How can I verify that a backup is valid, on a laptop or all-in-one PC?

How can I verify that a Windows backup is valid, on a laptop or all-in-one PC without disassembling the PC?

A friend bought an Asus All-in-one (AIO) PC running Win10 and I'm setting up a backup system for her. The problem is that it is a major task to disassemble an AIO PC to access the internal HDD. So I want to try verifying that a clone backup can work by installing the cloned HDD in a USB3 docking station and then booting windows from that USB3 docking station.

QUESTIONS:
1. Has anyone ever done this successfully?

2. Win10 in the AIO is currently working with the internal HDD that is on a SATA port. So a cloned drive will be configured identically. Do you think it's possible to install the cloned HDD in a USB3 docking station and boot and run Win10 from it, without disconnecting the internal HDD?

I'm hoping that Win10 is smart enough to reconfigure itself to run from a USB port instead of from a SATA port. Think this will work?

3. Any ideas on how to test a backup on an AIO PC without disassembling the PC, will be very welcome. This dilemma would also apply to laptops.