same as the game or it can use the publisher's name. You need to have File Explorer show hidden files and system files [set under Options in File Explorer]. Then look in C:\ ProgramData, C:\ Users\ [UserName]\ AppData\ Local\, and C:\ Users\ [UserName]\ AppData\ Roaming\. You can also check in Documents & C:\ Users\ Public\ Public Documents\.
Big Fish Game...
I'll try to find where the saved game data is on my wife's PC. I *think* the most likely problem is one or more of the files are corrupted, which can happen if Windows was writing to the hard disk/SSD when the power went out, or less frequently, if the drive screwed up when the power was cut. If scanning the drive in Windows -- right click the drive in File Explorer, select properties, then Tools, then the Check button under Error checking -- doesn't help, you'll probably have to reinstall the game, &/or the BigFish app. However I don't know if that will erase your saved game levels. If they're stored in one place you might be able to save that somewhere else, then copy/paste it into place after reinstalling.
New PCs/laptops...
The latest laptops tend to be Copilot+ PCs. They generally give better battery life than earlier models, but the extra Windows features may or may not be worth it to you. Copilot+ laptops [there are no desktop versions yet] have an NPU built into the CPU, which takes some of the load off the more power hungry GPU [graphics processor] for better battery life. However, Microsoft hypes the NPU as enabling AI on the device rather than in the cloud, adding features to Windows that are only available on Copilot+ PCs as part of their marketing. Some have new Qualcomm ARM CPUs, beefed up versions of what's in your cell phone, but while software support is growing, there are many thousands of apps & games that are not compatible. Windows for ARM CPUs can run most of that incompatible software [but not games] in emulation mode, but the results are very mixed. AMD & Intel, the traditional PC CPU makers, are trying to compete with Qualcomm's greater battery life, but for Intel at least, that means reduced performance compared to last year's models, which you may be able to find at reduced prices. That said, the latest laptop CPUs *may* have better graphics processing built into the CPU, depending on the CPU brand & model used.
Mini PCs generally use basically the same electronics as a laptop, without the battery, crammed into a small box often ~6 inches square. You use them just like a desktop PC, though they can be considerably cheaper, since you're saving the cost of a larger case, and power supply, which can amount to hundreds of dollars.
A regular desktop PC doesn't have the power constraints of a laptop or mini PC, so the CPUs are more powerful than the equivalent laptop models.
A big factor in laptop pricing is the display -- you can go from a basic display to an OLED that stretches almost edge to edge. An added GPU, or graphics card in a full-sized desktop PC, also adds a lot to the cost. Otherwise it's a matter of choosing the CPU, amount of RAM, and the size of the hard disk or SSD. You can find reviews with benchmarks comparing the performance of CPUs, which is straightforward for full-sized desktop PCs -- the mainstream CPUs are the i5 & equivalent under Intel's new naming scheme, and the AMD Ryzen 5600, 7600, & 9600 [the 5600 is the oldest, & the 9600 the newest]. Laptop CPUs are Much harder to compare because there are more models, the difference between one model & the next may be really minimal, and both the names & model numbers themselves can be confusing. Be careful because a laptop with an Intel i5 might for example come close to the same performance as an i5 in a full-sized desktop, or it may closer match the next step down, an i3. You really have to compare the full CPU model number. Almost any CPU will let you play casual games, but you'll notice the difference with a low powered CPU when you browse the web. My wife's laptop has an Intel i3, and it's usable. It handles her games -- Candy Crush and games from GOTD -- just fine, but you have to be a bit patient going online. Ideally you want an SSD rather than a conventional hard disk, especially with lower end CPUs, and 16GB RAM, though 8 or even 4GB will work -- with 16GB you don't have to worry so much having multiple tabs open in your web browser. 32GB is the becoming the new standard on Steam, and it's great to have, but if you see a great deal with only 16GB don't be afraid to grab it. If the internal SSD is too small to fit your games, they'll work on an external drive -- a conventional 2.5 inch hard disk or SSD in a $5-$10 external housing works fine -- that's what my wife's laptop uses. Note that you will have to create new shortcuts to the individual games.
