Newbie - Hasleo emergency disk

[jewel]

I've seen a Hasleo emergency disk mentioned to boot Windows after a crash.

I have a Windows USB recovery drive. My understanding is that the Windows USB recovery drive will enable me to recover Windows (like a factory reset) after a crash. Then I'd need to install Windows updates and Hasleo to restore my personal files.

How does the Hasleo emergency disk differ? And do I need both?

[Froggie]

If you're imaging (rather than file'n'folder), the image is the complete System and the Emergency Disk will completely restore that System in its entirety... just as it was when you made the image.  If all your files are in the OS partition <c:>, they will be restored as well... no "factory reset," no updates, no files... just a HASLEO restore operation.

[jewel]

I have V5.4.2.1, which I downloaded about a week ago. Under "Backup", I see "System Backup", "Disk/Partition Backup", and "File Backup".  All three have descriptions indicating they back up to an image file.

I've been using "File Backup" to backup my personal files to an external drive.  In this scenario, how does the Hasleo emergency disk differ, and do I need both it and the Windows USB Recovery drive?

Where would I access the file'n'folder option(s)?

[admin]

The file'n'folder option mentioned by Froggie refers to file backup, and the Windows USB Recovery drive does not always effectively resolve system issues. You should use the system backup feature of Hasleo Backup Suite to generate a full system image, which will ensure that you can restore your system to a healthy state.

[jewel]

Are a system backup, an emergency disk (aka bootable WinPE media?), and a boot menu change all required to recover after a crash?

I want to make sure I understand what's needed and when/how it's used should I need to perform a recovery. I've read each of the three sections in the user guide, but am not certain how they interconnect.

Once I've done this, is there any need for the Windows USB Recovery drive?

[Froggie]

Of course you need an IMAGE taken by Hasleo (for the restoration) and the image should not be on the same disk as your OS is located.  At that point, the BOOT Menu would be the next most convenient method for restoration.  BUT... if your hard disk is trash, you will need an Emergency Disk to do the restoration (last line of defense).

[CDC9762]

The smart people create the Hasleo Emergency Disk and then boot the computer using it and make a note of how to do it if this process isn't familiar. The method to get to the boot menu varies with the model of the PC.
After you know you can boot the Emergency Disk you can look around at how things are presented and the available commands.
You don't want to have a recovery tool you are completely unfamiliar with when having serious computer problems!
I agree the BOOT Menu is convenient, but I don't do enough restores to make it a concern and I want to have available the method that works, including a complete disk failure, and this is the Emergency Disk.

[jewel]

Thanks Froggie and CDC9762, I appreciate the input.

Once I have system and file backups, and emergency drives, etc., is there any need for the Windows USB Recovery drives?

When creating the emergency drive, how do I determine which drivers to inject - what's typically needed? And does the emergency drive need to be updated in intervals?

[admin]

Thanks Froggie and CDC9762, I appreciate the input.

Once I have system and file backups, and emergency drives, etc., is there any need for the Windows USB Recovery drives?

When creating the emergency drive, how do I determine which drivers to inject - what's typically needed?  And does the emergency drive need to be updated in intervals?

All you need is an emergency drive created using Hasleo Backup Suite, which can help you completely restore your Windows system from the Hasleo Backup Suite backup image file, so you don't need a Microsoft Windows USB recovery drive.

You don't usually need to inject any drivers, the most important thing for the restoration operation is whether the disks can be recognized properly. Therefore, after creating the emergency drive, you should boot from it to check if all disks can be recognized properly. If any of the disks are not recognized, you may need to inject the disk controller driver.

[jewel]

Thanks. I created my emergency drive, and booted from it. When I went to the Clone section, I was able to see my drives and partitions.

I expect to continue running the same OS with the existing disks/configurations. Is there any general need to update/recreate the emergency disk over time?