Copying your entire computer to an external hard drive is commonly known as creating a backup or a system image. This process allows you to have a complete copy of your system, including all your files, programs, and settings, that you can use to restore your computer to the exact same state if something goes wrong with your system or if you want to transfer your data to another computer.
To create a backup or system image of your computer on an external hard drive, follow these steps:
1. Connect your external hard drive to your computer and make sure it is recognized by the system.
2. Go to the Control Panel, select the "System and Security" option, and then click "Backup and Restore".
3. From the backup and restore window, select "Create a system image" on the left side of the screen.
4. Choose the location where you want to save the backup, which should be your external hard drive, and then click "Next".
5. Select the drives that you want to include in the backup. By default, the system drive (usually C:) will be selected, but you can also include additional drives if you have them.
6. Confirm the backup settings and click the "Start backup" button. The backup process may take a while, depending on the size of your system and the speed of your external hard drive.
Once the backup process is complete, you will have a complete copy of your system stored on your external hard drive. To restore your system from this backup, you can use the "System Image Recovery" option that is available in the "Advanced startup options" menu of your computer.