NEVER lose your files when Windows crashes
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- Опубліковано 7 вер 2023
- If you don't have an existing backup solution in place, or maybe you already do...here's an easy way to SAFELY keep your personal files from being lost in the event of a Windows crash - just reinstall Windows and you're done, nothing lost EVER! Enjoy :)
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One thing to add - if you use portable versions of programs instead of installed ones, you can just store them in your data partition, and when you wipe the OS partition, all your portable programs stay intact, so you won't have to bother with reinstalling / restoring their settings.
Excellent point!!! Thank you for the reminder 👍
This involves moving the hidden folder 'appdata' and then changing the environment variable APPDATA. Unfortunately, this isn't as easy as it sounds. Windows is actively using some of those files, and those files can't be moved unless you have special tools. Even if you install your new programs on drive D:, the program settings are still stored under APPDATA. There are software tools to help move program settings buried in APPDATA to a new drive when setting up a new computer.
Or, just get an Apple computer. All the program data, the program files themselves, and any dependencies are all in one location (with very few non-critical exceptions) that can be moved without worrying about where stuff is.
@michaelengelby732 agreed, and not recommended for novices for sure. You start messing with appdata folder and it's 50/50 what happens next 👍
@michaelengelby732 unless you don't know Apple products, hate Apple, can't afford Apple....not ideal for the general public 🤷♂️
Sir, you have no idea how thankful I am for this video. I love days when I learn something new that I can really use. I wish I knew how to find this process in 2017 when my new computer came with a massive storage drive and a small SSD. I didn't know how to "point" properly.
I can't thank you enough!
You are soooo welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!
Great idea, I've been doing this since 1991!
Some extra ideas:
1. If multiple people use the computer; create a folder for each person and then add each person's folders inside their folder and not at the root of the D: drive.
2. This can greatly simplify backups as you need only back up D: for your most important files.
3. Make sure you save every file into a folder on D: or they can disappear with a reinstall
4. You can start doing a mirror of your D: drive as a local defence against one drive going dead on you (but it needs a second physical drive)
5. For gamers using Steam: you can do this to keep your games off C: to simplify reinstalling Windows and not needing to reinstall all your games
Good tips! Thanks! :)
Been always using an encrypted external drive for ALL my data. Drive C only contains the Windows files and apps, while all my apps data are on the external drive which I back up regularly to a second external drive stored at a different physical location.. Eazy-peazy, nice and easy. :)
@@BillAnt I hope you aren't relying on Windows for the encryption because they usually couple the keys to your userId/profile and if you lose that, you've lost the encrypted files :(
@@billmiller4800- Oh hell no! lol VeraCrypt an open-source and audited encryption app is my fave.
@BillAnt nice!
Excellent advise. I will do that today. I also backup my laptops to 2 different external drives on a weekly basis. Keep up the great work.
Smart! 💪
A few extra tips: Back it up (3) places; local external disk, non-local external disk (if possible), and an offsite 'cloud' long term storage (I use Amazon AWS S3, Glacier Deep Archive @ ~$1.00/TB).
A better plan is to do an 'image' of your OS HDD or SSD (I use Easeus Todo Backup and/or Macrium Reflect); if my machine goes south, I get a new SSD, copy the image back to the machine and no reinstalling Windows or files; The machine does not even know it died. It's like the kid's goldfish, Mr. SwimsForever, he may be a slightly different color, but now he is Mr. SwimsForever II and no-one is the wiser.
I go one farther than your suggestion, and I move ALL my data to my Synology NAS, from all my machines, so there is minimal data on any given Windows machine, the NAS has 3 backups, and I regularly consolidate data (photos, docs, CAD files) to the NAS so there is very little duplication. Suggestion: do a vid on deduplication.
Snorting at Mr SwimsForever 😂
Just found your channel and love your content!
Awesome! Thank you!
you earned a sub sir. I have been tryiing to make a lot of data redundancies for work and personal files while maintaining privacy... your videos are top notch!
Thank you! Much appreciated 👍 ❤️
Awesome video as always. I apologize if this comment is a little long I have a few comments and maybe a question or two. I first want to say that I love how you try and reply to as many comments as you can, I find other youtubers say they do this but it is not always the case so great job there. Secondly I don't consider myself super tech savvy but a little tech savvy, I have been using windows for years and I had no idea you could move those user profile directories/folders somewhere else and it works as normal so definitely thank you for showing us this. Thirdly, unrelated to this video, I don't know if you remember our quick conversation the other day on another video but I did go ahead and make a MediCat USB after. With that USB drive and a couple of others that I have I think I am better prepared for emergencies and to help others. Getting back to the video I have a question about crashes and the user folder it will probably sound like a dumb question but i guess you don't know unless you ask. If say I do experience a crash and I haven't moved these files/folders can I still access them via a USB stick like Hiren's Boot CD or is there some kind of special windows permission that prevents this from happening? Thank you for reading this and keep up the good work, I look forward to the next video.
Thanks, and I do remember you! No, no special "tricks", at worst you might have to change permissions (in Windows) for the user folder, but then you'd have access to everything . Using Hiren's, Medicat, even Linux off a boot drive, you should just be able to grab everything with no problem :)
Another great and helpful video Scott!!!! I wish I had know this years ago!
