Random Update [2022-12-25] - Backup
Since I’ll be spending a solid week getting my desktop back up to ship-shape (minus a few months of data) after a hard drive crash, I figure now is the perfect time to talk about how I do backups, lessons learned, etc.
The first rule of backups is ACTUALLY HAVING A BACKUP
The 3-2-1 rule of backups is to have 3 copies of your data on 2 different media with at least 1 copy off site. That’s a good rule to follow, but it means nothing if you don’t put in the effort to RUN THE BACKUP in the first place. In my case, I keep two backups, one I run about once every few months (although I’ve been lazy about it and let it slip by a few more months, and am now paying the price), and one once a year so that if there’s a file that I accidentally deleted, it’s likely in the longer backup (In my case, that drive failed sometime in the last year, which I only discovered when I tried to access it [THIS IS WHY YOU NEED TWO BACKUPS, which I had, bacon partially saved]).
Lesson Learned, Backup more often, and check the drives are working more often
The second rule of backups is don’t name it ‘Backup’
If a virus gets on your computer, having files and folders named ‘Backup’ or ‘Important Stuff’ or something as obvious is going to be a target. Don’t do it.
Repair Box
I found it useful to have a folder ‘Repair Box’ full of utilities, installers, ISOs, etc. I keep multiple copies of it wherever I can put it. Every computer I have has a copy on the desktop, every spare flash drive has a copy, every external hard drive has a copy. When stuff breaks it’s very useful to have the tools you need ready at hand. Below are some of the stuff I like to have.
Lesson learned, make sure all the copies of the Repair Box are up to date.
Note: Notice how the folder name has a time stamp? It’s actually really useful to timestamp when the last change was made, to help keep track of how old a particular copy is, or whether it’s “been a while and should probably update that installer”.
Windows Recovery
I use the Windows Installation Media Creation Tool to create a flash drive that I can install Windows from, then I chuck the flash drive with my PC tools and stuff. The tool is easy to use and available to use for anyone with Windows. There is no real reason not to use it.
It does come with a catch though, it can only install versions of windows that are equal or less than the version of windows the Installation Flash Drive was created on. IE: my desktop is Windows 10 Pro, so the Installation Flash Drive I create can install Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Home, and lower. BUT if I created the flash drive from a Windows 10 Home computer, I would not be able to install Windows 10 Pro using it. This seems like a small inconvenience, but keep in mind, you’re going to be needing this when your desktop is dead. The last thing you want to deal with when stressed out trying to put your desktop back together is hoping your spare laptop/friend’s desktop/family computer has the same (or better) version of Windows as you to create the Installation Flash Drive that can install the same level of Windows as you had before. Be Prepared.
Windows 7 Backup and Restore
I use the Windows 7 Backup and Restore utility for backing up my main hard drive. It’s the ‘backup everything and the kitchen sink’ approach. It’s simple enough to use (what partitions to copy [with boot partitions being mandatory], where to put the copy, etc). The main benefit is that it can copy files in use (though those files may not be usable) and it’ll copy everything (program folders, windows folders, user setting folders, etc).
Plus, you can also mount the backup file as a removable drive, if you want to retrieve a single file, or like having options for data retrieval. Extremely useful to have options when restoring a desktop.
The Catch is there are a number of limitations. Apparently there is an upper size limit of 2TB for backing up partitions. There are also requirements for smaller sized partitions. Below is an example of the Microsoft Recovery Partition not being big enough to copy. It’s a mandatory partition to backup, you can’t unselect it. You can’t resize the partition easily, if at all, on a running system. Your best bet is to get the partition size right when initially installing windows, which is a pain in the ass as you ‘jiggle’ the windows install disk format wizard to get the right partition layout and sizes (it took a lot of trial and error on a Virtual Machine to figure it out)
Also (If I remember correctly) the system repair disk it prompts you to create doesn’t let you do a fresh install when using said disk. It’s annoying to not have the option. Further, it would have been helpful if the prompt to create the disk outlined better what said system repair disk could and could not do.
The Archive
I maintain a folder of installers for the various programs I use, a readme.txt with some installation instructions, plus any save data (like for games [I still got my SimCIty 4 Rush Hour save!). It’s a bit annoying at times to keep it maintained with modern installers, but it’s proven useful. Especially with older and harder to find programs.
