usb flash drive not a valid backup location for system image

Is there a simple answer to the original question?

I have a Samsung Air, i.e. SSD hard drive (the irony) and no optical r/rw.

I'd like to be able to create a bootable updatable system image backup on a 128Gb USB Flash Drive from my 128Gb Flash HDD for obvious reasons, but keep getting the same message as everyone else..

It takes hours and who knows how much bandwidth to update Windows 8.1, not something a client of Microsoft should have to endure every time their system crashes.

Why has such an essential function been made so damned difficult to perform?

Hi Shakey,

I think you have a slight misunderstanding.  It sounds like you may have the idea that a "Bootable" Recovery Drive is the same as a "System Image".  They are two separate things!

A "System Image" is NOT bootable.  Very simply put (little more complicated in reality) is just an exact copy of all the files on your hard drive (usually C:) where the operating system resides including your personal files and all your system settings.  When I say an exact copy - I mean exact including the EMPTY space on the drive.  This is why if you have say a 500 GB hard drive but only 100 GB of it is occupied - a 128 GB USB flash drive will not be a valid drive because it cannot accommodate the empty space.  Windows does sometimes allow a drive to be somewhat less than the full capacity of the drive you want to create an image of but it cannot be that much smaller.  A good rule of thumb would be it has to be at least half the size but this is just a rough guess.

A bootable "Recovery Drive" -on the other hand- is what you would use in the event you could not even boot up from your hard drive for some reason.  It would be used to access the ***Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE)***externally in order to access the utility to restore your system using the System Image you created at some time in the past.  However, if your PC is still capable of at least booting up from the hard drive - you could access Windows RE WITHOUT a bootable Recovery Drive and restore your system to an earlier point in time using your System Image.

If you are unsure of how to create a System Image or a Recovery Drive I can send you a guide (PDF file) if you provide me with your email.  It goes into step by step details of how to create a System Image and a Recovery Drive.  It also explains how to access Windows RE and how to restore your system using your System Image.

27 Jan 15

Hi UPSPilot,

Thanks for your helpful comments and your offer to send along a PDF file on How To Guide ...

When you have a moment, would you send it to DCuser at hotmail?

With appreciation .

DC

thank you Claus for taking the time to post this, worked great

great so simple if you know,

thanks