Entire Machine Backup


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What is entire machine backup?

Entire machine backup is the complete backup of a Windows computer or server that includes the operating system, system files, installed programs, system settings, and boot files. It lets you quickly recover/restore your machine to its initial state in the event of any disaster or natural calamity.

Backing up an entire machine is one of the secure ways to protect your data. In case of operating system failure/crash, you just need to run the bootable recovery and select the target hard disk for restoration. This will create a partition similar to the partitions of the original machine and restore the OS to its earlier state.

Note: Entire machine backup is a file-level backup of your entire machine.

How do I perform an entire machine backup for an individual machine?

To perform entire machine backup for existing machines,

  1. Sign in to your IDrive® 360 account.
    Idrive 360
  2. Navigate to the 'Devices' > 'Computers'.
    Idrive 360
  3. Click on the machine you wish to perform the entire machine backup. It will open a remote management console.

    Alternatively, you can click Idrive 360 and select 'Remote Management'.

    Idrive 360
  4. Click 'Entire Machine Backup' and navigate to 'Backup' > 'Schedule'.
    Idrive 360
    Idrive 360
  5. Create a schedule for performing regular entire machine backup and click 'Save Changes'.
    Idrive 360

To enable Entire Machine Backup for your new device,

  1. Sign in to your IDrive® 360 account.
  2. Click Idrive 360 corresponding to the required computer and select 'Manage Backup Plan'.
    Idrive 360
  3. Choose an existing backup plan or create a new plan for this device.
    1. If you are creating a new plan, select 'Entire Machine' under 'What to Backup'. The default backup location is 'Cloud Storage'.
      Idrive 360
      Idrive 360
    2. Under Schedule option, choose backup time, days, cut-off time, and email notification preferences and click 'Done'.
      Idrive 360
    3. Once the updates are completed, click Create & Apply Plan'.
      Idrive 360

    Alternatively, if you are choosing an existing plan with 'Entire Machine Backup', click 'Apply' and edit any options if required.

    Idrive 360
  4. The backup process will begin according to the schedule.

To update the entire machine backup schedule, go to the 'Backup Plan' tab and click on the required computer. Update the backup plan schedule and click 'Update'.

Idrive 360

What is the minimum space required for creating a shadow copy of a volume?

IDrive® 360 uses the VSS service to capture point-in-time data of the system. It requires a minimum space of 1 GB, per volume, for shadow copy creation.

Which hardware RAID versions support Entire Machine backup?

The following RAID versions support Entire Machine backup:

  1. RAID 1
  2. RAID 0
  3. RAID 1 + 0
  4. RAID 0 + 1
  5. RAID 5

How do I perform the entire machine backup for multiple machines?

To perform entire machine backup for multiple machines,

  1. Sign in to your IDrive® 360 account.
  2. Navigate to the 'Backup Plan' and click 'Create Plan'.
    Idrive 360
  3. Modify the backup plan name and choose the required machines or groups for backup.
  4. Select the 'Entire Machine Backup' from the dropdown against the ‘What to backup’ option.
  5. Select the backup destination under the 'Where to backup' option.
  6. The default backup destination is selected as 'Cloud Storage'.
  7. Create a schedule for a backup plan, specify the backup start time, select the days of the week, enable email notification, enter the email address, and click 'Done'.
    Idrive 360

The backup plan will be created and applied to the selected devices or groups.

How do I edit Entire Machine backup plan?

To edit a backup plan,

  1. Sign in to your IDrive® 360 account.
  2. Navigate to the 'Backup Plan' and click on the backup plan you wish to edit. Alternatively, click Idrive 360.
    Idrive 360
  3. Modify the backup plan as required and click ‘Update’ to save the changes.
    Idrive 360

The updated backup plan will be applied to the selected devices or groups.

Note: A backup plan can also be propagated, disabled, and, deleted.

Why is the file count of the entire machine backup folder more than the files uploaded to the cloud?

In addition to the files uploaded from the machine, we upload supporting files (ACL). Therefore, the entire machine backup folder(IDMachineBackup) will show a higher file count.

Can I perform simultaneous backups?

Yes, backups can be scheduled simultaneously. The backups will be prioritized in the following order: entire machine backup to the cloud, file backup to the cloud Backup, and file backup to the local drive.

What is 1-step entire machine restore?

You can restore your entire machine to its earlier state directly from the cloud using 1-step restore.

1-step restore lets you recover your entire machine by using the backed-up boot files directly from the cloud. It restores your entire machine including the OS, program, files, and, system settings to its earlier stage with the same partitions as the original machine.

You can also recover the data to a different machine with or without similar hardware.

What is 2-step entire machine restore?

2-step restore lets you recover your entire machine to a local machine or an external device. It helps recover the OS to its earlier state, with the same partitions as the original machine.

In 2-step restore, initially you download the IDMachineBackup folder from the cloud to an external disk. Now, you can use WinRE bootable disk to restore your entire machine to a different machine with or without similar hardware.

What are the prerequisites to perform the 1-step restore?

Following are the prerequisites,

How to recover the entire machine backup using the 1-step restore?

