Re-installing Windows is a chore that has ruined many a weekend for me. And if your hard drive crashes? Do you want to spend time re-installing the OS and all those updates again with multiple reboots along the way? What if a malware infects your computer? You could disinfect the PC or even format the entire drive. Let's say you install some software or driver and your PC crashes. The backup is a fallback option should problems arise. Even the installation of antivirus can wait if you plan to switch from Windows Defender to another security solution. Things not to do before backing up the OS Do not install any software just yetĪpart from your drive imaging program, you should not install any third-party software on a clean install of Windows before you have backed up the OS.

Also,Â delete the browser data completely after downloading the backup application. Tip: Don't forget to create a Recovery Media (USB Flash Drive) after backing up the OS. I cannot stress this enough, if you save it on the same drive on your computer, you may not be able to access it if the drive/OS fails. Save the backup image on a different drive, like a portable or external HDD. You can use Windows' built-in Backup & Restore tool, or use a third-party program like Macrium Reflect Free to backup your computer's C: Drive.

Fresh install of windows 10 on ssd