BackUp

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 22 Jun 2016 1:00 pm

I feel like I need to back up my files to an external hard drive I have. My question, if I export all my files to the hard drive, would I also be sending this "bug", whatever it is that is interfering with my malwarbytes, then when I try to bring them back to a new computer or OS would I contaminate the new ?

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 22 Jun 2016 2:08 pm

That depends on what you mean by "back up my files".

Back up what files?

Your personal files--such as pictures, recordings, videos, recipes, income tax returns, etc?

Your Windows installation specifically?

Both?

Neither?

Only certain personal files?

Dave Potter · Post by **Dave Potter** » 22 Jun 2016 4:55 pm

Well, yes, we all need some form of backup, just in case. It's not a situation where it may happen; we need to be prepared for the time when it DOES happen. Most of us have "been there, done that", and have lost valuable data in the process.

Sanitize your hard drive, using whatever software you trust to do the job, first. Backup your files only when you've verified that it's all clean.

Then, get some imaging software, Acronis, Macrium,...whatever, and image your drive. At that point, you'll have something to fall back on, if SHTF, and you can't rectify whatever else is wrong with your system. It happens.

Wiz Feinberg · Post by **Wiz Feinberg** » 22 Jun 2016 5:56 pm

My current backup routine includes Windows 10 File History (to an external drive), Microsoft OneDrive synchronization (Cloud storage, similar to File History, but files and folders I select) and Acronis True Image backups of various daily use folders, as well as incremental backups of my Windows 10 image. Those images and folder backups are on two different drives. Last but not least, I use Windows 7 Backup, under Windows 10, to save a Windows Image onto an external drive.

In addition, all website files I create and edit are also on their servers, or in the cloud.

I feel like I am missing something more I could be doing. But, I can't imagine what it is.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 23 Jun 2016 2:22 am

With the "bug" (problem) you have with Malwarebytes, that should not interfere with backing up (copying) user files to a backup media.

After that you can do a "clean" install of either your Win 7 or Win 10 and then reinstall Malwarebytes and restore your user data.