To recover the entire machine backup using 1-step restore,

  1. Connect the WinRE boot disk (USB bootable flash drive) to the machine.
  2. Launch the machine from the USB to boot to the Windows Recovery Environment. The Entire machine Restore wizard will appear.
  3. Sign in to the Entire machine Restore wizard using your IDrive® 360 account credentials.
    Idrive 360
  4. Click the device and in case your device is configured with private encryption, you will be prompted to enter the private key. Provide the private key to proceed and Select the IDMachineBackup folder.
    Idrive 360
  5. Select the target hard disk for restoring the data.
  6. Click 'Restore Now'.
  7. A popup will appear with the message requesting confirmation to override the existing contents of the selected device. Click 'Yes' to confirm.
  8. The entire machine will be restored to the target device. Once the restoration is complete, select your hard disk in BIOS and boot your machine to restore the operating system.

Connect to the internet via Wi-Fi or ethernet for downloading the IDMachineBackup folder. To configure the network, click 'Network configuration' and click 'Connect to the Wi-Fi'. Select the Wi-Fi profile and enter the password to connect.

What are the prerequisites to perform the 2-step restore?

Following are the prerequisites,

  • A USB bootable flash drive to boot your machine.
  • Download the WinRE ISO file to mount it.
  • Copy the entire content to a USB bootable flash drive.
  • Download the IDMachineBackup folder to an external drive.
  • A target hard drive or device with sufficient storage to perform the restore.

How to recover the entire machine backup using the 2-step restore?

To recover the entire machine backup using 2-step restore,

  1. Connect the WinRE boot disk to the machine.
  2. Launch the machine from the USB to boot to the Windows Recovery Environment. The Entire machine Restore wizard will appear.
  3. Click '2-Step Restore'.
    Idrive 360
  4. Click Idrive 360. Navigate and select the entire machine backup folder (IDMachineBackup), pre-downloaded from your IDrive® 360 cloud backup account for restore.
    Idrive 360
  5. Select the target hard disk and click 'Restore Now'.
  6. A popup will appear with the message requesting confirmation to override the existing contents of the selected device. Click 'Yes' to proceed with the restore.
  7. Once the entire machine restore is completed, select your hard disk in BIOS and boot your machine to restore the operating system.
    Idrive 360

How can I build a bootable WinRE media that includes wireless Wi-Fi support?

The IDrive® Driver injection app enables you to create a WinRE media with support for a wireless network. It means you can easily connect to a wireless network via WinRE.

  1. Download the WinRE ISO file and install the Driver injection tool.
    Idrive 360
  2. Browse and select the 'IDrive360WinRE.iso' file.
    Idrive 360
  3. Select the Wi-Fi drivers’ folder.
    Idrive 360
  4. Click 'Add Drivers To ISO'.
    Idrive 360
    Idrive 360

How do I create a bootable USB flash drive to restore entire machine backup?

To create a bootable USB flash drive,

  1. Plugin a USB flash drive to your machine.
  2. Run the 'Command Prompt' as an administrator.
  3. Use the following command to view the list of disks: DISKPART > list disk
  4. Use the following command to select a drive: DISKPART > select disk X Here 'X' is the drive number or drive letter of the USB flash drive.
  5. Use the following command to delete all the data from the USB flash drive:
    DISKPART > clean
  6. Enter the following command to create the required partition.
    DISKPART > create partition primary
  7. Use the following command to select the required partition:
    DISKPART > select partition 1
  8. Use the following command to restore MBR machine backup partition (legacy):
    DISKPART > format fs=ntfs quick
    DISKPART > active
  9. Use the following command to restore GPT machine backup partition (UEFI):
    DISKPART > format fs=fat32 quick

Why am I being prompted to activate my Windows license after an entire machine restore?

Activation code pairs your product key with your machine’s hardware configuration. It helps verify that your Windows is genuine. Therefore, if there is a hardware change, your machine might forget its license after reinstalling and Windows may prompt you to re-activate it.

To fix this issue in the case of a retail license, simply enter the product key on the new machine and activate the Windows license again.

Note: Retail licenses can only be installed on one machine at any particular time. It can be used on multiple machines.

In the case of an OEM license, the product key is linked to your machine's motherboard and that is non-transferable. To secure OEM license activation for a restored machine, you require to contact your OEM-license provider.

IDrive® 360 cannot assist you with third-party licensing issues.

Can I perform Entire Machine Backup on my machine with BitLocker or EFS (Encrypted File System) encryption enabled?

Encrypted File System (EFS) file system is used to control who can read the file and BitLocker encrypts the entire contents of the operating system drive. If these are enabled on your machine, you cannot perform the entire machine backup.

To perform the entire machine backup, you will need to disable the BitLocker or EFS (Encrypted File System) encryption from your machine.

Does the entire machine backup support dynamic disks?

Yes, the entire machine backup supports dynamic disks with simple volumes.

Does IDrive® 360 support entire machine backup for Mac and Linux users?

No, currently the entire machine backup is only available for Windows users.

