Greetings folks,
I am entirely new to how this program works but I will try to explain what I want to do and perhaps this forum can direct me on how to proceed.
I game and work on my computer. I rebuilt my computer and use windows 11 pro. What I wanted to do was reinstall windows every 6 months or so and use this program to reinstall my games, apps and settings. I have several external HDD and one of these is dedicated to the back up folder. I keep my games on SSD’s and my downloads, desktop, pictures and music on an external HDD. Windows is installed on the C drive and it has no other programs except for Antivirus (Malwarebytes) and my Proton VPN and Mail.
So my question is will this program work as I had intended?
Do I need to back up all my drives or do I back up just the C drive or all the C and game drives?
Thanks for your patience. I am completely ignorant of how this works and I am willing to read learn as needed to move forward.
Larsenex
Welcome to the forum @Larsenex
Might I ask why? I think this is going to add significant work and risk to your routine.
Possibly if you can manage to get it set and tested, it will get somewhat easier later.
Ensuring zero accidents while proving a procedure might be a challenging problem.
Possibly making a generous backup of Windows territory will at least preserve files,
because when testing later, you might find something you need to locate files for…
You can make parts of it work with manual research and effort, or some helper tool.
Your challenge is to know where all your files are, and put them back, if they’re lost.
Second part of the challenge is to not put the old Windows bits on top of a new one.
General purpose backup programs don’t know game storage. Specialty tools might.
This is the kind of thing where you can either research or ask on some game forum.
GameSave Manager Alternatives
Online Backup Tools and other similar apps like GameSave Manager has some tools specializing (but probably never 100% perfect) in saving the things you might require.
Once gathered into some known location, you could (if you like) use a second backup program to (for example – though you didn’t mention it) back up information to a cloud. Generally (not sure about games) the important thing is your info, not a program install.
As an alternative to Windows reinstalls, Windows can do a reset that’s less destructive.
Installing Windows on top of an existing installation can fix issues even more smoothly.
Other tools also exist, depending on what you want to achieve with Windows reinstalls.
It gets worse if there’s anything with configs in the Windows registry. Possible example:
Sometimes software will give backup directions so they (or forum, wiki, etc.) can advise.
Unless things have improved, games put files all over, but this is true of apps in general.
Using the Steam Backup Feature is current, but has that same concerning feeling to it…
Thank you for the answer. I have a good friend who has worked in IT for 20+ years and said the exact same thing > why in the hell would you reinstall? He told me thats a last resort and using the repair feature is far bettter.
So thanks again.
Does backing up the windows User folder also me to keep my broswer favorites and passwords?
If you’re after the last possible drop of speed, there’s a chance it may help.
Or maybe that old theory has gone by the wayside due to SSDs and so on.
You’d have to look at the specifics for your browser, but I think those that I use do that.
User Data Directory looks like the official Google documentation, but other posts exist.
Basically, the entire user data folder might be overkill if that’s the main thing you value.