First and foremost, I do not backup from within Windows. I only use the boot CD.
Why? After many years of backup and restoring Windows and Linux I have seen just about every method fail at one time or another.
It is my belief that the only way to do an Operating System backup and restore is:
1 – Only use system images.
2 – Not to be using that OS. This is referred to as being offline.

1. Macrium Reflect Software

Join hundreds of other organizations using Macrium Reflect at scale - download Macrium Site Manager for free. @MacriumReflect The install text file can be deleted with no problem but the boot folder should not. If you need mor. Download Macrium Reflect. If your PC is in a state where you can boot but are immediately taken to a blue screen, there should be an option that lets you restore your PC from an image backup.

Creating The Boot CD
– Download Macrium Reflect Here: https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree
– Install it.
– Plug in USB flash drive. It only needs to be 1GB.
– Go to Other Tasks > Create Rescue Media…

Choose Removable USB Flash Drive and follow instructions.

See also: Macrium Reflect KnowledgeBase: Creating Rescue Media

Creating A System Image
Boot from your flash drive.
*note – When possible I isolate my OS drive from everything else. Then I backup the ENTIRE disk.
Choose Backup > click inside the large box containing the disk you want to backup >
Choose Image this disk

To do just a partition right-click on that partition and choose Image this partition only…

Choose a location to store the image Canon digital photo professional software download mac.

Name it and click Finish.

video: Macrium Reflect Boot Disk In Action

Advanced Notes

My backup scheme
When a new Win10 build comes out I restore to first backup of last build > upgrade to newest build > backup. For example:
Restore initial backup of 1703 > install 1709 > backup > restore initial backup of 1709 > install 1803 >
restore initial backup of 1803 > install 1809> backup

The Macrium Reflect Service
After you install Macrium Reflect and create the boot disk you can set the Macrium Service to Manual.
***Important – If you update or so much as open Macrium Reflect it will reset the service setting and you have to re-do this. It does this even if you disable the service. That sucks but what can ya do?

Disable Update Check
Go to Other Tasks > Edit defaults… > Uncheck everything

-END-

Macrium Reflect - backup and recovery for individual PCs and servers. Reflect Workstation - Designed for endpoint backup of business-critical PCs and workstations. Peace of mind for organisations when backing up Windows PCs.
Solution highlights:
- New Backup Engine: Incremental and differential images up to 60 times faster
- Instant virtual booting of backup images: instantly create, start and manage Microsoft Hyper-V virtual machines
- Ultra-fast Live imaging of windows systems, physical and virtual
- Restore images to dissimilar hardware using Macrium ReDeploy
- Greatly simplified administration including pre-defined Backup Plans for popular backup strategies
- Fully featured file and folder level backup and recovery
- Updated support for all the latest Windows Operating Systems and disk formats
Macrium Reflect 7 Features:
- Backup your entire PC to a single compressed image file.
- Backup files and folders to a single compressed archive file.
- Recover partitions and entire disk images with just a few clicks of your mouse
- Dynamic disk support
- MBR and GPT disk support
- Restore images to dissimilar hardware using Macrium ReDeploy
Operating System: Windows XP, Vista, 7/8/10 (64-bit only)
Home Page -http://www.macrium.com/

Macrium Reflect Software