To create a Windows system image in Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office, make a disk-and-partition backup—not a file backup—then save it somewhere other than the system disk. Also create Acronis rescue media before you need it: that lets you start recovery if Windows will not boot. The steps below follow Acronis documentation for ATI2022 and ATI2023; labels can differ in other releases, so use the guide for the version installed.
What a system image includes
Acronis describes a disk-and-partition backup as a way to create an exact copy of a system partition or the whole system disk. For a recoverable Windows image, select the operating-system partition and the additional system or boot partitions that Windows needs. A file-and-folder backup is a different backup type and is not an image of the system disk.
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Save the backup to a separate destination, such as an external drive, NAS, Acronis Cloud, or another browsed location. Keeping it off the source disk means it can remain available if that disk fails.
Choose where to save the image
- External HDD or SSD: A local destination that does not depend on a network connection. Disconnect it when you are not backing up or restoring to reduce its exposure to problems affecting the computer.
- NAS: A network destination, useful when network storage is already configured. Access during recovery depends on having the network and NAS available.
- Acronis Cloud: A remote destination, but the first cloud backup can take considerably longer than later incremental transfers.
There is no universally best destination or capacity recommendation in Acronis’s cited procedure. Choose one that has enough available space and that you can access when recovery is needed. Avoid using a dynamic disk as the destination for a system partition backup where possible: Acronis warns that differences in how Windows and Linux handle dynamic disks can cause recovery problems.
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Create the disk-and-partition backup
- Open Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office and select Backup.
- Select Add backup.
- Open the backup source area and choose Disks and partitions.
- Select the disk or partitions to include. For a full system recovery image, include the Windows operating-system partition and the other system or boot partitions required by that installation. Inspect the full partition list to check for hidden partitions.
- Choose a destination, such as an external drive, NAS, Acronis Cloud, or another location you can browse to. For a local backup, select an external drive with enough available space.
- Optionally adjust backup options and add a comment that identifies the backup, such as the Windows version or date.
- Select Back up now, or schedule the backup for later.
For the procedure and source/destination choices, see Acronis’s disk and partition backup guide.
Create rescue media before an emergency
Rescue media gives you a way to start Acronis recovery when Windows cannot start. In the application, open Tools > Rescue Media Builder. Acronis documents a simple workflow that chooses an appropriate media type and an advanced workflow for selecting media type and compatibility options. Depending on the workflow, media can be created on a USB flash drive, external HDD or SSD, optical disc, ISO, or—in certain workflows—WIM.
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- Easily store and access 5TB of content on the go with the Seagate portable drive, a USB external hard Drive
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
- Connect a separate USB flash drive or choose another suitable destination for the rescue media.
- Open Tools > Rescue Media Builder and follow the simple or advanced workflow.
- Check the selected target device before proceeding. If its file system is unsupported, Acronis may offer to format it; formatting permanently erases data on that device.
- Keep the rescue media separate from the backup drive when practical, so it remains available if that drive is disconnected.
See Acronis’s Rescue Media Builder instructions for the version-specific options.
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Restore the image if Windows will not start
- Boot the computer from the Acronis rescue media and start the Acronis recovery environment.
- Select the system disk backup, then choose Recover whole disks and partitions.
- Select the Windows system partition and any required System Reserved partition.
- Review the partition settings and operation summary. Confirm that the intended destination disk is selected before proceeding, because recovery can overwrite its contents.
- Start the recovery only after checking the target and summary.
On a UEFI computer, Acronis recommends booting the rescue media in the same mode as the system represented in the backup. Restoring to a disk of a different size may require changing partition settings. Consult Acronis’s recovery instructions for the matching release.
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- Easily store and access 1TB to content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive.Specific uses: Personal
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop. Reformatting may be required for Mac
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
When to use sector-by-sector backup
Back up sector-by-sector is an advanced option, not the normal choice for a routine system image. It copies all sectors of the selected disk or partition, including sectors that do not contain data, which increases processing time and usually increases the image file size. Enable it only when a specific requirement calls for a sector-level copy. Acronis explains the option in its advanced image creation documentation.
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