Backup won't instigate

[Joseph221]

Hi,

I recently bought an HP Pavilion laptop with Windows10. It’s going well but I’d like to get the backup running for documents and pictures and wonder if you can help.

I tried to do it via the optical device on the laptop with a DVD+RW disc. After inserting the disc I followed the instructions in Backup and Restore (Windows 7) and got as far as “Add a Drive” before being balked. It only offered me the data drive (d) and recovery drive (e), even though This PC is also showing DVD RW drive (f).

How can I get it to offer me the external DVD drive? Advice appreciated.

[mdklassen · Accepted solution]

The "backup" program you have launched needs to write to a "random-access" device, such as a USB memory-stick or an external disk-drive.  Obviously, the program is not capable of "collecting" files & folders, and then to "burn" an image.

Can you convince the program to write its "backup" to a folder on your "data" disk-drive, and then burn the whole folder to  blank CD/DVD media?

[Joseph221]

Many thanks for the clear explanation. The memory stick solution sounds best. I'll go for that. Thanks again. You managed in a sentence to explain the problem. A  similar query on a microsoft forum took several replies of incomprehensible gobbledygook to miss the point entirely!  Much appreciated.