backup

Infopackets Reader Sarah H. writes: " Dear Dennis, A few days ago, my PC got stuck updating Windows 10 (for over 30 minutes), so I pulled the power cord out. After that, Windows wouldn't boot to the desktop. It would give me blue screen of death ... (BSOD), then reboot, then BSOD, ad infinitum. I knew it was stuck in a reboot loop, so I decided to install Windows 10 again. During the Windows 10 setup, it asks me to select where to install Windows. I selected the C drive, but I get an error message that says: ' Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk is of the GPT partition ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Gros C. writes: " Dear Dennis, By mistake I installed both Windows 10 64 bit and Windows 32 bit on my machine. Both installations reside on separate partitions. I want to keep the Windows 10 64 bit, but the problem is that I don't ... know how to safely remove the Windows 10 32 bit from my machine. Can you give me a bit of advice on how to remote Windows 10 32 bit? " My response: This can be very, very tricky, as how to remove Windows 10 32 bit (or even the 64 bit version) on a separate partition depends on which installation of Windows contains the master boot record. For ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Gene R. writes: " Dear Dennis, I installed Windows 10 when it first became available as a free upgrade, back in August 2015. However, since then my PC has been acting very erratic - as such, I have decided I would like to reset ... it. My question is: if I reset Windows 10 what happens? As far as I recall there is a hard drive partition on my system for resetting the PC - will I still get Windows 10 or will I get Windows 7? What does system restore do? " My response: This is a very frequently asked question, though your question in particular deal with three completely separate ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Bryan B. writes: " Dear Dennis, I've read on a few websites that Windows 10 Anniversary Update was released on August 2nd (2016), yet when I check for Windows Updates on my machine, it says I'm up to date. I've also tried to ... upgrade to the Windows 10 Anniversary Update by downloading 'Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems (KB3176929)' from the Windows Update catalog site, but the Windows Update Standalone Installer simply tells me that 'This update is not applicable to your computer.' How can I get the Windows 10 Anniversary Update to install ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Guy P. writes: " Dear Dennis, A few days ago I turned my PC on and instead of booting into Windows, it went directly into Windows Startup Repair. It scanned the drive but then reported that 'Startup Repair cannot repair this ... computer automatically'. I restarted the system and tried to boot Windows normally, but again it went into the Startup Repair, and with the same results. I backed up my system previously from within Windows but there was no way for me to restore the backup (since the backup program runs inside of Windows). Long story short, I decided to format my hard ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Kamala E. writes: " Dear Dennis, I installed Macrium Reflect on my system recently, and have my C drive backup set for 3 AM in the morning during the week. The problem is that when I turn my computer on at 9 AM, the backup starts ... and takes quite a while for it to finish. In the mean time, I can't use my computer because it's too slow - the backup is eating all my resources. Why won't Macrium Reflect wake my laptop from sleep to perform the backup? How can I make my backup run at the time I specified? " My response: By default, Macrium Reflect should wake a computer from ... (view more)

Microsoft has reclassified Windows 10 as a "recommended update" for Windows 7 and 8.1. That means it will automatically download and attempt to install for many, and likely even most, users. It will be possible to stop the installation or to undo it ... without any major hassles (with some restrictions). That said, the download could be a problem for people on restrictive broadband plans. Late last year Microsoft classified Windows 10 as an optional update . That meant users could manually choose to download and install it through the Windows Update system that's normally used for ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Gail N. writes: " Dear Dennis, I have two HP laptops: one that came with Windows 7 and the other with Windows 8. I have already upgraded both laptops to Windows 10 using the 'get Windows 10 app' via the desktop. My question is: ... what happens if Windows 10 fails and I need to factory restore my laptop? Will I get back Windows 10 or will it reload the original operating system (Windows 7 or 8)? I ask because both my HP laptops have a 'factory restore' partition which I can access by pressing F11 on my keyboard during bootup. Also, is there any way to fix my laptop without ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Gail C. writes: " Dear Dennis, I have Windows 7 and am trying to use Windows Update to update my system, but I keep receiving the Windows Update error 80070490. I have not been able to download updates for over 3 months now. I ... would really like to upgrade to Windows 10, but I can't because my Windows Update isn't up to date, thus preventing Windows 10 from downloading. Every time I run the Windows Update, it starts to download something, then fails at the same spot with error code 80070490. It is driving me crazy. Can you help? " My Response: Windows Update error 80070490 ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader 'Tom' writes: " Dear Dennis, I recently upgraded my computer from Windows 8.1 32-bit to Windows 10 32-bit. This past weekend I purchased Windows 10 64-bit because I want to upgrade from Windows 10 32-bit. For the upgrade, I ... understand I will have to do a complete reinstall. That said, each time I put the Windows 10 DVD in my system and I run the setup.exe (via my desktop), it says 'This app can't run on your PC'. How do I perform the upgrade to Windows 10 64-bit? " My response: Before I answer the question, there are a few things I need to get ... (view more)