Solved! I'm having some trouble understanding the difference

[nbartolo7]

between creating a USB recovery drive using the "create a recovery drive" option built in Windows 10, and using File History.

A Microsoft technical support member explained it this way, but it's basically Chinese to me : "File history will have all the backup for all the previous edits you have done on the file. USB drive recovery drive option will backup what was saved at that time."

What I think I got from the rest of the chat was that file history as its name suggests only backs up files and folders. While recovery drive backs up everything. Something like that. So, in the event of a really bad crash, recovery drive is much more useful than file history? So what is file history good for then?

And how can a USB key recovery drive be enough to do a system backup?

 

[rgd1101]

file history for data like word or excel.

 

[AlHuneke]

No. You need a backup drive and backup software. A recovery USB is just for reinstalling Windows. It won't have your data or programs. File history just keep old versions of data files.

MS has been crappy about providing a good backup solution. I am using the version they had on Windows 7. If you type "backup" in windows search and look for Windows 7 backup, that is usable but a little tricky to understand. Look for reviews of commercial backup products and get one of those.

 

[nbartolo7]

A recovery USB is just for reinstalling Windows.

You mean like going to Microsoft's official website and downloading the windows creation media tool?

 

[AlHuneke]

Kind of like that. I assume the recovery disk saves other information about your system like settings and user accounts. I've never actually had to do a recovery so I'm not sure! I do know that user programs and data are not saved on a recovery media.