Mayayana wrote:
"Ed Cryer" wrote

|
| It's the only way to get back to "ex factory" state.

I understand that. But that can also be done by
making a disk image. I would then clean it up and
install software, before imaging, but if people like
an HP logo on their desktop then that's fine, too.

A disk image is also safer and simpler. If you
leave the restore partition and the separate system
boot partition then if the hard disk dies you've
lost everything. And if you want to put in a
new hard disk you're stuck with Pete's problem:
A convoluted system of unnecessary, interdependent
partitions that have to all be copied as-is.

With disk images there's no risk if the disk dies
and there can be as much backup of the images
as desired.



I've just commissioned a new box of Win10 tricks. And I followed my
usual course.
Find fault with this for me - and give me nightmares.
1. Run it up, set up account, drive it for a while to see how it feels
and handles. Look for any errors and warnings under Event manager;
especially in the Windows System Log.
2. Remove all the crapware. I do this manually, one by one.
3. Take two backups: a) Win Sys Image, b) Macrium C image.
4. Load browser, email prog, plus tons of regulars like Foxit,
Irfanview, Sequoiaview, MS Office .....
5. Repeat 3 above, which will be repeated from now on very regularly.

Notice that I retain the OEM Recovery partition. They never exceed about
17GB. I'm not quite sure (frontal-lobe-consciously, that is) just why.
But I suspect my subconscious does; it's another safety layer to fall
back on, and it gets added to every Macrium image I take thereafter.
BTW, in case you're going to say that that's adding time to the Macrium
backups, let me tell you that the latest one took 23 mins for over 100GB.

Ed