Cloned HDD vs. Complete Backup

[Cheyenne]

If you wish to backup the Windows OS and everything else on your internal
C:\ drive to an external USB 2.0 HDD, will there be a difference between the
Windows OS on the internal and the Windows image on the external? If there
is a difference, please explain, and if there isn't, why can't you boot
directly from the external?

 

[Shenan Stanley]

If you wish to backup the Windows OS and everything else on your
internal C:\ drive to an external USB 2.0 HDD, will there be a
difference between the Windows OS on the internal and the Windows
image on the external? If there is a difference, please explain,
and if there isn't, why can't you boot directly from the external?

Windows XP won't boot from an external hard drive.
How did you plan on backing it up entirely like that other than image/clone?

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

If you wish to backup the Windows OS and everything else on your
internal C:\ drive to an external USB 2.0 HDD, will there be a
difference between the Windows OS on the internal and the Windows
image on the external?

That depends on what software you use and how you make the backup.

If there is a difference, please explain, and
if there isn't, why can't you boot directly from the external?

Because Windows won't boot from an external device.