So I just downloaded Bitcoin Core.
But, when I ran the software, it says I have to download the entire 350GB blockchain.
This must be done whether I want to run a full node or a pruned node.
I want to ask: What happens in the event of a hard disk failure or a Windows reinstallation?
Do I have to go through the entire process of re-downloading and re-verifying the entire blockchain every time?
Or is there a way to download a pre-verified blockchain and just continue from whereever it left off?
I imagine that after setting up a full node with 350GB of data, I can just backup all the files.
And then if I reinstall Windows or my HDD fails, I can just restore the backup and then carry on from whichever block it was left off?
But if such a process can be done, then there must exist somewhere where I can downloaded a backed up version of a fully synced Bitcoin node, and then just carry on from there, without having to go through the tedious process of downloading and verifying from genesis myself?