Helios 700 - Factory Backup to USB GONE?

ChevyCam94

On my Helios 500, in Acer Care Center, there is an option to back up to recovery media, and I can use a 16GB USB 3.0 flash drive.  It works to reinstall the system as if it were factory new (not a bit-for-bit disc image).

But on the Helios 700, that seems to be gone, and takes me to Windows settings, where I can only use an external hard drive, or network location.  So I'm assuming it wants to do ONLY a bit-for-bit disk image instead now.  Which would mean I now need to find a 1TB external hard drive in order to do a system image backup.

Problem with that being that it doesn't actually restore the system back to factory, it ONLY restores it to the exact state it was when you made the backup, programs, files, corruption, everything.

Am I missing something here?

andylb

You don’t need to use any of these methods immediately press Alt + f10 at start up, click Troubleshoot then Refresh, this will give you a fresh clean uncorrupted copy of Windows with none of your downloaded programs, if you select Keep My Files it is the same but your personal files will be kept 

Please click YES if I have answered your question 

JordanB

1. Always keep your important personal files backed up (most of my files go straight to the cloud—-google drive,OneDrive). 
2.  Create a USB recovery drive and then put it in an envelope and label it...and then put it in a safe place.  

3. Also create a system image backup in addition to steps 1 and 2. 

A system image backup isn’t a substitute for steps 1 and 2.  The last time I tried to restore a system image backup, it failed.  It was time consuming (and a pain) to reinstall programs and games, but no huge deal since I followed steps 1 and 2.  And likewise, if your USB recovery drive failed, you would have a system image backup. 

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4026852/windows-create-a-recovery-drive


https://uk.answers.acer.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/38145/~/windows-10%3A-create-a-usb-recovery-drive-using-acer-care-center#_ga=2.23754170.1275833709.1578354116-747133551.1578354116

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10/how-to-create-a-system-image-in-windows-10/84fa6683-e3ac-4e93-9139-368af9267869

https://www.pcworld.com/article/3011736/how-to-create-an-image-backup-in-windows-10-and-restore-it-if-need-be.html

JordanB

@ChevyCam94

I just re-read your post.  It’s possible that Acer changed the way they do things with Acer Care Center.  It’s possible that they are now creating a system image backup instead of a USB recovery drive with Acer Care Center.     But that would be news to me.  If you mail me your Helios 700, I will confirm.

JordanB

ChevyCam94 said:

On my Helios 500, in Acer Care Center, there is an option to back up to recovery media, and I can use a 16GB USB 3.0 flash drive.  It works to reinstall the system as if it were factory new (not a bit-for-bit disc image).

But on the Helios 700, that seems to be gone, and takes me to Windows settings, where I can only use an external hard drive, or network location.  So I'm assuming it wants to do ONLY a bit-for-bit disk image instead now.  Which would mean I now need to find a 1TB external hard drive in order to do a system image backup.

Problem with that being that it doesn't actually restore the system back to factory, it ONLY restores it to the exact state it was when you made the backup, programs, files, corruption, everything.

Am I missing something here?

I think the general idea behind backups is that you do them before you have corruption or failure.  If you wait until after you have corruption, failure, or mishap or wonky driver...it kinda defeats the purpose of doing a backup.  I’ve been reading this forum long enough to know that Alt+F10 won’t always save you.  

The Acer care center method of your Helios 500 didn’t really do a factory backup either.....unless you created your usb recovery drive immediately after taking it out of the box.   For example, if your Helios 500 came pre-installed with 1709, and you’re now running 1909, if you were to now (today) create a USB recovery drive on your Helios 500, it wouldn’t use 1709.  It would create the usb recovery drive with windows 10 1909. 

So again, I think the whole concept of having a backup is to create the backup before you have problems. (Profound statement —-I know).  

I’ve generally had good luck with system image backups....except for that one time.  But still, I would have both.  A system image backup and a USB recovery drive.....and also important files backed up of course. 

xapim

ChevyCam94 Yup definitely as everyone above said what everyone should do the day they get it its to create a stock recovery usb drive for safe keeping (on the H700 something wither changed or any update changed it) but technically care center should work the same way as usual its a bit odd have you tried ALF+F10 that should take you to the acer stock recovery to perform a clean install if ALT+F10 wont do anything that means your recovery partition its damaged/corrupted and the only way to clean install its via media creation tool or rufus by downloading the windows iso version you want and burn it to a usb drive

JordanB

@ChevyCam94

i looked at the Helios 700 user manual on Acer’s website.  It shows the same as always.  It doesn’t indicate that Acer is using any new method.  Same method for creating a USB recovery drive. 

https://www.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/drivers