InstallWindows.txt
I keep a text file that lists all the settings I change and programs I install. (I regularly reinstall Virtual Machines, so it comes in handy to have a checklist, no matter the operating system). It’s not all encompassing, but it helps get things ‘feeling like normal’ quickly and efficiently, especially when you are trying to hunt down a particular setting.
Below is a small snippet of said text file:
#user settings=================================================================
#config taskbar
settings -> personalization -> taskbar
set use small taskbar buttons to "on"
Multiple Displays -> Show Taskbar buttons on
set to "Main taskbar and taskbar where window is open"
#set wallpaper
settings -> personalization -> background
set background to "slideshow"
set folder
set change picture every "10 minutes"
set shuffle "on"
choose a fit "fill"
#set system colour
settings -> personalization -> colors
choose accent colour
settings -> personalization -> colors -> Transparency effects
set to "off"
#set high contrast
settings -> ease of access -> high contrast
set turn on high contrast to "on"
set theme to "high contrast #2"
#set lock screen displayed apps
settings -> personalization -> lock screen
Set detailed to "calander"
# set quick status to other needed apps
#set nightlight
settings -> system -> display -> colour
set night light "on"
settings -> system -> display -> colour -> night light settings
set strength to "32" #adjust so that it is barly noticable
night light settings -> schedule
set schedule night light "on"
set to "sunset to sunrise" #may require location detection enabled
#show my computer on desktop
settings -> personalization -> themes -> related settings -> desktop icon settings
#set size allocated to system restore points
System Properties -> system protection -> protection settings
Select system drive
Configure
# set to about ~50GB? for drive C:\
#pin folders to quick access
folder -> right click -> pin to quick access
#change time/date format
settings -> time and language -> region -> regional format data -> change data formats
adjust as neccissary
#set multitasking so Halo doesn't glitch out and perminently get stuck 'in the background' when alt-tabbing
# last checked [2022-04-18]
settings -> search 'multitasking' -> Multitasking -> Virtual Desktops -> Pressing Alt+Tab shows winsows that are open on -> set to 'All Desktops'
Lesson Learned, keep a copy of this text file in the repair box. Because having to restore a file to set up a computer to be able to restore files to is backwards, and needlessly stressful.
TarBall
Another strategy I use for backing up other drives (IE: not the C:\ drive) is to use 7-Zip and throw the entire drive contents in a tar file on my backup drive. It’s aggressively dumb and aggressively simple. The down side being it takes a long time when backing up a large amount of data (plus it’s unwieldy to manage those large tar files).
The Catch is that you can’t use it on your ‘user folder’. It can’t copy files that are in use, which is understandable. But more frustratingly with Windows, there are a number of ‘Not Files’ in your user folder that are like Windows Hardcoded Legacy Shortcuts that exist enough for programs to see and try to touch them, but don’t exist enough to be able to access them, causing errors.
The Cloud
I don’t like using ‘The Cloud’ to backup data at all, I made a mistake. For example, I don’t want my documents in the cloud, nor could my documents fit in (the free tier) of the cloud; but at the same time, Steam stores the save data of my games (most of the time).
Lesson Learned: since I haven’t been keeping up with my backups, having some of the smaller more dynamic stuff automatically sync to the cloud would have been super helpful. While not being able to backup a large amount of data, being able to have a couple small things automatically synced/backed upped/up to date is an additional layer of protection that I can’t accidentally forget or delay or etc… would have eased my stress significantly. I plan on investigating syncing browser bookmarks, moving some files to Microsoft OneDrive, and using Google Docs more heavily (Like I am now to write this post =P)
Windows File History
I don’t use this at all. I should investigate it further. The Windows 7 Backup and Restore tool is getting kind of old, but I didn’t invest time into investigating Windows File History because the old Windows 7 Backup and Restore tool was working well enough.
Lesson Learned I should have investigated Windows File History more. Potentially it could have completely mitigated all the data loss from a failed drive. Or it might not have. It could completely replace the Windows 7 Backup and Restore tool, or it could have been an additional layer of protection. By not investigating Windows File History in detail, I don’t know its strengths and weaknesses, thus I can’t properly compare it to the strategies I’m currently using.
Having a plan
Having a general idea of what to do is important. Following through on said idea/plan is harder. The point is, not having a plan is a recipe for disaster. Running a backup regularly or choosing which files are important enough to keep in the cloud is adding a layer of protection that significantly reduces the chances of data loss and needless stress.
TLDR: When life gives you a broken hard drive, make a blog about backups