Thank you, my friend 💪
I'm glad you posted this. I've been doing this for years and people think I'm crazy. Only difference is I have a separate ssd for the data. Makes backing up the pc a lot easier and faster. Also use a nas for backup of c and d drives
Nice! And you're not crazy 👍
Didn't know such an easy way of moving users folders. Thanks 👍
Yep! 💪
Great job and very clear . Bless you.😁😄
Thank you! Hope it helped you out :)
As I recently found out to my chagrin, if you separate your data from your operating system, and you create a backup / restore image of the OS, that image will be far smaller without all of the data in there. Just backup the data separately. To take your demonstration one step further, install another drive if this is done on a desktop, and backup your data to that second drive. I do this because it's so fast and a second drive is so cheap. ( But also back up to another physical destination on site and a third backup offsite.) I don't use the built in Windows folders but I'm going to do as you suggest because inevitably something ends up there and this makes it a bit quicker to locate. Great video.
Agreed 100%. But not everyone has the funds for a second drive. This is a band aid solution for them to at least protect their data until they can afford to take it to the next (ideal) level 💪👍
Thanks. It is brilliant!!
Great info, thanks!
You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it! :)
Thank you. I will do this as soon as I have backed up my data on the new external drive l purchased.
Very helpful.
Awesome! Glad to help :)
The other smaller partition is named System Reserved and contains the Windows Boot Manager, which is the thing that does the booting). On versions before Windows 7 the boot manager shared the same partition as your Windows installation.
In that partition there are also configuration data for how to boot into Windows, and in Windows 8 and later there is also the boot logo stored there (dig enough in those files and you'll find it).
👍
Hi ComputerGuy! I love the videos, thanks. Can you do an in depth video about Windows Defender antivirus? The default one that comes with Win-10 and Win-11? I have no idea how to read their output, how to quarantine files, how to select which drives being scanned at regular intervals, etc etc. Sure, I can search for other videos, but I prefer your style of presentation, level of detail and so on :)
I will see what I can do. Been thinking about a "Defender vs other antivirus" video 👍
Since UA-cam changes constantly, may i suggest that when you reference "this link up here", you also put it in the description?
That way people can still access it if that feature is no longer a thing, or is no longer shown due to... UA-cam reasons :)
Cheers and nice video, sent this to a friend who asked about it :)
Thank you. I will definitely make a point to double check the references. Sometimes I add them when publishing and they never show (same with end screens sometimes). No idea what happens. I appreciate the support and the share 👍💪
Hi there
Great video, I learnt a lot from this.
I have a question, So that I can do this do you have a Word / PDF document that I can print off because I obviously do this and watch UA-cam at the same time
You can watch this video and do it as the same time. It won't affect your web browsing, it's just moving saved files. I filmed it while doing it, so you should be fine 👍
Excellent explanation of a smart organizational step to take to prevent future headaches.
Not ideal of course, but better than leaving everything to be lost for sure 💪
@@AskYourComputerGuy
Ideal is basically an illusion, right? ;) I installed an SSD specifically for all the Windows "Document" folders and moved them to the second SSD. Then if the Boot SSD ever fails, I simply replace the Boot SSD. In my early computing days, I used partitions, but when the price of hard drives, and now with SSDs, I prefer to simply install multiple drives. To me it simplifies everything.
@lifeisagift.cherisheverymoment same exact thing, yes. But not everybody has it in the budget to add a second drive. Your way is ideal, but this will help people who are stuck with just one drive 👍
I've never used the default user locations, but if so only temporarily, so don't have to worry about redirecting folder paths. I've also gone one step further to the separate partition and have most of my personal data on a separate physical disk. So if there's ever any doubt when reinstalling Windows, which I rarely do these days, I can physically remove the disk to be absolutely sure that Windows won't overwrite any personal data. It's also a good solution if the Windows disk becomes physically damaged, as even with partitions it's still all just on one physical disk.
This video is making me hungry!! Seriously, this is a smart thing to do, regardless of what OS you use. Separating your data from the OS and Apps
Hi. great video. Have a question though: can you do this for the entire folder and not only for those folders like Documents and Pictures, etc.. ?
Great question! You might be able to, but I wouldn't. You could somehow cause an issue with the Windows profile loading service. That's why I focused on just the folders that typically consume the most space and are the traditional "personal" folders 👍
Very useful information. I have one question - is it possible to do this with the program files? A couple of times my system packed up and I had to find and reinstall all of my programs after I had reinstalled the system. Thank you
Yes but pointless. Those programs are attached to installed registry keys. If you have to reload Windows and haven't backed up your registry also, you'll need to reinstall the software in the Program Files folder 🥲
Great video Scott. I installed a 2nd drive on my recently purchased new laptop and like my old laptop (which I had a 2nd hard drive installed) had basically undertaken this (in a long conulted way). I was now able to as a result of your video ensure my desktop folder was also moved to my 2nd hard drive. Thanks heaps.
A quick question if I may: Can one transfer the programme folders also or should these remain on the c drive please? Thanks in advance.