Right now buying electronics is a little bit crazy. Tariffs have gone on & off, retailers have stockpiled what they thought would sell before tariffs took hold, consumers aren't buying, and a ton of people are out of work. You see higher than average prices with really good sales scattered here & there when retailers need to dump overstock. All you can do is be prepared, with a good idea of what you want and what you'll settle for, and watch for a deal that comes close enough. Note that Amazon's having another big sale in October, and so will everyone else to compete.
mikiem2
Moderator
Checked my wife's PC regarding BigFish saved files, though please note that it's been a while since she played any BigFish games, so this may not be current. There's one .xml file along with a backup copy [.bak] in C:\Bigfishcache\ gamemanager\ clientconfig\ config.bak & config.xml. Another file is: C:\ProgramData\ Bigfish\ gamemanager\ bf_db.db . And there's a folder at: C:\Users\ [UserName]\ AppData\ Local\ Bigfish\ . Additionally there's a registry key at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ BigFish\, and another at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ WOW6432Node\ Bigfish\ .
If you wanted you could copy those files/folders somewhere else, and use Regedit [search or type regedit in the Run box] to export those keys [right click -> export]. Ideally if you reinstalled a game your progress would be saved with your online Bigfish account, and the same if you reinstalled the Bigfish app, but if not, restoring those files &/or registry keys might restore you saved games. TO restore an exported registry key just double click the saved .reg file.
Terri218
Member
I bought a laptop. After much hairpulling and screaming I got my internet set up successfully with my favorites. Unfortunately it's pretty much forcing me to use Edge.
I had copied all the exe files of things I wanted to install on the new computer only to discover the laptop can't read an external drive, only write to it. I'm thinking of keeping the old computer for Word and Excel and older games. If I delete my Password Manager, do you think I'll be safe if I don't use the internet on the old computer?
Thanks as always.
Did I mention I HATE WINDOWS?!!!!!!!
mikiem2
Moderator
Congrats on the new laptop!
Firefox, Opera, Brave, DuckDuckGo, & Vivaldi browsers are available in Windows Store -- there may be more but those are what showed up when I searched for Chrome, which doesn't appear to be available that way. I know Firefox from the store gets automatically updated via the store, and I assume the others *probably* are the same way.
Does the laptop see the external drive in Explorer? I did a couple/few quick Google searches, and got zero hits on being able to write but not read. Myself, I'd never heard of that except for write protecting SD cards. Group policy can prevent reading, or disable USB drives entirely, but I didn't see anything for write-only access.
If you disconnect your old PC from your network, so it has no network access at all, cyber criminals can't get to it and neither can malware, unless you install an infected app or game later. If it's disconnected from the internet but still connected to your network, if your new laptop gets hacked or infected there's a good chance they'll move over the network to infect the old PC too. If you just abstain from going online, bad stuff & people can still find it. If you can get by using the online versions of Word & Excel switching to Chrome OS Flex *might* be an option, though you wouldn't be able to play your old games. You could also use something like Bazzite Linux, which would probably work with most if not all of your games, and you could use Word & Excel online, but you'd likely have to do some fiddling to get the games working properly.
chromeos[.]google/products/chromeos-flex/
bazzite[.]gg/
Did I mention I HATE WINDOWS?!!!!!!!
The ONLY people who like Windows are those who make money from it. Even Microsoft software engineers use Linux & MACs.
Terri218
Member
Ironically I stayed with Windows so I could play my games. If I had known I couldn't, I would have gotten a MAC instead.
No the external drive is not showing on File Explorer. I can download each file to an email and send it to myself but that will take forever to do all the files. I'm going to try saving them to One Drive and downloading from there but I'm really concerned I don't have the option to save my files externally. I keep all my passwords and account info on the flash drive just so it won't be on my computer in case of a hack.
mikiem2
Moderator
The drive should show up with an automatically assigned drive letter -- usually the Windows system drive is C:\, and the 1st external drive or USB stick is automatically assigned D:\. The 1st thing to try is plug the drive into another USB port, assuming that's how you're connecting the drive. If the drive works with your old PC but you're using another cable, or a USB A to USB C adapter, make sure that works by swapping it out with another cable or adapter.
