The last windoze I had to maintain was windows 98 complete with weekly BSODs, as I needed it then for timing critical Electronic repair kit.

Now there's windows 10. Is rsync ok to back that up to usb disk or should I be looking at something else?

#1 rsync is a file and folder synchronization tool. You can use it for copying files as part of a backup plan, but it is not really backup software.

#2 A copy might be all you need, if you are backing up personal files and data. If you need a backup of the OS or important parts of the OS then a copy may not suffice. The only copy I have seen work at all were total device copies using clonezilla or dd.

Make sure you keep your original install media and registration codes in a safe place. If you ever must restore Windows you are very likely to need them.

Thanks for the reply.
Only very light use is ever planned for this. What do I want with windows? This is for others, really or in case I sell the thing.

I should extract the product key at least. I have install media, but not the one used because it's a pc builder's install. I will try to extract a product key out of it. A dd of the partition sounds a bit extreme, but I can do it. I suppose I have to redo it every time it updates. I don't even know if it's updating. I mean to find this stuff out, but … it feels so pointless.

Windows updates often, I think every 15 days. If I were you I would make a disk image of the original install (with clonezilla or dd) and keep it. In case you want to do additional disk images, I would do them every 3 or six months.

Windows 10 (and higher I'm expecting) activates via your account you signed in with. Once it's attached I don't think you can remove it from your Microsoft account. You can give it to someone or sell it yes, but the Windows license isn't transferable like that. The upside is you never need to enter it again on a fresh installation. Some call it a limitation. I call it a good business decision. Not that I approve of course...

*EDIT* Sorry I thought I saw you were selling or giving it away. Regardless the part about not needing the code again stands. It's attached to your account. Login on installation and call it a day.

I don't have a M$ account. When it asks for my name, I sign in as TightAss . So I'm on my own.

1. this is a linux forum, therefore the windows related knowledge is more or less limited
2. you ought to use a dedicated tool to backup/restore ms os.
3. rsync itself does not handle windows (ntfs based) permissions very well and actually rsync was not planned to do it.
4. although I'm not really sure about that, but as it was mentioned you need to have a valid MS account (if you have a legal copy).

Go to control panel, then System security. Backup (Windows 7). Yes, I know - just do it.

Take a system image to USB - it can be used to rebuild the system. I use it for every laptop I buy.

Yes, you can also make a system image as described above and you can use the Repair function of a Windows setup disk to rebuild.

And no, you do not need to use a M$ account, you can sign in (and activate) with a local account instead. You have to look for the option though. Edit. I know that for a fact about Windows 10. I don't know what is happening with Windows 11.

OK guys, thank you. 'nuff said.

I'm taking pan64's point that rsync is not the way to go. As for an M$ a/c - the builder may have had one. Windows 10 came installed. I didn't need an account for Windows 98, and I haven't opened one since. According to Debian6to11() I don't need one.

@syg00: My experience with m$ 100% of the time is that when I ask anything M$ to 'restore' itself, it wastes a day at least and fails tetotally. Windows 8 couldn't even update to windows 8.1 when M$ were pleading with windows 8 users and bribing them to get rid of windows 8. That was such a POS.

I have a backup of the (linux) /boot & (M$) boot & UEFI stuff on linux, I have install media in abundance, so I can always get some version of windows up. I think I'll go the disk image route. I have a successfully repaired 500GB platter disk looking for something to do with itself so why not employ it on windows 10 instead of having it blank? It reports the wrong size, but I don't know of other errors. I feel slightly silly backing up something that isn't in use, but you never think you'll need a backup until you do. And then you feel silly for not having it.