How to Backup and Restore Your Windows in 10 Minutes

The most basic and frequent problem that you face when Windows gets corrupt is the long and tedious method that is required in its restoration. Reinstalling Windows along with your most commonly used software and basic hardware drivers can take hours. This duration can be cut short by using software like Acronis True Image. Acronis True Image is powerful software that creates backup data and then restoring it when required. The interface of Acronis is quite user-friendly and fairly self-explanatory.

Acronis True Image is the best substitute for the traditional Windows restoration process. It enables you to backup the complete logical drive, storing the Windows files along with the installed software. In case Windows gets corrupt, Acronis can restore your OS back to the state when you last made a backup. Before creating a backup, you must make sure that it is created in some other storage media or in some other drive. If not, there may be a risk of the backup file getting corrupted or destroyed.

Steps for creating backup are:

1. Boot your system with Acronis bootable CD.
2. At the startup, select the option Acronis True Image. Your system will reboot using Acronis True Image bootable media.
3. On the opened window, from the available options under the Backup section, click My Disks to create backup of your system.
4. On the Partitions to backup window, check the checkboxes representing the drives that are to be backed up.
5. Click Next to continue.
6. On the Target backup archive window, under the Target selection section, click to select Create new backup archive radio button to create a new backup.
7. Under the Backup location section, click Browse button.
8. On the opened window, browse for a location for the new backup and specify the name of the file.
9. Back on the Target backup archive window, click Next to continue.
10. On the next window, click Proceed.
11. Wait till Acronis creates the backup of your system.

Note: Make sure you create the backup on a drive not used to store the original install of Windows.

Steps to restore your system:

1. Boot your system with Acronis bootable CD.
2. At the startup, select the option Acronis True Image. Your system will reboot using Acronis True Image.
3. On the opened window, under the Recover section, click My Disks to recover your system drive.
4. On the next window, click Browse and locate the backup file .TIB extension.
5. Once located, back on the previous window, click Next.
   
6. On Choose recovery method window, click to select Recover whole disk and partitions radio button.
7. Click Next when done.
8. On the Select the items to recover window, check the checkboxes representing the drives that are to be recovered.
9. Click Next.
   
10. On the next window, leave everything as default and click Next.
11. On the Summary window, click Proceed to start the system drive recovery process.
12. Once done, remove the Acronis bootable media from the drive and restart the computer normally.

_{The above content was adapted from our Tom's Hardware Tutorials Forum. Check out our ongoing contest to see how you can win by submitting a tutorial!}

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