Ask Leo! #622 – UEFI, System File Checker, Getting Locked Out, Manhole Covers, and more…

Thanks Leo for your insight and suggestions.

I respectfully suggest that Microsoft (MS) get it's act together and implement a new function in downloading updates either automatically and/or by personal design. To wit: Before MS updates are downloaded it have a built in an automatic function to implement a system back up file before the update is installed. Then if a problem occurs afterwards we can simply keep going back to an earlier saved backup to fix or await the resolution to a problem in downloading a MS update.

To remember to undertake a daily system back up manually as you suggest is just not feasible to an individual not as astute in such manners as yourself Leo. Thanks for being there & if possible in your tech language, make this recommendation to MS for all of us. It should be very simple for MS to do, automatically. God bless, and have a safe life, it's more important to surfing the web.

Actually that'd be a great idea, but then they'd have to make sure you had enough disk space, warn you if you did not, and also provide a mechanism for rolling back to that backup. Seriously, I think it'd be great, but it's not trivial or easy.

Anyone can set up a daily backup. I have articles and books on exactly how to do so. That's exceptionally important regardless fo Windows 10 updates - so many things can go wrong.

Amen Brother! Have had nothing but problems after the latest Win 10 update. Unfortunately I trusted Windows auto update and failed to do a backup prior. Live and learn!

Several commenters have mentioned this but I think it needs to be stated explicitly. The article talks about how long you might *want* to keep several types of backups, but its the capacity of your backup media that determines how long you'll *be able* to. Backing up to DVD or tape is a pain, but it can't be beat for long-term retention. When you're out of media you just go to Staples and buy more. But when you're backing up to disk, you have to consider how many full and incremental backups the disk can hold. If your backup device holds ten times as much as the disk(s) you're backing up, that puts an absolute limit of ten on the number of full backups you can keep. Or, depending on your change rate, a smaller number of full backups and some incrementals.

A 100 GB system which is probably less than many of the people reading this have would take about 20 DVDs at a cost of about $6.00. 10 of those backup sets will get you a 2TB external hard drive which will hold 20 backups. Less time less cost, a more stable backup, and you can reuse any of the disk space when you determine you no longer need any of those backups. I'd go for the extra drives.