I am getting the message 'No bitmap data available for the drive. Run the 'chkdsk' command on logical drives (NTFS) to perform an incremental scan' in my backup logs. What should I do?

IDrive® 360 may perform a full system scan to check if there is any inconsistency in the file system within the backed up machine.

To resolve this issue and perform an incremental scan,

  1. Navigate to 'Start' > 'Command Prompt', and run as administrator.
  2. Run the following command:
    chkdsk <DISK>: /f /r
    Where, <DISK> specifies the drive letter of the partition to be checked. Checking the drive C: may require you to reboot the machine.

Does the entire machine backup perform backup of Microsoft OneDrive?

Yes, the entire machine backup can backup OneDrive if its files \ folders are saved on the local drive. To save files \ folders locally, you will need to disable the 'Files On-Demand' feature.

To disable OneDrive's Files On-Demand feature,

  1. Right-click the 'OneDrive' icon on your system tray and select 'Settings'. This will open the Microsoft OneDrive 'Settings' tab.
    Idrive 360
  2. Uncheck the box under 'Files On-Demand'.
    Idrive 360
  3. Click 'OK' to confirm disabling of the 'Files On-Demand' feature.
    Idrive 360
  4. Click 'OK' in the OneDrive Settings tab and save the changes.

OneDrive files and folders will now be available on the local device and will be backed up during the next entire machine backup.

Further, you can choose the files and folders to backup from your OneDrive folder.

To select the OneDrive files / folders for backup,

  1. Right-click the 'OneDrive' icon on your system tray and select 'Open your OneDrive folder'.
    Idrive 360
  2. Select the folders / files you wish to backup.
  3. Right-click and select 'Always keep on this device'.
    Idrive 360

These files and folders will now be available on the local device. The next scheduled backup operation will backup these OneDrive files and folders.

How can I find the path of the Wi-Fi driver used by my machine?

To connect to a Wi-Fi network via WinRE, you need to add the relevant driver for your machine to the IDrive® Restore Media Builder. Navigate to 'Windows Device Manager' to know which system uses which Wi-Fi drivers.

Following are the steps to find the Wi-Fi driver:

For Windows 8 or Windows 10

  1. Right-click the 'Windows Start' button.
  2. Select 'Device Manager' from the list.
    Idrive 360
  3. Navigate to 'Network Adapters' and click on it to view the list of all the network adapter devices in the system.
  4. Note: A device having an exclamation mark indicates that the device or its drivers are not installed properly. Fix the issue by installing the updated drivers or reverting to the previous drivers before progressing.

    Idrive 360
  5. Select the 'Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4 Wireless Network Adapter' from the list as it is used for Wi-Fi (wireless connections) on the machine in the cited example.

Following are the steps to find the driver used for the selected wireless network adapter:

  1. Double-click the preferred 'Network Adapter'.
  2. Select the 'Driver' tab, in the 'Properties' window.
    Idrive 360
  3. Note down the 'Driver Date' and the 'Driver Version' for future reference.

    In the given example, the details are as follows:

    Driver Date: 28-Oct-2016
    Driver Version: 4.0.3.262

  4. Click the 'Details' tab in the 'Properties' window.
  5. Select 'Inf name' from the drop-down menu in the 'Property' section.
    Idrive 360
  6. The driver for the Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4 Wireless Network Adapter in the given example is:

    OEM42.inf
    Dated 28-Oct-2016
    Version 4.0.3.262

Following are the steps to find the location of the driver in the Windows OS:

This guide uses the Pnputil to find the Wireless Network (WiFi) driver. Pnputil is a utility that helps to manage device drivers in a Windows OS and determine the driver file location.

  1. Open the Admin Command Prompt in administrator mode.
    Note: The path 'C:\Windows\system32>' indicates that the prompt has been opened as an administrator.
  2. Run the following command:
    pnputil /enum-drivers
  3. A list of all the device drivers on your machine (including both the 'Published name' and the 'Original name') will be displayed.
  4. Find the 'Published Name' OEM42.inf from the list and verify the date and the driver version. Once confirmed, note down the 'Original Name' of the driver, as this will help you to discover the driver location. In the cited example, the original name of the Wireless Network (Wi-Fi) driver is 'netathr10x.inf.'
  5. To locate the Wireless Network (Wi-Fi) driver, run the following command:
    dir infame /s
  6. In the example below, we have run 'dir netathr10x.inf /s' and received this output:
    The output will show the path to the driver file location in the 'Windows Driver Store File Repository'
  7. Note down the folder path and install the IDrive Driver Injection tool to provide the Driver folder. Add the Driver folder to the WinRE-based Recovery media.

What are the various Wi-Fi authentication methods supported by IDrive WinRe?

The different authentication methods supported by IDrive WinRe are as follows:

  1. WPA3
  2. WPA2-Personal
  3. WPA2
  4. WPA2-Enterprise
  5. WPA2PSK
  6. WPA-Personal
  7. WPA
  8. WPAPSK
  9. Open System Authentication

Can I use the Archive Cleanup feature for entire machine backup data sets?

No, the Archive Cleanup feature is not supported for entire machine backup data sets.