You can right click the Start Button, then click Disk Management. The window that opens shows every drive that Windows sees, including the hidden partitions that are installed with Windows. On the lower half of the window, an external drive should show up at the bottom of the list. Make sure that it has a drive letter assigned to it -- if not, right click the drive in that windows and select "Change Drive Letter and Paths" to add a drive letter, which should fix the problem.
If it doesn't show up in Disk Management, and the external drive and cable work with your old PC, then you might have a problem with the USB port or its drivers, assuming the drive connects via USB. Right click the Start Button and click Device Manager. Near or at the bottom of the list you should see Universal Serial Bus Controllers, and after expending that heading you'll see a bunch of separate devices, e.g., USB Root Hub. Look for any warnings or exclamation points or notices that something's not working. If something's not working, you can right click those devices and select Update driver, then Search automatically for drivers, and hopefully that will fix it.
You can also check the laptop manufacturer's site to see if the offer any updated drivers, and download and install those.
Maybe Chris will chime in with something I missed?
ChrisS
Administrator
I had copied all the exe files of things I wanted to install on the new computer only to discover the laptop can't read an external drive, only write to it.
That sounds like a "Group Policy Setting" and it's common in the business world to prevent copying malware infected files from dubious sources onto the corporate servers (as is the setting to prevent writing to external drive to prevent data from walking out of the door via the sneakernet).
This article, My PC can't write to any USB external storage device but can write to my Phone storage describes a solution to the second problem but can be easily modified for your issue.
So, to try, type "edit group policy" in the search box then click on the item for "Control Panel" and then click Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Removable Storage Devices > Removable Disks: Deny Read access. If it's set to "Enabled" then change to "Disabled", if "not configured" then set to "Enabled" then reset to "Disabled" (in other words, toggle the setting because as the article states the Group policy settings can be problematic).
mikiem2
Moderator
Very glad it's working for you now. A quick thought occurred to me overnight... it sounds like the USB stick with passwords & account info is important. I've got a couple of USB sticks with stuff I don't want to lose, so I've made disk image backups of them that I can restore to another USB stick if the original fails. All USB sticks will fail sooner or later, and having a backup has saved me more than once. Many backup apps let you encrypt your backups, or you could use something like 7-Zip, using a password when you zipped the backup file. There's a free version of AOMEI Backupper, it's on GOTD at least once a year, and you can still find the free version of Macrium Reflect 8 at software download sites. Both will backup USB sticks.
Terri218
Member
UPDATE. My new laptop is working great. I transferred all of my Word and Excel files and most of my games although some of them are not happy. One has reverted to free trial status and wants me to pay for it. I hooked up a mouse, keyboard and monitor (I'm using an old TV as a monitor). The only thing I can't get to work at all is my Chromecast. The website site says it no longer supports computers which is ridiculous because that is its whole purpose.
I thank all of you for your help. I couldn't have done it without you.
ChrisS
Administrator
I'd start with a visit to the Brother Support Website to download and then install a driver package if one is available for your printer. You may need to reboot the PC and/or turn the printer off/on after the driver installation for the change to take effect.
If that doesn't work, open Device Manager, double-click on "Printers" and see if your printer is listed. If not, right-click on "Printers" and select "Scan for Hardware Changes". If it's there but has an error flag then you'll need to update the driver. You can update the driver by right-clicking on the printer and then selecting "update driver" see if now finds the driver that you just installed (or any driver for that matter).
Still no joy, turn the printer off, disconnect the power cord and let it sit for a few minutes until it's completely dead. While you're waiting for the printer to die, reboot your PC. With the laptop running, fully operational, and well past all of the boot-up processes reconnect the power cord to the printer and turn it on. See if the printer is now auto-detected.
mikiem2
Moderator
First a warning... Microsoft has been changing the way Windows works with printers, and many of the often older printer driver setup files or routines that work fine in Win10 won't work properly in Win11, especially version 24H2. Printers installed in Win10 I think usually work fine after an upgrade to Win11, but fail to install in fresh or new copies of Win11. Unfortunately that includes many Brother printers, as you'll see with a quick Google. In fairness that's Not to say Brother printers are the only brand having problems with Win11.
