Microsoft backup programs, questions....

I think you can pass as frenetic -- not insane, not totally, anyhow! No, seriously, your philosophy is a good one to let each newbie & your mother choose their own platform.

Thanks.  Part of the  problem appears to be the resistance of a consumer is more interested on how cheap they can buy something, rather than the quality.  Depending on the situation, I do a mix.

But it's certainly exposed you to more OS than me.

I've got a laptop with Haiku (bea) installed, and would like to do the same with ReactOS and Amiga.

I'm content to stick with Windows 10. And I even wish a bit they'd stop with so many new versions of it, but I appreciate the new features each version brings (though I don't often use them).

IMO, this is a problem if you want to get really competent in using W10  By the time you have something under your control, they change it, and force it you.  This can lower your efficiency in an office/business environment.

I just fear they'll come up with a version that won't work in this Dell Inspiron 3542. I've already had a scare when 2004 & 20H2 took out my display adapter driver. I was left with the Microsoft generic driver that did deliver the full resolution & colors I had before.

I'll ask a silly question, expecting an affirmative answer, but did you check the Optional Updates?  Once in a while, there's a long list there.  Rather than sort them out, I just select all of them, and let Windows sort them out.

And sometimes I find the store apps haven't updated, and then I manually update them.

But that also killed Sleep mode. It pretty well got wiped away like Moses's name from every monument. I couldn't find it in any menu.

Did you check the Power Options in the Control Panel?  I also turn on the Hibernate power option there.

But I got it all back by turning off Core Protection/Memory Integrity in Windows Defender. Then a reboot brought everything back.

Out of curiosity, have you tried turning it back on to see if there is/was a driver update that solved the problem?

Sorry I couldn't help with finding the perfect backup program.

No apology necessary, I was looking for MS software answers here.

And I hope you do solve the networking problem too. See what fg2001 wrote of FDResPub on page 18 in here...

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/windows-10-version-1809-network-does-not-show/d5241167-97e6-4b6d-a7e6-96238f876d27?page=18

Windows 10, Version 1809. Network does not show computers

And skip back to page 17 to see what CSAMD wrote.

The fact that there are 18 pages of discussion just indicates how long there's been a problem that MS either can't or won't fix.

I think you can pass as frenetic -- not insane, not totally, anyhow! No, seriously, your philosophy is a good one to let each newbie & your mother choose their own platform. But it's certainly exposed you to more OS than me. I'm content to stick with Windows 10. And I even wish a bit they'd stop with so many new versions of it, but I appreciate the new features each version brings (though I don't often use them). I just fear they'll come up with a version that won't work in this Dell Inspiron 3542. I've already had a scare when 2004 & 20H2 took out my display adapter driver. I was left with the Microsoft generic driver that did deliver the full resolution & colors I had before. But that also killed Sleep mode. It pretty well got wiped away like Moses's name from every monument. I couldn't find it in any menu. But I got it all back by turning off Core Protection/Memory Integrity in Windows Defender. Then a reboot brought everything back.

Sorry I couldn't help with finding the perfect backup program. And I hope you do solve the networking problem too. See what fg2001 wrote of FDResPub on page 18 in here...

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/windows-10-version-1809-network-does-not-show/d5241167-97e6-4b6d-a7e6-96238f876d27?page=18

Windows 10, Version 1809. Network does not show computers

And skip back to page 17 to see what CSAMD wrote.

A short addendum.  There was one thing of importance lost.

My sanity!   LMAO!

OK. That was wise to have test machines. So nothing of importance was lost. You should try mounting an image, if ever you return to Windows. I'm glad to have put it onto your to-do list for that eventuality. But I see you are switching to Apple. So, there's no sense trying to solve the "No operating system found" issue which could be tough. But let me know, if you change your mind. Sorry to see you go.

I "left" Windows in 2009 when I bought my first Mac.  But I am not an Apple fanatic that insists the Mac is the only way to go.  I went Atari, Windows, Mac.  And for me, I'll never go back unless someone offers me a really good job!  LOL  If I do need Windows, there's Boocamp which runs Windows natively, and virtual machines.

My view is you should use whatever computer system is the best match for the job you need to accomplish.  That might even be Linux.  For example let's say you need to copy a really large group of files, and Windows tells you that you don't have permission to do that.  You can sit there and wait patiently taking ownership of the files, or boot a Linux Live CD and get the job done.  :-)

In fact, one of the 2 test minis is dual boot  W10 and Linux Mint 20.  I really would like to learn more about Linux.  MS is getting into that world, it's a feature you can add to W10.

So I never tell anyone what computer to buy.  I tell them to do their research and learn which system best fits what they need, or feel comfortable with.  I did that with my Mother many, many years ago.  Took her to a store, put her in front of a Windows  and Mac compuer (with the store's permission), and let her try them out.  She chose a Mac.  I still have that system, and except for a flaw in the monitor, it still works.

I'm retired, and do computer tutoring for the newbie group of users.  Those uses who don't even have a handle on the basics.  So I need to stay up on Windows.  My main Windows computer is one I built right after W8 came out, and is running a clean install of W10.  Up and running, I have Windows for Workgroups, XP, Vista,  8, and 10.  I did have 7, but I created a Macrium Reflect image of the drive, and installed 10.  For Mac, System 9.2,  El Capitan, Mojave, and Catalina.  Yes, I'm totally insane!   ROFL

What I would really like to find for Windows is a backup program that is as simple and reliable as Time Machine on Macs.  I've had no luck at this.  As we've just found out, Microsoft can't supply anything.  And the 3rd party programs always fall short of meeting my 4 goals stated in my original post.

I'm currently testing Aomei Backupper Standard (aka Free) for the second time,  and that's how I found out about the problems with the current issue of the MS software.

My next major "home" project will be networking all the systems I use on somewhat of a regular bases.  Again, Mac rules.  After some simple steps, and having files sharing turned on in Windows, I can move files anywhere I want on the network using the Mac.  But I can't even get all the Windows 10 computers to connect with each other, and none of them will connect to my Mac.

I spent hours trying to get W7 to work, and you should be able to find a long thread a few  years ago trying to do this, to no success.  I was using El Capitan on the Mac at the time.

So you'll eventually see me back here somewhere.

OK. That was wise to have test machines. So nothing of importance was lost. You should try mounting an image, if ever you return to Windows. I'm glad to have put it onto your to-do list for that eventuality. But I see you are switching to Apple. So, there's no sense trying to solve the "No operating system found" issue which could be tough. But let me know, if you change your mind. Sorry to see you go.