Technically you can. But only during program installation. When prompted where to install, just create a folder called Program Files on D and install them there. Note: if D is a slower drive than your OS drive (SSD vs HDD for example) those programs running off of D will be slower. Much much slower
@@AskYourComputerGuy Many, many thanks. Okay. As the programmes have already been installed, I'm happy where they are. Yes my D drive is a 2nd SSD drive. Hence, definitely do not want to slow down the various software programmes. Many thanks for your quick response.
@desleycasey7412 as always, my friend! 💪
This idea applied to a mail server saved me a lot of time once it did not start, immediately after restoring it from a previous copy, everything returned to normal since the mailboxes were on the other partition of the disk.
👍
Thanks for the helpful advice. I have a problem though & I'm wondering what do you do if "there is not enough space available on the disk to complete operation". I expect this is due to a 1 GB "recovery partition" to the right of C: already???
Unlikely, unless you have almost no drive space available on C. Sounds more like Windows not playing nice with partitions. Try using AOMEI Partition Assistant for free instead to make changes to the Partitions:
REAL-TALK review of AOMEI FREE Partition Assistant | FREE disk cloning and no data loss software
ua-cam.com/video/UBmdMHmRjBM/v-deo.html
This video is the reason I am subscripted to this channel - excellent help and advice. Thank you. I've done it and finished it just now. I am very grateful as I didn't know this trick! I have Windows 10 locked down from updates to 11. But if I ever own a PC with 11, I'll be taking these exact same steps!
Fantastic!!! Way to go :)
This is what I used to do on my computers with one physical drive, too. In good old days, laptops had optical drives as well, and I learnt then to replace the optical drive with a device allowing me to connect a secondary storage device, which I used as storage for personal files.
Not the best solution, but for those with limited budget, it's a solid workaround 👍
That's how I started out, by partitioning the one physical drive. When I upgraded, however, I made sure to get a laptop with the ability to have more than one physical drive for that extra level of flexibility and safety.
Excellent advise and instruction, thank you!
Just a follow up, I did a clean install of Win 10 on a new SSD and thought I would take advantage of this instruction. For some reason, my User documents, contacts and picture folders do not have a "location" tab to initiate the redirection. I thought it might be due to the folders being empty or linked to One Drive so I added a file and unlinked, the One Drive app. Still unable to redirect, any thoughts?
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it :)
Well explaind video 👍👍. I use desktop computers and I have a separate drives for storage. I have my files stored on 2 different computers an a extrnal drive also so 3 places for files.
Smart! And thank you for your comment :)
For the creation of folders and the labeling folders on another partitioned drive or
on a simple USB that is already partitioned, I do this in this manner: Desktop for C,
Downloads for C, Documents for C, Pictures for C, Music for C and Videos for C.
BUT, if you do NOT want somebody to rifle through your most private things that
already exist on the C drive, I personally would do the same thing that is demon-
striated in the video which is also a great thing to do! That way if need be, in a case
of having to do a fresh install, all that you would really have to do is drag those
files over from the separate drive partition to the newly created C drive that has a
fresh install and charge on!
Amazing!
Thanks!
very useful, and I am doing it now. Even though I backup every day it makes sense to have the data files on a different drive to make system restores much faster. One thing though, I noticed that the Downloads library had no location shown in the properties. Maybe it isn't a moveable library?
You can move it, as shown in the video. Check again 👍
I used it in the past. Now we have windows 10, strangely I forgot this great tip. You have an other Subscriber. Greetings from a dutchy.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it :)
Pizza, huh? 🍕 Nice. I'm going to use that one. Lol.
As always - great advice, demonstrated well, and clearly & simply explained.
LOL Eric...you know I roll simple like that 💪
Thanks!
Thank you so much for supporting the channel and my efforts! It means so much!!! 💪💪💪
Great video! Can you move those folders to a different disk entirely in your system so if the C: disk fails, you still have your files safe on another disk? Thanks.
100% yes
just be sure its another DISK and not a PARTITION i had a few computers that would have two hardrives split between 500GB but when then look find its atualy one tb with 2 partitions.
Glad I found this video. I just received my new SSD to clone my current SSD and i assume I should do the new partition prior to cloning??????
Negative. The cloning will create the partitions automatically
Great video.. from a security perspective , in hyperdrive or sandbox does that mean if it's compromised they can gain access to your personal files ..they being nefarious operators
Without being an expert in either of those, I would default to say that if it's on your computer, whether your primary drive or a separate partition, even in a sandbox..if the files are accessible to you, then probably so 🤷♂️
I always put my home folder on a separate partition. That way, if I ever want to reinstall my OS or try a different one, my files will stay in the home partition. The good thing also is when you do reinstall or upgrade, my preferences are also saved in .config.
I believe I'm exempt from creating a partician on my C drive being that I always have 2 complete system image backups and I dont store any files such as documents, pictures, etc on my C drive and everything is on my external hardrives because I only have 256gb on my ssd boot drive. I''m still open to any other suggestions if you believe I'm falling short of the mark. On a side note I did switch to a local account from one of your previous videos. Keep up the good work I know sometimes we all need to get all the help we can get by overlooking the essentials.
