{"id":63837,"date":"2024-04-28T20:33:58","date_gmt":"2024-04-28T19:33:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/63837\/backup-usb-sticks-create-image-from-usb-stick\/"},"modified":"2024-04-28T20:33:58","modified_gmt":"2024-04-28T19:33:58","slug":"backup-usb-sticks-create-image-from-usb-stick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/63837\/backup-usb-sticks-create-image-from-usb-stick\/","title":{"rendered":"Backup USB sticks, create image from USB stick"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Create and restore a complete image from a USB stick.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>I recently presented how <a href=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/63666\/linux-auf-usb-stick-installieren-portables-linux\/\">Linux can be installed on a USB stick<\/a>. Depending on how the Linux is used, it makes sense to back up the data regularly. USB sticks in particular tend not to be quite as data-secure as hard drives.<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s why I was looking for a way to back up the entire USB stick.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of content<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/63837\/backup-usb-sticks-create-image-from-usb-stick\/#Create_backup_with_%E2%80%9CUSB_Image_Tool%E2%80%9D\" >Create backup with &#8220;USB Image Tool&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/63837\/backup-usb-sticks-create-image-from-usb-stick\/#Create_image_from_USB_stick\" >Create image from USB stick<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/63837\/backup-usb-sticks-create-image-from-usb-stick\/#Deleting_the_stick\" >Deleting the stick<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/63837\/backup-usb-sticks-create-image-from-usb-stick\/#Restore_the_USB_stick\" >Restore the USB stick<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/63837\/backup-usb-sticks-create-image-from-usb-stick\/#Testing_the_USB_stick\" >Testing the USB stick<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/63837\/backup-usb-sticks-create-image-from-usb-stick\/#Backup_and_restore_from_sticks_of_different_sizes\" >Backup and restore from sticks of different sizes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/63837\/backup-usb-sticks-create-image-from-usb-stick\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Create_backup_with_%E2%80%9CUSB_Image_Tool%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>Create backup with &#8220;USB Image Tool&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The free software &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alexpage.de\/usb-image-tool\/\">USB Image Tool<\/a>&#8221; can be used to create and restore complete images of USB sticks. After starting the software, the inserted sticks are displayed. There is also further information about the stick or advanced settings. However, we do not need these in the standard case.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"633\" height=\"574\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-63801\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_1.png 633w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_1-300x272.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 633px) 100vw, 633px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Create_image_from_USB_stick\"><\/span>Create image from USB stick<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>We simply select the stick for the backup and click on Backup. We then specify the storage path.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"633\" height=\"574\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-63805\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_2.png 633w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_2-300x272.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 633px) 100vw, 633px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The backup is now created, which takes some time depending on the size and speed. The size of the image corresponds to that of the USB stick and can therefore be comparatively large, as the &#8220;empty data&#8221; is also copied. It can be helpful to compress the image after it has been created.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"363\" height=\"507\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-63809\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_3.png 363w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_3-215x300.png 215w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 363px) 100vw, 363px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Deleting_the_stick\"><\/span>Deleting the stick<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>For our test, we will now delete the USB stick. Partitions are removed and then we format the stick.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"740\" height=\"146\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-63813\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_4.png 740w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_4-300x59.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Restore_the_USB_stick\"><\/span>Restore the USB stick<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Now let&#8217;s see if the restore is successful. The procedure is the same, we select the image and drive and start the process.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_5.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"633\" height=\"574\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-63817\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_5.png 633w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_5-300x272.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 633px) 100vw, 633px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We have an error on the first attempt. The restore cancels with an error message. In my case, it was better to use the USB port directly on the motherboard than on the front of the case. It works on the second attempt. In general, however, it doesn&#8217;t seem to be a bad idea to let things run their course.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_6.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"373\" height=\"159\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-63821\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_6.png 373w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_6-300x128.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 373px) 100vw, 373px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Testing_the_USB_stick\"><\/span>Testing the USB stick<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The USB stick is created and the data carrier management shows the original partitions again.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_7.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"657\" height=\"132\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-63825\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_7.png 657w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_7-300x60.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 657px) 100vw, 657px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It seems to have worked. The data is back on the stick and the Linux system on the stick can be started again without any problems.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"599\" height=\"385\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-63829\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_8.jpg 599w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_8-300x193.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Backup_and_restore_from_sticks_of_different_sizes\"><\/span>Backup and restore from sticks of different sizes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As the image has a fixed size, the USB stick must be at least the same size for the restore. In our test, we were able to restore a small USB stick to a larger one without any problems. A look at the data carrier management shows that not all of the memory is used afterwards. However, this can be quickly rectified in the data carrier management.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_9.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"532\" height=\"130\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-63833\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_9.png 532w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/usb_image_tool_9-300x73.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 532px) 100vw, 532px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The tool works without any major problems. It is advisable not to access the stick during the operation and also not to have Explorer open. Whether you need the software always depends. For a simple data stick, you can simply copy the files. For USB sticks, such as our Linux stick, the tool backs up the entire system and partitions.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Create and restore a complete image from a USB stick.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13571,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1555],"tags":[3230],"class_list":["post-63837","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-software-en","tag-instructions-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63837","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63837"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63837\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63837"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}