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Date: Sat, 8 Jun 2024 08:52:44 -0400
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Subject: Re: (OT) Windows 10 won't back up to an internal HD?
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On 6/8/2024 5:06 AM, RonB wrote:
> My wife's Windows 10 computer (Inspiron, not my choice) came with a 256GB
> SSD and a 1TB hard drive. Stupid me, I assumed that Dell would set up it up
> so the program data would save on the TB hard drive and the applications
> would run from the SSD. Nope. Everything ran on the SSD and all data was
> saved there. The hard drive is just a drone, sitting there and doing
> nothing. (I just discovered this.)
> 
> So after about three years, her computer slowed way down. I assumed she
> needed more memory and bought a 32GB SIM (so she now has 40GBs of RAM).
> Still slow. Then I realized that she had filled up her SSD. It actually had
> only 25MBs free tonight. It's a wonder it ran at all.
> 
> So I ordered a 1TB SSD, and tonight cloned it in an external enclosure and
> installed it. Worked well (the SSD came with Acronis True Disk). I saw that
> Acronis had a backup utility as well, so figured I would back up the new SSD
> to the practically unused hard drive... and I found out Microsoft doesn't
> like backing up to an internal hard drive. Why does it have this limitation?
> 
> For those of you who use Windows, is there any way to make Windows 10 back
> up to an internal hard drive? I've seen something about making the internal
> drive a "network drive," which seems kind of convoluted. Is there any
> application that overrides this (to me) senseless limitation? And why does
> Windows 10 have this limitation — is there a logical reason for it?
> (Apparently Windows 7 didn't have this limitation.)
> 
> Kind of ranting. Sorry. But I would like to see my wife's internal hard
> drive set up for backups — if possible.


FWIW I use 3 drives:
  C internal NVMe   OS, boot and installed apps
  D internal SSD    personal files, downloads, binaries
  E external HDD    copy of D

Every evening or more often I copy new/changed files from D to E.

I recommend getting her used to doing manual backups - every day - of 
new files and changes she made that day.  Losing even 1 day of work is a 
lot.

How well does she understand and maintain a separation between program 
code and personal data?  If she stores personal files in the same 
folders as the executables (usually C:\Program Files or C:\Program Files 
(x86)), you'll have to separate them.

If all her personal data - all the info you want to backup - is already 
in C:\Users\<name>\, then just drag and drop that entire folder to the 
backup drive.

2nd easiest is copy one folder at a time to the backup drive:
C:\Users\<name>\Contacts
C:\Users\<name>\Desktop
C:\Users\<name>\Documents
C:\Users\<name>\Downloads
C:\Users\<name>\Music
C:\Users\<name>\Pictures
C:\Users\<name>\Videos

This assumes she used those folders as intended.

Also, from time to time take a screenshot of Control Panel | Programs 
and Features, to see what apps she has installed, that she might want to 
reinstall in the future.