AOMEI Backupper bootable CD v. PC-specific Recover CDs, and System/Disk Backup Options
Hi, I have about 6 Windows PCs at home, and have realized that, while I am backing up System and Disks through Backupper Standard, I do not have a system for ensuring that I can boot up the PCs if there is a boot problem. Can I use one AOMEI bootable disk, or should I create a Windows 10 recovery disk for each PC? What are the tradeoffs?
Also, if I have a PC with one hard drive and one visible partition, my sense from this forum that there is not a whole lot of difference between System and Disk Backup. I've read posts that say that System Backup does not backup OEM recovery partition files, which presumably are not relevant. Also, it has been suggested that Disk Backup will protect again hard drive failure, but System Backup will not in that instance.
And both require that you restore at least a partition and will overwrite any data in an existing partition - so neither works for recovering individual files that may be corrupted. That is File Backup!
Any assistance would be appreciated!!
Comments
You would need the AOMEI recovery disk to restore a failed system drive from your backup as it contains the AOMEI program whereas the Windows disk doesn't. One recovery disk should work on all your PCs (assuming they are all 64 bit or all 32 bit systems). A Windows recovery disk may be able to resolve some boot or Windows problems but will not help you if you have a physical drive failure.
A system or disk backup will allow you to restore to a workable Windows drive. You are correct a system backup will omit the irrelevant partitions that are not necessary for Windows to run but it is still sufficient for a restore.
Yes, if you just need to replace a missing or corrupted file, a file backup is all you need.
If you make a recovery disk it would be a good idea to make sure you can boot into it by doing a test.
Thank you for your quick response. Very helpful; I think that all my Win10 PCs are 64-bit, but will need to check. Do you have a sense why someone would say that Disk Backup protects against hard drive failure, while System Backup would not in my situation.
That is not a true statement (at least when using AOMEI). I don't know why anyone would say that. Either type of backup would work with a HD (SSD) failure to give you a workable system.
On a new build for a friend, using a SYSTEM backup, I was able to do a restore to his new SSD and in the process got rid of a bulky and unneeded factory restore partition which would have been of no use to him. A DISK backup would have transferred that partition also.
As an aside, it would be a good idea to make a Windows recovery disk AND an AOMEI recovery disk as each could and would be used in different scenarios. You only need one of each.
Thanks for the additional tip. I know I made a Windows recovery disk on at least one of the PCs, but it may have been when Windows 7 was the OS!! Best regards.