Nice! Well done 👍
? I have a new PC with the SSD as C and program files, etc. And the 2TB MDD as D for my personal files/currently marked 'DATA', just as you suggest here. (I had already done the transfers) Would it be OK to create another D/call it F for Financial? And maybe an M for for Medical? So that the huge MDD would then be D, F & M? Or would it be "just too much separation"? Still leaving the C drive for the program and special files?
Great question! Absolutely fine! Some of my drives have 4, even 5 partitions. Most important thing is make sure to include those in your backups if they're important to you. Nice job 💪
@@AskYourComputerGuy Obviously Finance and Medical would be critical and should always be saved. And other things too. Would the desktop always know which drive those files are on? Just as now, the desktop knows Documents are on D. So when opening a file from the desktop, you don't have to remember which drive has that file/folder on?
@morganfbilbo4659 once you change the default location for documents to D, for example, it will always default to that location. This only applies to your library files (documents, pictures, music, etc). Anything personal to you needs to be put wherever you specifically need it, as far as a different drive or subfolder on your computer 👍
Now I'm hungry for pizza.
LOL I was wondering how long before someone commented on the pizza 😂😂😂
That pizza looks delicious!
@oldredeye413 IKR?!?
Me too 🍕
Just love the pizza analogy. Works for me when explaining to others.🇦🇺
LOL awesome 😂
It isn’t a pizza without anchovies.
Thank God someone else gets it! 😂
Another option(for Win10...Win11 is similar) is to go to Settings --> System --> Storage. Look down to "More storage settings" and select "Change were new content is saved" From here you have multiple options on where to save new content such as Apps, Documents, Music, Photos, etc. This will create a User Profile at this newly selected option.
On my daily driver I have my Desktop default to a large SSD which is separate from the Boot drive. So when I'm looking at my Desktop files/folders they're actually residing on a separate fast drive.
Good tip if you have a fast enough second drive 👍
@@AskYourComputerGuy In my case I have a 2nd 2TB NVMe Gen 4 drive.
@my-yt-inputs2580 👍👍
Hi First time finding you. I am trying to learn some of these technical things. In this video at the very end you say "click on the above link to learn how to make windows system disks" but you did not provide a link - or at least I did not see one on the video. Would you kindly direct me to the link to learn how to do this?
Thank you
Thank you for the support! Here's the link:
2 USB boot drives EVERY PC user should make before it's too late!
ua-cam.com/video/uCkOVDHfFJM/v-deo.html
Good video, well explained, as for backup what's the most reliable hard drive in your experience?
This might surprise a lot of people...but (assuming speed wasn't a factor), Western Digital Black. I have at least 4 of them I've had for 10+ years and they are the most reliable drives I've ever had. Of course, they're all 1TB/1.5TB as opposed to other 4/6TB drives I also use, but in a fight, WD Black for the win. Great question! 👍💪
@@AskYourComputerGuy wd always claims to be the most reliable, but it's good to hear it confirmed from someone with experience.
@fisherking7798 thanks! They are more expensive, but out of maybe 7-8 I've had in my lifetime, only 1 went bad. After 10+ years. That's reliability I can live with 👍
@@AskYourComputerGuy as an addendum to that question are you referring to spinning or solid state drives?
As far as my comment about preference, spinning drives. As far as quality for SSD (and I will catch TONS of heat for this), many people prefer the Samsung EVO series. I've had 2. One failed. Badly. PNY, Kingston and Crucial are more reliable for SSD or m.2 in my experience
When you move the data as shown in your video to a location in a separate partition on the disk the dates assigned to the original pre move ‘change’ for all the folders to the move date. Is this correct? Therefore all files will retain their original dates but ‘all’ folders within the move change will have their dates changed to the move date.? So if you want to search by folder date this could be an issue???
Great question. Fair, and probably so. Folders will be new but the file attributes should be the same
What about Programs? I have a lot of programs that don't exist any more on the web. Or they are "one time only" programs (Like from GiveAwayoftheDay), where you can only install them once. or I've lost the key for them. How do you A. back them up? and B. move them to a different drive? Is there a way to back up the Register or do you just back up the App Data folders? Also, I just moved all the files from my hubby's old computer to his new computer, and then moved an external drive from the old computer to the new computer, and there are a number of folders that now say that he doesn't have access to them/permission for them. Is there an easy fix for this? (I am the household tech support). (I did eject it properly from the other computer) There are also some programs that were on the other computer, which, as I said, now don't have the proper registration (or other things) to work properly. And if I want to change where some of the programs are located now (Because his new C drive is really small) do I move them the same way? Currently, things that I've had the programs that I could re-install I've been trying to put as much as possible on a different drive, but some things I either didn't catch, or they didn't give me a choice. So, now I know that they are registered to the C drive. Lastly, he had Word on the old computer, but now it won't run on the new computer (Again, I think a reg problem) so if I can figure out where that is located, I can get that working, too. I know, lots of various issues, but all related to the video. And thank you so much for this, now I know how to repoint to the new folders instead of him having to click on a shortcut on the desktop in order to get to the correct folders.
