Create a Windows 8.1 Backup Image

Background

A “system image backup” is a backup that can be restored onto a blank hard drive (a.k.a. bare metal). The backup consists of two components

1. The backup itself, usually on an external hard drive.
2. A recover disk, usually on a DVD media.

A system image backup is restored by booting from the recovery DVD with the hard drive attached.

Procedure

• Attach the external hard drive.
• Go to Control Panel → File History
• In the bottom left-hand corner there is a “System Image Backup” link.
• Start the System Image Backup utility using the link.
• Choose the attached hard drive. (It will probably be the default choice.)
• Click “Next” to proceed.
• Click “Start backup” to confirm, and the backup will begin.