As Chris posted, visit the Brother site, and download and install the latest drivers for your model printer. Ideally they'll install and you won't have any problems. I have heard of cases where setting up a printer over your network worked when setting up the same printer over USB failed. If you have problems, printers are setup in Settings -> Bluetooth & Devices. Win11 has it's own built-in printer & scanner drivers that I think usually work, though they're pretty basic, without all the settings &/or controls included in the factory drivers, but that may be enough depending on your individual needs.
If installing the printer driver fails, under FAQs & Troubleshooting, the Brother site says to make sure Windows Protected print mode is off:
support.brother[.]com/g/b/faqend.aspx?c=us_ot&lang=en&prod=mfcj6530dw_us_eu_as&faqid=faq00100840_000
In Win11 I've found that sometimes driver setup routines fail, and when that happens it usually works to extract the files in the driver setup file, then in Device Manager, update the driver for that device, selecting Browse my computer for drivers, then in the next screen, have it search for drivers in the folder with those extracted files. Unfortunately extracting the files in a driver setup file doesn't always work however. 7-Zip may work, Universal Extractor works more often, and when both of those fail, I've *sometimes* had luck starting the driver setup routine, and while it's running, checking the Users\ [UserName]\ AppData\ Local\ Temp\ folder for the extracted driver files, copying those to another folder, and then canceling setup or letting the driver setup finish or fail or whatever.
Scanners can be more of a problem if your printer has one, especially if you have an older model, because some of the stuff those scanner drivers depend on are no longer supported in Windows or current software. I have to use an older 32-bit photo editor to use my Canon printer's 32-bit Twain scanner or use 3rd party scanning apps. I have a couple of scanners that will only work with those 3rd party apps, mainly VueScan & Silverfast.
Once the printer manufacturer's drivers are installed, you access the general printer settings from Bluetooth & Devices -> [NameOfPrinter]. The old Control Panel -> Devices and Printers will just open the Bluetooth & Devices page in Settings, though you can expand the tree in Explorer, see the individual devices, and click on them to bring up a different Window that *should* allow you to access the printer settings.
Terri218
Member
mikiem2 can you please give me more info on the backup system. I went to https://www.macrium.com/products/home#buy-reflect-x-home but it's $49.99 a year.
Update - I have no idea how, but after repeated attempts, I finally got the Chromecast to work just in time for an online screening tonight. Part of the problem was that I wasn't on the Chrome browser and hadn't restarted the computer. I think I now have everything set up. Now all I have to do is rehook up my old computer so I can delete the Password and Bookmark Managers and Browsing History. Is there a way to delete all files at once?
Again a million thanks to all of you. You are so much better than Geek Squad.
ChrisS
Administrator
If you're looking to make a backup of your old PC to have "just in case", I'd recommend Disk2VHD which is a small utility from Sysinternals (Microsoft) that will create a Virtual Hard Drive from the physical/logical drives that you can then mount in Windows and access as you would a normal drive. It will copy all of your files and maintain the existing data structure.
If you want to make backups of your new system that you can restore if disaster strikes then I'd recommend the Haslo Backup Suite. It works fine for me and has a utility to mount a backup image as a drive so you can easily recover a single file instead of having to restore the entire image. Aoemi offers a similar utility in their Pro version of Backupper but not in the free version. Sure, you can restore the image to a virtual machine and get the file(s) that way but it's time consuming and, consequently, a deal breaker for me.
The easiest way to get rid of your files is to do a fresh install of Windows 10. This tutorial gives instructions for installing Windows 10 from the Media Creation Tool or by using Rufus:
How to install Windows 10 from USB with UEFI support
mikiem2
Moderator
You can still get the free version of Macrium Reflect 8 at several download sites, for example:
majorgeeks.com/files/details/macrium_reflect_free_edition.html
snapfiles.com/downloads/mreflect/dlmreflect.html
The 2 biggest advantages of Macrium Reflect are it uses a proprietary method to increase the speed of transferring data, the data on a disk/partition(s) to the backup archive, and the reverse. And it's always done everything I've ever asked of it, to the point that I've never found anything it won't or can't do since I've been using it [~2015] -- most other image backup apps I've looked at seemed OK at first glance, but turned out they were too limited in features. The bad thing about Macrium Reflect is version 8 is no longer updated, so it **might** stop working if Windows changes significantly in the future. The new version of Macrium Reflect doesn't offer a free version, is not compatible with version 8, and uses subscription licensing. [One change I'm worried about is Microsoft has been working on re-engineering Windows boot loader, plus next year the certificate used by Secure Boot expires, which might well be another can of worms. If I'm still using Secure Boot, there's a chance I won't be able to get the Macrium Reflect 8 bootable USB stick working.]
