Hello,

If you’re using Windows 8.0 or Windows 8.1, find the product key, watch this video to download Windows 8.1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CznhPxLxHk&list=UUp0mxgvv_9NT4akvi2D_uiA.

Then make a clean install of the operating system and the next time, you need to restore, the new Windows 8.1 files you downloaded from Microsoft will be your “Windows install disk”.

Thanks,
Mauro

Can installation disks be created from OEM recovery disks? Not, that I’ve ever heard. If so, please enlighten me. “Perhaps you could go next door and borrow the neighbors…” Not happening.

So many situations, conditions, that need to be considered. Isn’t that was programming code is best at? This is a lot of info to take into consideration. I don’t understand why Microsoft or other software engineers simply create / provide consumers with an idiot proof full backup solution that requires simply pushing a button to initiate a “complete” backup. And, when disaster strikes, recovery is simply a push-button away.

Consumers want the ability to, at closing, push their desk chair in…and press a button or icon, and know that everything is being backed up in full. The same goes for the restore process.

All this CLICK on ????, then type in ????. The obvious winner who successfully engineers such a device will quickly own the market. Programs coding should be able to detect and act on different partitions, structure type.

Click – it and forget it.

But as a heads up, any folders that has spaces in their names (folder path) will cause the command to fail. I renamed a folder in my NAS to use the underscore instead and it worked like a charm!

I best I can recommend is to plug the external drive in the main computer and create an image backup. Then create a folder for each of the other computers and share them on the network, then just point the backup from all the other PCs to the corresponding networked folders.
Or simply create the first backup and rename the WindowsImageBackup folder to WindowsImageBackup_PCname. Go to the next PC and create a new backup, then rename the folder to WindowsImageBackup_PCname2, and so on and so forth.
When doing the recovery, Windows will automatically scan the folders and choose the right backup. This I know for sure.

As for your question, Windows should not overwrite other PC backups. Theoretically it should list the backups inside as single WindowsImageBackup folder. However, you can’t never be 100% sure that’s why I listed other alternatives.

I hope this helps.
Thanks,
Mauro

I have 3 computers: computer 1 running Windows 7, computer 2
running Windows 8, that I plan to update to 8.1 and computer 3 running Windows
8.1 Pro.

I planning to make full backup of all computers on external
USB drive.

I would like to know:

1 If one backup will not override the other

2 If I will have a choice to select correct OS during Restore

Thanks for any info,

Lech