Auto Backup Simplified: How to Backup Your PC on Windows 10
In Windows 10, there is a tool that automatically backs up your files and device.
In this article, we want to explain How to backup your PC automatically on Windows 10.
Creating frequent backups is one of the best strategies to protect custom configurations, documents, videos, pictures, and Windows 10 files against software problems, hackers, hardware failure, and malware (such as ransomware and viruses) attacks.
Although there are many tools that you can use to back up your files and device, Windows 10 also offers support and recovery, which you can use to automatically backup your files and device at certain times.
A full backup using this tool means that Windows 10 will make a copy of everything on your computers such as settings, and apps, including installation files and all your files stored in the primary drive, as well as those files stored in different locations.
When your device suddenly stops working, a significant error prevents the device from starting correctly, or your system files may be damaged.
Here you can use the backup and restore feature to restore the entire system files if needed.
In this Windows 10 guide, we will introduce you to the steps of setting up a complete backup of your device automatically.
1. How to configure automatic backups on Windows 10
2. How to manage backup settings on Windows 10
3. How to restore backup on Windows 10
1.How to configure automatic backups on Windows 10
To configure automatic backups on Windows 10, use these steps:
Note: Restore and, Backup is no longer a maintained feature on Windows 10. You can still use them, but they might stop working in the future. Also, Microsoft may decide to completely clear this tool in future versions as a deprecated feature.
1. Go to Settings.
2. Select Update & Security.
3. Select Backup.
4. Under the Looking for an older backup section, select the Go to Backup and Restore option.
5. Under the Backup section, select the Set up backup option on the right.
6. Click on the removable drive to store the automatic backups.
7. Select the Next button.
8. Under the What do you want to backup? section, click the Let me choose option.
Note: You can click the Let Windows choose the option, but if you want to make sure that everything you want is getting backed up, the Let me choose is the option that you want to click.
9. Select the Next button.
10. Under the Data Files section, check all the items as necessary.
11. Under the Computer section, check the Local Disk C. (If you have multiple drives, they will also appear in this list.)
12. Check the Include a system of drives: System Reserved, C option.
13. Select the Next button.
14. Select the Change schedule option.
15. Check the Run backup on a schedule option.
16. Specify the frequency, date, and time when Windows 10 should backup your computer.
Note: If you’re working with essential data, such as work files, you should consider backing up using the Daily option.
17. Select the OK button.
18. Select the Save settings and exit button.
After completing the steps, an initial backup copy will be taken, from your device, and then backups will be performed according to the schedule you set.
During the process, you can select an option to interrupt the process (if necessary) and the View details button to see more information about the files being copied.
After the backup is complete, in the Backup section, drive location as well as the date you’ll be able to view the current size of the backup and the time of the next and previous backup.
2.How to manage backup settings on Windows 10
After configuring the automatic backup feature on Windows 10, you can change the schedule to a different date and time and manage many of the settings to prevent running out of space in the backup drive.
Freeing up backup space
To free up space on the backup drive, use these steps:
1. Go to Settings.
2. Select Update & Security.
3. Select Backup.
4. Under the Looking for an older backup section, select the Go to Backup and Restore option.
5. Under the Backup section, select the Manage space option.
6. Under the Data file backup section, select the View Backups button.
7. Click on oldest backup.
8. Select the Delete button.
9. Repeat steps No. 7 and 8 to delete additional backups as necessary.
10. Select the Close button.
11. Under the System image section, select the Change settings button.
12. Click the Keep only the latest system image and minimize space used by backup option.
13. Select the OK button.
14. Select the Delete button.
15. Select the Close button.
After completing the steps, the external drive should have more space to allocate for future backups.
If you have a lot of data in your system that needs to be protected and your backup drive doesn’t have enough space, you should get greater external storage so you can use it to back up your files in the system.
Changing backup schedule
To set a different schedule to run backups automatically on Windows 10, use these steps:
1. Go to Settings.
2. Select Update & Security.
3. Select Backup.
4. Under the Looking for an older backup section, select the Go to Backup and Restore option.
5. Under the Schedule section, select the Change settings link.
6. Continue with the on-screen directions (without changing the settings) until you arrive in the Review your backup settings page.
7. Select the Change schedule option.
8. Specify a new schedule for the backup.
9. Select the OK button.
10. Select the Save settings and exit button.
After completing the above-mentioned steps, the backup will run automatically during the new schedule you specified.
Creating restore media
When it comes time to restore your computer from backup, you need bootable media.
If you don’t have a disk drive, we suggest you use the Media Creation Tool to create bootable USB media, and you can also use this tool to access the recovery environment when your computer won’t boot.
If you don’t have a disk drive yet, you can insert a writable disk and do the following steps:
1. Go to Settings.
2. Select Update & Security.
3. Select Backup.
4. Under the Looking for an older backup section, select the Go to Backup and Restore option.
5. Select the Create a system repair disc option from the left pane.
6. Select the Create disc button.
After you complete the steps, you can use the USB bootable media or disc to start your computer in the advanced startup mode to recover your files.
3.How to restore backup on Windows 10
When something unexpected happens, you can use the backup and restore feature to restore your system files and data.
Restoring files using full backup
To restore one or multiple files, use these steps:
1. Go to Settings.
2. Select Update & Security.
3. Select Backup.
4. Under the Looking for an older backup section, select the Go to Backup and Restore option.
5. Under the Restore section, select the Restore my files button.
6. Select the Browse for files button.
7. Click on the files that you want to restore.
8. Select the Add files button.
9. Select the Browse for folders button.
10. Click on the folders that you want to restore.
11. (Optional) if you don’t know the location of the file, use the Search button to find it.
12. Select the Next button.
13. Click the In the following location option (recommended).
14. Select the Browse button.
15. Click the restore location.
16. Select the OK button.
17. Select the Restore button.
18. Select the Finish button.
After completing the steps, you can access the folders and files from the location you specified during the recovery process.
Restoring computer using full backup
If you want to replace your computer’s hard disk or your computer won’t boot, you can restore your computer using the latest backup.
To perform a system restore using a backup, use these steps:
1. Start the device with a bootable media drive.
2. On Windows Setup, select the Next button.
3. Select the Repair your computer link at the bottom-left corner.
4. Select the Troubleshoot option.
Note: If you need to restore your device from backup, and you still have access to the desktop, you can access the Advanced startup settings from Settings > Update & Security > Recovery, and selecting the Restart now button from the Advanced startup section.
5. Select the System Image Recovery option.
6. Click the Windows 10 option as the target.
7. Click the Use the latest available system image option.
8. Select the Next button.
9. Click the Format and repartition disks option if you’re restoring a full backup to your computer or replacing the hard drive.
Note: If you have multiple drives with data that you don’t want to erase, make sure to select the Exclude disks button to change the settings to prevent the process from wiping out those drives.
10. Select the Next button.
11. Select the Finish button.
12. Select the Yes button.
After completing the steps, the computer starts the recovery process and starts to recover from the last supported version that you have already taken.
Recovery time depends on hardware and data configuration.
If you are one of those people who do not regularly work with files and do not regularly backup daily.
We recommend you to complete the backup with another type of backup file.
For example, you can use a tool called One Drive. This tool allows you to keep an up-to-date copy of all personal files in your system in the cloud.
Last word
In this article, it was said how to backup your files in Windows 10 by following a few steps and stop worrying about losing your data.
What other solution do you know for backup in Windows 10?