@AskYourComputerGuy hello what do you think about the Ransomeware virus they eat and encrypt all the files ... Sometimes living without internet is the most secure way for data loss
Mixed feelings. I hate ransomware for what it does, but it a) allows me to make an income and b) gives me information to share on my channel 🤷♂️
Hi there! I like this idea and want to implement it. BUT...what happens the next time (after I make the change) and I go into a program that is USED TO SAVING a new download to the OLD location on C:/ ? Will I need to keep moving any new downloads over to the new D:/ location? ALSO...when it's time for an UPDATE to a program that I moved from "C:/" will the program KNOW that I moved my files? I'm confused! Thanks.
Once you make the target location change, it will stay that way. The only thing that change that is a Windows reinstall. As stated in the video, you would just need to change the locations "back" to the D drive and you're back to good 👍
@@AskYourComputerGuy OK...Thank you.
@craigpurdie3528 anytime!
Interesting question: If we had an example Computer where We made 2 partitions and the second partition had all your personal files, could you wipe Windows as an OS and still find that second partition with all its files after installing another OS like a Linux Distro?
Yes
Another little trick that I've been using for years and has saved my skin a number of times Is to use the windows image backup feature. make an image of the hard drive and store it on another hard drive and keep it available just in case a nuclear option is required.
Yes. I used to do that but not everything under your user is moved, just the selected folders.
What if you want to move the entire users folder to another drive.
What I usualy do put 2 physical drives, C: for the OS and program files and D: for users folder.
After Windows is installed, I use the "sysprep" command.
That's a bit advanced for novices, the ones that likely don't have a safe backup strategy. But good idea
Very Important Post.
I was seeing another web tutorial about system backup in reddit/quora.
My laptop have two SSD and windows 11 installed in one ssd and also many documents in both drives including songs, client files etc. And also both SSD have many partition. And my windows is installed on C drive and I have other important data on the all other partitions in both drive. Now if my windows crashes somehow and i can't boot my laptop, I will lose all my data if i try to reinstall the os again, at least i will lose all data in primary drive.
Now my question is , if this situation happens, can i install another windows or linux OS in my other partitions of my second SSD using ventoy temporarily . Then i will copy my required data into another external drive from the 2 ssd installed in my laptop, and then finally format the whole drive and reinstall my primary OS again.
This way i can save my all data. If this procedure works, pls suggest me which os i should install temporarily.
Pls help me out sir.
Thank you.😊😊😊
Yes, assuming your primary drive isn't damaged and you can still access the files 👍
👍👍👍👍👍Great
Thank you, my friend 👍
What are your thoughts about Acronis for recovery
Used Acronis True Image for years. Good program 💪
@@AskYourComputerGuy I bought a I9 1700 with a ASUS Strix Z790-e mobo. Corsair H100x rgb cooler which is driving me nuts on how to connect to the mobo. My case has a RGB controller and the instructions suck..
Some windows program installers can use hard locations for folders and some use soft locations, e.g.. This can break things if you change the default folder locations, e.g. having windows installed to the D: drive. This mostly works, but not always. This can apply to folders like Documents if changed to the D: drive. The main reason to make these folder changes is to make data backup easier.
Windows C: drive can also be backed up to an iso, and this is bootable.
Having a bootable external SSD windows system on Thunderbolt or USB C 3.2 Gen 2x2 is a great way to go. I also have another 1TB SSD in an external USB C enclosure with Q4OS installed. These external drives could then be copied back to windows should it ever break.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_folder
Three backup copies is the bare minimum for any serious backup plan.
In theory this is a good idea however it is still 1 physical drive, if the physical drive fails which generally they do, everything is gone, the best way is to add a second physical drive and change everything over to the second physical drive.
You are failing to understand the point of this process.
100%. As stated in the video 👍
can we do that with 2 SSD, moving the files from a c drive to a different drive without splitting the drive c to make it in to c and d ?
Yes, that is what I do.
100% yes.
is there not also an option in winblows somewhere that lets you clone folders ? ... kinda like raid 3 or 5 or whatever but just fore one folder and multiple drives and not the headache of rebuilding raid partitions hehe.
Cloning specific folders? Never heard of that. Maybe automatic backup of specific folders, but not "cloning" per se
@@AskYourComputerGuy al that it takes is to create a local backup, any change to one folder happens to the other.... fairly sure it is part of winducks since winnt or so... look into it, it is your job, not mine ... and no, this is not me being evil, lol.. I do enjoy the vids, gracias hermano mio.
@spookymunky1 this is for novices that don't have a backup process in place yet. As stated in the video, this is a temporary bandaid to protect against Windows crashes causing data loss, not as a long-term backup strategy because eventually that same drive will die.
@@AskYourComputerGuy hehe, yeah, sorry.. I do get that... but if there is a built in windows option that clones folders that might be just as useful ? :)... I honestly forget and haha... sadly I never have backups or raid etc, when my drives die the data is gone forever... I cry a little and start again :) who knows how much art/music and coding etc I have lost over the years, but meh... there is no real failsafe against it I guess, even raid 5 etc fails haha.
Edit: it is ok, I hated this industry anyway :) hehe... watch?v=SlPhMPnQ58k
I've been doing this since I started building/using PC's but I've gone one better and have only Windows on the C drive (especially as I've migrated Windows to its own SSD) with all of my data on a physically separate D drive. So if my C drive dies my data remains intact and I always have a Sequential Back Up Windows disk/SSD, I also have dedicated back up drive that contains nothing but my documents and pictures along with three Sequential Back Ups for my data, so in the event of the D drive crashing I've only lost 12 of hours data at the worst.
