The Drive Is Not A Valid Backup Location

[Old_Geezer]

To try to avoid a disaster before I go further on my attempt to reset Windows I tried to back up the system drive to a very large USB drive, which I have just bough and formatted to NTFS. I got the issue in the title above.

How does one get it to work and not reject the drive, that it is presently trying to make a total waste of my good money ?

Thanks.

[Lie-in King]

You could try the method shown in the link below at

"2] Create a sub-folder in the USB drive and back up the image there"

https://tinyurl.com/9mweuz9c

[ToraToraTora]

copy the personal files to a USB stick then get windows to reinstall itself, there is an option to retain user files anyway but it can't hurt to save them anyway. You don;t want/need to copy all the system stuff too.
https://uk.pcmag.com/windows-xp-2/118555/how-to-factory-reset-windows-10?p=1

[Old_Geezer]

Thanks for the replies but I've issues with both.

A glance at the subfolder thing shows that it requires a right click on a directory for access to properties. The main reason this reset is required is that the right click in the file explorer results in a permanent circle animation and a need to use task manager to close it down.

Maybe I can try to create the subfolder on the laptop first. I'll check that out.

Regarding saving just personal files, I'm never convinced everything is in expected places. For example it's not unknown for stuff to go on the worktop, and there are plenty of other places where things might be. I really don't trust a partial back-up.

I'll update when I've investigated further.

[Buenchico]

That's sensible advice from TTT. (Ruddy 'eck! I'm agreeing with TTT! That doesn't happen very often!)
;-)

However a bit of googling finds quite a few posts from people who've received that error message when using the back-up option built into Windows 10 but who've found that it doesn't appear when using third party software. So it might be worth giving the free version of EaseUS Todo Backup a go. (It's frequently recommended in the technical press and on trustworthy review sites):
https://www.easeus.com/backup-software/tb-free.html

[JimF]

Before you do anything, though, read this:
https://www.ubackup.com/windows-10/refresh-windows-10-without-losing-programs-4348.html

You may find that all of your data files are preserved but that you'll lose the software to run them. E.g. if you use Microsoft Office, you should still have all your Word documents and Excel workbooks, etc, but you will no longer have Microsoft Office installed so won't be able to open the files.

Do you have all the application software you require available in a format where you can reinstall it all?

[ToraToraTora]

OG: "Regarding saving just personal files, I'm never convinced everything is in expected places. For example it's not unknown for stuff to go on the worktop, and there are plenty of other places where things might be. I really don't trust a partial back-up. " - the desktop is just a folder too if you are worried drag anything off that into your my docs folder first. Or if you are really worried clone the disk using macrium, to a usb connected equivalent drive. Then re install windows as above.

[Old_Geezer]

Not so good. I created the directory on the laptop. Tried to share it with "Everyone", since I could not guarantee usernames to be simular on different devices. Went back to the PC, but there seems no way to select a particular directory. "On a hard disk" just shows the drives and rejects the flash drive. "DVDs" can't be right. And "network location" just stuck there not really coming up with anything save a warning.

I may need advice on 3rd party free back-up progs.

[Old_Geezer]

Ah I see more posts. Will come back to this later. Probably tomorrow if time allows. Cheers.