Tutorials
Tutorials
What is a mirror backup?
A mirror backup will configure the backup drive to match your internal drive. If the backup drive is larger, the partitions will be resized proportionately. If the backup drive is smaller, the partitions are resized smaller, and you will be asked to exclude data from the backup process.
- Backup is USB Bootable
- Supports All Windows Versions
- Supports Only One System Backup
- Backup Drive Must Be Dedicated to Backup
- Backup Drive Can Replace the Internal Drive
- Supports BitLocker Full-Disk Encryption
How do I start from my backup drive?
Two Methods for Starting from your Backup Drive
- The Startup Boot Menu You can select to create a startup menu that displays each time you restart your PC (pictured on the left). To do this, you need to select the boot menu option prior to creating your first full-system backup. The default for this option is ON when creating your first backup.
- The BIOS Boot Menu – All PCs have a hot-key to access BIOS options. By pressing the BIOS hot-key before your system starts, you can select to start from your backup drive. See below for hot-keys on various PC manufacturers. If you see two items in the list for you backup drive, the UEFI option is usually correct for newer PCs.
Both mirror and VHD backups can start with either method. For VHDs, you can select which VHD you would like to start from. On some PCs, one method may not work, so try the other method to get your backup drive to boot properly.
What should I do if the backup drive won't boot?
1. Try both booting methods. If the drive fails to startup correctly when using the startup boot menu, try again from the BIOS boot menu.
2. If you’re using ransomware protection and the backup drive fails to boot, use the Access & Restore app to remove ransomware protection, then try again.
3. Check your BIOS settings to ensure booting from USB drives is not blocked. Windows 7 PCs will often require additional changes to BIOS settings.
4. It’s possible that the backup process failed. Perform another full-system backup, then try again to boot the backup drive.
What is a VHD backup?
A VHD (virtual hard drive) backup creates a single image file on the backup drive. The VHD is sized to match your internal drive, but the image capacity can be to set the user. Partitions sizes and excluding data are handled similarly to mirror backups.
- Backup is USB Bootable
- Supports Windows Pro & Enterprise Versions
- Supports Multiple
- Backups from Multiple PCs
- Backup Drive Can Contain Non-Backup Data
- Backup Drive Can Replace the Internal Drive, but the Format will be Changed to VHD
- Does Not Support BitLocker Full-Disk Encryption
Boot Menu Hot Keys by PC
Make: Command
Troubleshooting
When starting some PCs, it may be necessary to press CTL-ALT-DEL if the boot menu does not initially display your backup drive.
A small percentage of PCs may require a BIOS setting change to enable USB boot, especially on Windows 7. These BIOS changes could include:
BIOS Setting: Value
Post Settings: Thorough
Enabled External Device Boot: Enabled
Quick Boot: Disabled
Diagnostic Mode: Enabled