While I agree that its a good idea to partition your drive into two (for system files and personal files), unfortunately its not the be all and end all as you still need to backup your personal files. This is what many of us would have done in previous Windows versions to help keep your data safe as frequent Windows reinstalls were common.
At some point Microsawft decided that when you reset your PC/Laptop, it will reformat the entire physical drive (not just the C: partition) to whatever the factory setting are. So you'll loose all of what's on your nicely created d: drive. Now this could just be OEM installs, but it happens. How do I know? Well I had a bad Windoz update where I had to reinstall Windows again. Luckily I had backups so it wasn't an issue - but could very well have been if I only relied on my personal files being on a separate partition.
And I state that clearly in the video 👍
@@AskYourComputerGuy You mentioned backups of your d: drive, but nothing about Windows reformatting the whole physical drive when reinstalling (that would be c: and d:). Still a good video and practical info.
@peterschmidt9942 it won't. During a fresh install, you choose the C drive to install to, D drive isn't touched.
@@AskYourComputerGuy On a factory reset it will wipe the entire drive - every partition. It resets the entire drive back to how it was when it left the factory - c: drive and hidden recovery partitions. Your lovely created d: drive will also be removed with the reset.
@peterschmidt9942 you're correct. As stated in the video, if Windows needs to be reloaded, your D drive is fine. Yes a factory recovery would wipe the whole thing, which is why I stated that (assuming a drive failure amd/or factory reset needed), your data is not safe. This is a temporary band-aid, not a true permanent backup solution 👍
When I try to some of the folders (Windows 11) I get this message
Can't move the folder because there is a folder in the same location that cant be redirected.
Access is denied.
Any ideas?
Found an issue. I didn't shrink enough first time so I reduced the size a bit more but then found that I could not extend the new partition into the extra free space. Still looking for a resolution but will try a different partition manager. UPDATE: Found that MiniTool Partition Wizard allowed the resizing. Great tool.
I was going to suggest that 👍
I just spent 2 days fixing my desktop PC. Saturday morning just after breakfast I attempted to log onto my PC only to get a message no OS was present. I opened my tower removed the drive and used a USB adapter to see if my laptop would see it. I then ran some diagnostic programs and the drive failed all of them. This drive is an NVMe and is under 2 years old. I opened up a spare I have and installed it, then installed Win 11. I am only mentioning this because IT IS A FACT that as a PC user, YOU WILL at some point get that kind of message I guarantee it.
Agreed 👍
I know how to move the page file to another physical SSD, but is there a way to move to other big files like the hibernation file as well as the other big file whose name escapes me right now (typing this on my Cell).
Not that I'm aware of 🤷♂️
You might want to post the URLs in either the Video Description or as a comment as UA-cam is starting to NOT display those windows that you point to.
This is definitely happening when I use the "Cast To" function on my android phone to watch UA-cam videos on my Chromecast.
If you are watching UA-cam directly on a Chromecast, the windows don't appear BUT another option appears that you can select to see those windows. I do both and was just rewatching the video by casting from my phone and noticed this.
It's actually easier to create a queue of videos on the android phone and then cast the queue to the Chromecast than to try to create a queue to watch using the Chromecast only.
Sounds like a lot of work. On my E drive I make these folders, downloads Doc etc. And when I have a Windows update (as a reminder) I plug in my off line USB SSD and copy E drive to it I have 2 copies of all my info and files. Works well for me so far. I don't use C drive to store anything.
That works as well 👍
@user-ls3sd2pz5c agreed. This is a band aid, not a permanent solution, as stated at the end of the video 💪👍
I always have my personal files on an external drive or storage device. SSD for is only larger drive for everything else.
Smart!
Always wondered why this way not the default as hard drives got bigger
Some vendors added secondary "storage" drives, but nobody thought to tell users how to use that drive effectively for WHEN Windows crashes 🤷♂️
I assume this also works for folders on the onedrive.
Yes it should, but if you are using Onedrive, your files are being backed up to Microsoft anyway, so it's really not necessary
Windows 11 puts Documents, Pictures, and other user folders onto OneDrive by default
It takes registry editing to move them onto a physical hard drive.