2nd best IMHO is O&O DiskImage, but it's not free, though it is very reasonable if you get on their mailing list and wait for a sale -- I bought 5 licenses for $25 to hedge my bet in case Macrium Reflect dies. It's a very close 2nd to Macrium Reflect, and IMHO is easier to use, has a simpler GUI etc.
3rd is probably AOMEI Backupper. It's on GOTD usually at least once a year. It is not as capable as the 1st two, and AOMEI has at least once revoked the license for a GOTD, so there is some uncertainty where if you want/need the pro features you might have to pay for it. They're also very slow to update the software... for several years the Backupper bootable USB stick would not work without modification on PCs/laptops using Secure Boot.
The reason the bootable USB stick is important is if the hard disk/SSD with Windows on it fails &/or Windows won't start, you can boot to the USB stick, which runs a mini version of Windows and includes the backup software so you can restore a backup to a new or the same hard disk/SSD.
All image backup apps nowadays clone a one or more partitions to a VHD [Virtual Hard Disk], which is a single file that when mounted acts like a real hard disk. Most image backup software lets you mount the VHD where a backup is stored so you can copy one or more files. You can create a VHD in Windows [Windows uses a universal .vhd format] and use a cloning app to copy one or more partitions to that VHD -- basically what the app Disk2VHD does -- and also very basically what a backup app does [though the backup app is easier, offers scheduling, incremental backups, usually won't include things like pagefile.sys (a couple of GB) etc.]. If the system hard disk/SSD fails however, you'd have to boot to something like a Windows To Go drive, mount the VHD, then use a cloning app to transfer everything to the new or existing hard disk/SSD.
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To remove things like a password manager you can just uninstall it via Settings -> Apps. If the passwords were saved in the browser you can usually delete them in the browser's settings menus. If you're concerned about traces left behind, e.g., passwords stored in Windows registry, one of the privacy cleaners would probably be your best bet -- GOTD regularly has this kind of software.
Chris talked about reinstalling Windows. If you did a fresh install everything would be gone, including any games. If you download a Win10 ISO, and in Win10 on your old PC, after uninstalling any software you no longer want, right click the ISO to mount it, then double click setup.exe on the mounted ISO, Windows will reinstall but let you keep all your files, games, and settings. It won't reduce the size of Windows on disk as much as a fresh install, and might leave some traces of things like passwords in the registry. but it will remove quite a bit of any leftovers. FWIW, if anyone wants a Really minimal Win10 installation [not even the Store, though it can be added after installation], wants a few more years of security updates, and don't care about legit licensing, get one of the Win10 ltsc versions from massgrave along with supporting files.
Terri218
Member
Mikiem2 Thanks I've downloaded it but don't know what to select as backup storage type. What is Google Drive? I've always been nervous about saving things to One Drive because I'm nervous it is accessible to others. If I use local drive doesn't that negate the recovery function if the computer doesn't boot up? What are your thoughts (or anyone else's)?
ChrisS
Administrator
Google Drive is cloud storage hosted by Google while One Drive is cloud storage hosted by Microsoft.
A Local Drive is a drive in your PC or a drive connected to your PC either by USB or by your local network. If you want to make backups to a USB drive then connect the drive, create an appropriate directory on the USB drive, and then follow the program's prompts to set the backup directory. If you want to use an automatic backup feature then you'll need to leave the USB drive connected.
ChrisS
Administrator
If you're just trying to routinely backup new/changed files then there are better options than a backup and restore utility. And, you're really looking for a File Syncing program. I've used Karen's Replicator 3.7.6 for a long time as it's small, simple and does what I need.
Aoemi Backup Standard has a file sync option where can specify directories, and FreeFileSync 14.5 is generally highly recommended.
I think that any concerns that you have about One Drive also apply to Google Drive. Despite all the talk of "the cloud", you're just storing your data on somebody else's hardware. Use encryption if you want to store sensitive data outside of your control.
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