Backing up your hard drive is an essential step in safeguarding your important files and data. In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through the process of creating a mirror image of your hard drive using Paragon Hard Disk Manager 12, a free program for non-commercial use.
To begin, you’ll need an external hard drive that is equal to or larger than the used space on your hard drive. First, locate your local disk and right-click to access properties. Take note of the used space on your hard drive, as this will determine the size of the backup.
Once you’ve identified the size of your backup, create a folder on your external hard drive to store the image file. Run Paragon Disk Manager and select “backup and recovery,” followed by “smart backup.” Checkmark the local disk C and select “some research.” Then, select your external hard drive as the destination for your backup.
Next, customize your archive name to something related to your backup, such as “G volume recovery folder.” Click “backup” and wait for the process to complete. Note that this can take a while, depending on the size of your hard drive.
Once the backup is complete, you can restore your hard drive in the event of a disk failure or other issue. To do this, burn the boot ISO included with Paragon Disk Manager onto a disk and change the boot sequence in your BIOS to boot from the disk.
Select “normal mode” and “simple restore wizard.” Browse for the image file you created and select the partition for the restore. This process can take a while, but once it’s complete, your newly installed hard drive will be imaged with the backup file you created previously.
If you need to restore your computer to a previous date due to a virus or other issue, the process is slightly different. Browse for the image file and select the partition for the restore. Note that the drive letters may have changed due to the disk, but you can identify your C drive by its size. Once the restore is complete, your computer will be restored to the date you created the backup.
In conclusion, backing up your hard drive is an easy and essential step in ensuring the safety and security of your important files and data. With the help of Paragon Disk Manager, you can create a mirror image of your hard drive and restore it in the event of a failure or other issue.