🥲
Best way to do this is just install a second drive. and not a second partition. I even have 5 extra drives in my system. one for documents and the desktop one for downloads and music one for video`s and pictures one for programs (as there a some programs that uses personal files in their folders as well like for instance steam) then the last one is there to make a monthly backup form which i am able to reinstall windows (c-drive) if anything goes south by making an image from the c-drive. off-course this last drive is big enough to store all the data from the other drives. I know it is a bit overkill. but trust me I had my C-drive crashed twice in the past 15 years and I am back and running in just a hour and a half to install a new drive and clone the image on that drive then restart and all is back to what is was. making images off the other drives as well is even easier then a backup but with a backup it is easier if you just need one or two files restored. it even sped the proces of going from winxp to win7 to win10 and now windows11. making several partitions on a drive (especially a mechanical drive) can slow down the drive as it has to acces more partitions with just one head this can give the head unnecessary extra work to do in which it could sooner fail. with the new SSD drive that problem is off course non existing but still you will experience a huge speed increase and snappiness if you use more physical drives instead of partitions and it is way more saver. just my thoughts. 😉
I don't disagree. As stated in my video summary, I clearly state this isn't a permanent solution, nor the ideal one. It's a band aid that can protect you against Windows crashes, but not drive failures. Most people don't watch long enough before commenting about something "I should have said" 😂👍
@@AskYourComputerGuy I did watch it to the end though, just figured why not explain in dept how to make it even safer with extra drives. Instead of just ending with only the partitioning option. 😉
Because this video wasn't a "best way to backup" tutorial. That's in the works as we speak. This was a video for people who don't currently have a backup solution in case Windows crashes. It's a band aid, and I state in the video this is a "quick fix", not the perfect solution 👍
@@AskYourComputerGuy I understood fully, will be looking out for the the video "best way to backup" haha. no worries video was great I just can`t shut it so know and then. Did not mean anything by it. Kust keep up the good work. 😉👍
I meant now and then oof-course
That's all GREAT if U don't do any Video editing with a program like DaVinci Resolve. Moving the files to a new location means you will have to RE-Link all your Pvodeo in all your Projects in all your Libraries. I have 4 years of Video on my computer. What I do is weekly or even oftener just CLONE my C:\Drive SSD to a Like SSD in an enclosure then keep it in my car incase of fire.
Smart 💪
The Favorites were from Internet Explorer
Right, that's why I don't back them up 👍
I hate partitioned drives. I use separate drives for C: and D:. If that partitioned drive crashes, everything could go away.
Agreed, as stated towards the end of the video 👍
Not a fan of partitioning. If you only have ONE HD, and it is not an SSD, if it crashes then there is a very good chance of losing the data on the partitioned drive. If you have a desktop pc (or laptop if it supports it) add a second dedicated drive and copy to thate. Also, to streamline the move process, in the location tab, using my Desktop folder as an example, where it says C:\Users\Wayne\Desktop, simply change the first character of the path from "C" to "D" and hit "OK", it will automatically create folder structure D:\Users\Wayne\Desktop on Drive D. Repeat for every folder. Much easier. Now if you have a drive crash on C, replace the drive, re-install windows, go into the users folder and change all the locations from C to D again, and you are back in business.
As stated in the video 👍
@@AskYourComputerGuy hello what do you think about the Ransomeware virus they eat and encrypt all the files ... Sometimes living without internet is the most secure way for data loss . I see that you answer to your suscribers i am happy for that proximity thanks
Nice move but... Can I use a lasagna instead.? :D
Mmmmm...lasagna 😂
Sir i need your help please, there is this teacher tokeka file running in task manager and has a plutoentertainmentvachu.exe and when i try to end task it reopens it is a virus please help... i cant delete it and Rkill doesnt kill it..
What a bugger to say the least. Maybe check out Scott's video on how to disinfect your computer with a couple of software that he recommends. Do you have Malwarebytes installed on your computer? If so, use this programme also - may not delete the virus by itself. It's one of a # of programmes that Scotts talks about on how to get rid of viruses off one's computer in his video. His video is easy to understand and has step by step instructions.
As Desley says, try MalwareBytes first. If that doesn't work, break out the big guns and get rid of that pesky virus. Here's how:
Clean ANY malware or virus off ANY Windows computer with one FREE and SIMPLE program!
ua-cam.com/video/9hWwY8Lo4ag/v-deo.html
@desleycasey7412 I appreciate the support! Nice to have a helper when I'm doing it all myself 😂👍
@@AskYourComputerGuy
and dont forget to backup your program files too if your a modder and are doing shit in there.
Use cloud backup if the whole drive fail you got a problem.
Agreed. This is a band aid vs a more reliable backup like a drive clone. Working on that video now
Can I just move the entire user folder to the new drive?
I wouldn't. It could cause issues when Windows tries to load your profile. Better to move individual folders
@@AskYourComputerGuy Makes sense. Thank you!
de herstel partitie zit achter c
Ignore the recovery partition and the boot partition. You only want to split the main C drive
My max new volume can't seem to be changed from 2.5 gig. Way too small for my data.
Try AOMEI Partition Assistant free. Sometimes the Windows disk management is janky
i have everything on external wd 4tb wd elements hard drive
Perfect!
That gives way to the question what's the most sturdy and reliable hard drive?
@@fisherking7798 western digital are great but using that as external 4tb here internal got icoolax 1tb ssd 2.5 drive to replace toshiba 1tb hdd tht got damaged
@fisherking7798 truth? Can't say. All drives fail. They all have what's called MTBF, which stands for "mean time between failures". The manufacturer sets those standards. SSD ans/or flash drives, on paper, should last longer than mechanical spinning drives. But I've got Western Digital Black drives I've had for 15 years that are still cranking away, and have bought brand name USB flash drives that didn't make it 3 months. Assume ALL drives will fail, buy wisely, look at reviews, and understand that your drive, whichever one you choose, has a "death date". Keep that in mind always and you'll be fine whichever drive you get 👍
Lol I want pizza too.
Now I'm hungry again 😂
In my Windows 11 Home, there is no option of "location" ?
