Windows Partition Backup and Recovery

Please use the next short instruction to make Windows partition backup just from the program. Note that Handy Backup requires no stopping a drive to save a partition image.

1. Open handy Backup. Create a new task by pressing Ctrl+N shortcut keys, or by choosing the "New task..." menu item, or by using the new task button on the control panel.
2. Select the backup task on the Step 1. To move to the next step, click "Next". (This is true for every other step of backup or recovery task creation, too).
3. On the Step 2, select the Disk Image plug-in in the Disk Clone group. The Select data... dialog will open.
4. Expand the disk structure by clicking onto the "+" button against the disk name on the left panel of the dialog window. Select the "Partitions" item in the disk structure.

5. On the right panel, mark the checkboxes against the names of partitions that you will choose to back up in this task.
6. When finishing selection, click OK. Return to the Step 2 window. Click "Next".
7. On the Step 3, choose some storage for your partition image. Please check that this storage has enough free space to store a bulky image file!
8. On the Step 4, do not choose incremental and differential backup types, as partition backup always requires full-grade data copying. However, you may store some versions of same image!
9. Compress and/or encrypt your partition backup if you want to do it, by using the instruments on the Step 5.
10. On the Step 6, you can plan a schedule to backup hard drive partition. Select an exact time to run and/or a repeating period from a minute to a couple of months.

An advice: You can also run a task when some system event will occur, such as user logon to a system, or when somehow will insert a task-related USB container into a PC where the program will run.

11. The Step 7 allows you running other programs (such as garbage cleaners or external encryption utilities) before or after a task.
12. Finally, give a name for your task on the Step 8 and run it immediately if you choose.

It is not enough to backup hard drive partition; you must have a tool to restore it. One of these tools for Handy Backup is a Disaster Recovery utility. This utility has a capability to restore your partition backup even to bare metal. You can also make a non-system partition recovery from Handy Backup!

Caveat! For obvious reasons, do not try to make a direct partition recovery from Handy Backup onto a system partition containing your Windows and Handy Backup copies!

To make partition recovery (or to clone a partition by restoring a partition backup to some different place), please follow the next instruction:

1. Open handy Backup and call for the New Task Wizard as described above.
2. Select Restore task on the Step 1, and then click "Next" to continue.
3. Browse for the index file (backup.hbi) located in the backup destination folder.
4. Select this file and click "Next".
5. In the Step 3 window, choose the details of partition recovery.

An advice. If you want to clone your partition backup to different drive or partition, please follow the steps described here:

• In the Select Restore Locations dialog, select an object, and then click Change Location. It will open the the "Change restore location" dialog.
• Select a new physical drive and logical partition to place a clone, and then click OK.

After completing these steps, you may continue creating a recovery task as described in the Restore Task section of the User Manual for the program.

In the next video, you will learn about using the Handy Backup Disaster Recovery (HBDR) utility as partition backup software. This utility is platform-independent, allowing you making Linux and Windows partition backup freely, regardless of pre-installed OS or Handy Backup platform.