To do what you want you need to Clone the disk. But the disk you are backing up to, (cloning to), must be the same size or larger than the disk you are backing up, (cloning), from.
Apart from that, I agree it is all very difficult, but what I do is make sure I have a plan for recovering from problems, eg how do I reinstall the OS if I need to? DO I have the right tools to reinstall?
I also, in any case, backup/copy all my personal files, documents, photos, music and videos 3 times. That is 3 separate backups of each of those files on separate media. That way if any of my backups fail or if i lose the originals, I still have other backups to rely on.
Mark
I'm trying to figure out what kind of backup I should have for my computer, and it's all quite confusing to me. I want a complete backup (including all software; EVERYthing on the computer) in the event of catastrophic loss (theft, fire), and also in case of computer failure. (I have EaseUs Todo Backup software, and an external hard drive). So, do I want a system backup or a disk clone? Both? And what, exactly, is the difference? From the little I've found online, they sound very similar. I appreciate any help!

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