Ok so now found this, but still won't let me move the files as an error "Can't move as folder in same location" but it's a seperate blank drive?
Please go through the steps again. Sounds like you might have missed something. It should show location regardless of where the files are currently sitting 👍
@MrDryfield it will only do that if you are choosing the current drive. Similar to not being able to move a folder to a place it already exists. Double check to make sure you select the "other" drive 👍
Their is no need for this method at all when using a Microsoft account with sync plus a full image backup as long you have 2fa enabled redownload done
It's not a permanent solution, or the perfect one, as stated at the end of the video 👍
While you did mention this encapsulates most of the files a user might want. I can say that i have seen more and more companies use the hidden AppData folder under each account. I didn't rescue that data the last time I needed to reinstall Windows and I lost some important files (mostly saves for games, Dark Souls 2 and 3 especially!). I know if I was a customer, I would have been pissed, so at this point, I just dump all the temps and capture most everything under the user profile.
Probably wouldn't hurt, especially for configuration files and settings. But not actual "personal data" is stored in the appdata folder that I know of 🤷♂️
buy an external drive (or two) and partitions are already made on several pizza's
Agreed, that's best solution. But for someone who does not have the budget at the moment, splitting one drive into two would at least protect against Windows crashes 👍
Using any kind of Microsoft product this day and age is a suicide on your privacy and data. Thank you for the video on how not to loose your person data and files but how about on the next video you show us all who are forced to use it for work how to keep Microsoft from enjoying our pictures, videos and anything else saved ANY part of a Microsoft based computer?!? That should be interesting.... Over the last 10 years I have not been able to accomplish this.....
Actually I am! Working with a local cyber security expert who has ALL telemetry and data collection disabled. He is ultra paranoid about privacy, and I sought out his guidance on how to make this "user friendly" for novices, yet effective. Stay tuned!
Doesn't help at all if the hard drive crashed.
And I point that out in the video 👍
@@AskYourComputerGuyYou did, right at the end. And I wonder how many people watch until the end ;-)
@brucelevy well, if I told you all the need to know stuff right up front, people would watch 30 seconds and bounce. There is a fine line when making content. Perhaps I should have mentioned in the beginning "stay tuned to the end to understand why this is not the IDEAL solution". I'm not a UA-cam creator or content wizard, just a guy making videos to help others. I assume that if people are watching, they will listen to what I have to offer (as if in person), as opposed to just turning around and walking away halfway through my explanation. Gotta work on that part 👍
More gold dust.
Yes, but you're still vulnerable to a HDD failure. So even better than this is to add a 2nd HHD or SSD. Then, move those folders to the new drive. And continue to back up your files to an external drive. I have four drive in my PC. C is an SSD, D is an SSD, E is a HDD and F is a HDD. Plus I have two 4TB external drives for backup.
Agreed. I address this in the video 💪
Seriously, backing up your data on the same drive is a VERY BAD PRACTICE! No legit IT person would recommend this.
Well if you actually watched the video, you'd see that I actually said the same thing. If the drive fails, this won't help you. But if you don't have a solid backup in place already, this WILL save you when Windows crashes. That's the whole point. This is a band aid, and not the ideal solution. But it's better than leaving everything on C and you might not be able to retrieve your data (if you're a novice). Thank you for your comment 👍
@@AskYourComputerGuyburied the lead there. Night have been a good place to start. You're right, I clicked out early for that reason.
I hear you. My explainer videos are mwanto be watched, if one wants the full package of information. Unfortunately, I can't control if someone only watches part of the video before commenting about what I "didn't say". I will work on mentioning WHY someone should watch to the end going forward 👍
The best way is to not use Windows 😊
Probably 😂
I think it would be better if you got straight to the point, because there are some really useless scenes... I stopped watching the video.
He's simply trying to explain all the scenarios. Not everyone is experienced.
Not everyone is tech-savvy, and they need me to walk them through step by step. I get 100x more "please slow down and show me" comments than "hurry up already". Those are usually from people who surprisingly already know computers but watch the channel anyway. My goal is to make everyone as happy and educated as possible. You can always hit the skip forward button if my videos are too slow for you 👍
@@AskYourComputerGuy
I have watched many Tech Channels, and you are doing an excellent job explaining complex concepts in very understandable language and in a very relatable deskside manner.
Honestly, then go get a life. Nobody is forcing you to watch the entire video if you already know this stuff. Scott keep your videos coming. You give clear explanations and I for one like the step by step process you use so I can clearly understand what you are saying and doing.
Ignore keyboard warriors such as this one because they're the type who: (a) will find fault with anything; and (b) consider everybody is at the same tech level they're at so skip steps, which I've found in the past to be important steps to actually ensure the process one is doing or the software one is trying to use actually does work.
So for my 2 cents worth, keep doing what you're doing. From this semi tech savvy person (who has learnt heaps over the years, I greatly appreciate learning new stuff and today's video taught me new stuff. Including how to undertake the process even though I already have installed a 2nd drive into my recently purchased laptop to take all documents, photos, etc. I for one didn't know just how easy it is to have simply changed the drive letter in the properties section. Thanks heaps. Very greatly appreciate your work and highly respect your knowledge, skills and expertise.
I try my best...but as you can see, can't please everyone 🤷♂️