In this article we will make a backup with a USB stick, microSD card or other flash media with ImageUSB. You can also read how to restore the backup so that you get the identical content back.
Step 1: ImageUSB
ImageUSB saves the contents of your storage medium in one image file on your computer. You can use the file in the future to recreate the USB stick. Connect the USB stick to your computer (other types of media, such as a micro SD card, can be connected via a card reader). Download ImageUSB. Start ImageUSB with Windows Explorer by double-clicking the imageUSB.exe file and click Refresh drives. Also read: These are the 14 best portable apps.
Step 2: Securing
Select the storage medium that you want to back up and select the option Create image from USB drive. click on Browse and indicate where you want to save the image file, for example on your desktop. Press the button Create to save the image file.
The backup process can take some time. Because an exact copy is made, the image file is just as large as the size of the USB stick (or other storage medium). A stick of 8 GB delivers a backup file of around 8 GB, even if you only have 100 MB of data on it.
Step 3: Restore
Recovering an image file is almost the same. Refresh the list and check the target medium. This medium is completely overwritten by your image file. So check carefully that you have chosen the right medium. Select the option Write image to USB drive and point the image file with Browse. click on Write to write the image file to the stick or other memory card.
If your storage medium is not recognized by ImageUSB, you can USB Image Tool to attempt. This program was previously discussed in Tips & Tricks and works in much the same way. You make the backup with the button Backup and restore the image file with Restore. The format of the image file is technically slightly different, but you hardly notice this in practice.
.