How Big of a S Flash Usb Drive Needed to Back Up Windows 10

What I need to do is make a system restore back-up, as this is a new computer.  It keeps saying I need to do so in the System Action Center, but doesn't tell me how many CD-ROMS or how big a flash drive I will need to make said system back-up, only that I need to set it up.  That's why I'm asking.

So maybe go to Windows Explore and see how much of the hard drive is in use and guess accordingly?

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So maybe go to Windows Explore and see how much of the hard drive is in use and guess accordingly?

That's a good start, but do this as well:

• Open Backup and Restore
• Click "Create a system image"
• The next screen is "Where do you want to save the backup?"  If you have an external drive connected, you can select that, otherwise select "On one or more DVDs."  Click "Next"
• The next screen is "What drives do you want to include in the backup?"  The drive(s) necessary for Windows to run are selected by default; the amount of space used on these disks is displayed; don't change anything.  Click "Next"
• The next screen is "Confirm your backup settings."  This screen shows what drive(s) will be backed up (imaged) and where the backup will be saved.  You'll also get an estimate of the space required.
• At this point, you can click "Start backup" if the location you indicated to save the backup has enough free space.

The estimate appears to equal the amount of space used on the drive(s).  More than likely, the actual image will take up less space.  Some useful discussion here --> http://www.sevenforums.com/backup-restore/38929-system-image-what-does-not-include.html

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LemP
Volunteer Moderator
MS MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) 2006-2009
Microsoft Community Contributor (MCC) 2011-2012

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The Windows Backup tool will takes much space as is occupied on the on the drives because compression is minimal and in the vast majority of cases the only practical option is an external USB hard drive, DVD/flash disks are not really a workable option.

In the case of a new computer the manufacturer should also provide a utility for you to create a recovery disk set which would reinstate the computer to factory default if the drive failed. It would mean re updating the computer afterwards but if this is a practical option you would only need to backup your data.

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Thank you, LemP, that gives me the process to use, but I still don't know how much space I'm going to need...by going to Properties on my C:\ drive, I have just under 50GB used and 402GB free.  So should I purchase a 64GB flash drive as a dedicated recovery source to use for the system?  The system does provide the utility to create a recovery set...it was the first thing the computer wanted to do when I turned it on.  However, the utility neglected to mention how many discs I would need or how big a flash drive I would need to do so, since those were the two options I was given in that utility.

I need to know as I neither curently have free flash drives big enough (on which I backup regularly), nor CD-ROM RW discs period as my last computer's RW disc drive was broken, hence my swap to flash drives and the presenting of all the blank RW discs I had to someone who could use them.  Therefore I must purchase the required item(s) on a now-limited budget -- I can't just jump up, run out, and purchase the biggest thing available "to make sure" because I haven't got the money now I've actually gotten the new computer -- and I won't for some time.  I know in some instances 8GB flash dives are less than ten bucks, but I have no idea at the moment what a 64GB would cost....

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The recovery disk set is completely different from a backup. The former will reset back to factory condition completely so does not include your data or any programs you have installed. The ones I have used only offer to write out to DVDs although that may not be the choice with other systems. Each one has needed 3 DVDs incidentally.

You are quite right to look at your current disk size for a backup so 50GB would nominally fit a 64GB flash drive however a new Windows installation grows initially very quickly so future backups would not fit.

I suggested an external drive because the price per GB is much lower. On my local Amazon a 1TB USB HDD is roughly 3 times the price of a 64GB flash drive but can hold 15 times as much.

If you are happy with recovery disks you would only have to back up your data (documents, music etc.) which could be much smaller which them makes a flash drive a more realistic option.

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That's what I'm looking for, as I regularly back up my data (files, pics, music) to an 80GB external and only access it when I need something off of it.  Everything else is either on CD or downloaded from the internet.  So if I'm only backing up the actual operating system for recovery as my data is already backed up or otherwise available, making the recovery set would be a simple fail-safe.  Now that I have an idea as to how much space I will need (say 4 discs or one 64GB flash), then I know what I'm looking for.

I have also just discovered how hard it is to type with band-aids on two fingers and be coherent, much less be able to use a trackball mouse (literally no traction)...

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How Big of a S Flash Usb Drive Needed to Back Up Windows 10

Source: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/how-big-a-flash-drive-do-i-need-to-make-a-back-up/ab7ffe2f-74a1-48a2-9445-9947e68b810f

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