Operating System

Complete Guide: How to Back Up and Restore Your Files in Windows 8

Windows 8 users may have some problems in Backup and Restoring their files. In this article, we answered your question about how to back up and restore your files in Windows 8 fully. If you have the same question from us.

How Can You Back Up Files on Windows 8?

You can use Wondershare UBackit, which is suitable for Windows 10, 8, 8.1, and 7.  It is a user-friendly juncture, and it has smart backup management. Follow the steps below to back up Windows 8 files with Wondershare UNackit:

  1. Download Wondershare UBackit.
  2. Launch it.
  3. Choose Files or Folders from Windows 8.1 PC.
  4. Select Backup Destination.
  5. Adjust Automatic Backup.
  6. Recall the Backup Process.

Note: Since it has the most colorful backup interface in the backup market, for sure you will like it.

How to Create a Backup on Windows 8 or 8.1?

Before following the instruction below, ensure that you logged in as an Administrator, then follow the instruction below:

  1. Enter Settings.
  2. Enter Control Panel.
  3. Select Save Backup Copies of your Files with File History under System and Security.
  4. You should load the utility software.
  5. Choose a destination for saving your backup.
  6. Select Turn on to start the backup process.

Note: You can save the backup on external disk drive or on network.

You should browse to add the desired location on the network if you save the backup on a network. After that, type the network credentials and select OK. The process of backup will start, and it takes some time, depending on the size of the file.

How to restore a backup in Windows 8 or 8.1 system?

Before following the instruction below, ensure that you logged in as an Administrator, then follow the instruction below:

  1. Select Search or Hold Windows key + C to open the Charm Bar.
  2. Type Restore in the search box.
  3. Select Restore your files with File History from the search result list.
  4. The software should load now.
  5. Search and locate for the backup.
  6. Select the refresh at the bottom of the wizard to restore it.
  7. The process of restoring should begin now and it takes a while based on the size of the backup file.

Delete individual backup files

It is possible to delete individual files created by the following instruction. In this case, Windows 8 is using the Windows 7 File Recovery utility. Just Windows 8 users can use this option, not Windows 8.1 users. Before following the instruction, ensure that you entered as an Administrator, then follow the steps below:

  1. Select Search.
  2. Type Windows 7 File Recovery in the search box.
  3. Select the Windows 7 File Recovery item from the results.
  4. Select Manage Space in the Back up or Restore your File Screen.
  5. You must see the utility wizard.
  6. Select View Backups.
  7. Choose the backup files that you do not want.
  8. Select Delete.
  9. Select Delete again to confirm that you want to delete the backup files.
  10. The deletion process will start.
  11. Select Close after the backup files are deleted.
  12. Select Close again to exit the Manage Windows Backup disk space wizard.

How to Create Disk Backup in Windows 8 and in Windows 8.1?

Check the following solutions to backup disk in Windows 8 and 8.1 because you cannot back up files with Backup and Restore in Windows 8.1.

AOMEI Backupper

One of the best free Windows 8 backup software is AOMEI Backupper Standard. It helps you to create disk backup like full backup, incremental, or differential backup to protect data. It provides a backup destination to save the disk image backup in Windows 8. For example, local disk, external hard drive, USB flash drive, CD/DVD, NAS or network share, etc.

Moreover, you can back up Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 operating systems, files, folders, and also partitions. To use this software, you need to download it in the first place. To backup Windows 8 hard drive, it is highly recommended to back up to an external hard drive in case that hard drive fails.

How to Create Disk Backup to External Hard Drive in Windows 8 or 8.1?

Follow the steps below to create disk backup for Windows 8 or 8.1:

  1. Go to the Windows 8 backup software.
  2. Select Backup > Disk Backup subsequently.
  3. Select + Add Disk to choose the Windows 8 or 8.1 hard disk to backup.

Note: Multiple hard drives must be chosen to backup computer to external hard drive for Windows 8 or 8.1.

  • Choose the external hard drive to save the Windows 8 or 8.1 disk backup image.

Note: Options let you create the sector-by-sector backup, use Volume Shadow Copy (VSS), enable email or SMS notification, comment on, split, compress, and encrypt the Windows 8 or 8.1 backup disk image. On the other hand, the schedule provides 5 modes to make Windows 8 or 8.1 disk backup automatically, like Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Even triggers, and USB plug-in. You can upgrade to AOMEI Backupper Professional or other advanced editions to enjoy these features. Another feature is a scheme that allows you to delete the Windows 8 or 8.1 disk image automatically.

  • Hold Start Backup to make disk backup for Windows 8 or 8.1.
  • You should roughly 30 minutes that the disk backup will finish. You must keep the external hard drive safe.

How to Backup Windows 8 or 8.1 using Operating System?

Operating system will help you to protect Windows 8 or 8.1. Follow the steps below to create system image for Windows 8 or 8.1:

  1. Select Backup.
  2. Choose System Backup.
  3. Choose the external hard drive to save the Windows 8 or 8.1 system image.
  4. Rename the Task Name if it is necessary.
  5. Press Start Backup to backup Windows 8 or 8.1 to external hard drive.

After making a backup, you can use this tool to make a recovery environment to restore the image made by AOMEI Backupper. Moreover, it helps you perform system backup restore or other backup-restore operations without booting Windows.

You can make Windows 8 or 8.1 recovery disk to restore Windows 8 or 8.1 system from restarting if your system denies booting. To do so, select Tools > Make Bootable Media, and then follow the create Windows 8 recovery disk.

How to Restore Windows 8 or 8.1 Disk Image Backup from External Hard Drive?

To do so, you can try the explore image feature by selecting Tools > Explore image, and mount the Windows backup image, then copy and paste to another location to restore individual files. Or follow the steps below to restore Windows 8 or 8.1 whole hard drive:

  1. Connect the external hard drive with your computer.
  2. Run AOMEI Backupper.
  3. Select Home.
  4. Find the Windows 8 or 8.1 disk image backup.
  5. Select Restore.
  6. Choose Task or select Image File to choose Windows 8/8.1 disk backup image to restore.
  7.  
  8. Click the Windows 8 or 8.1 backup point.
  9. Select Next.
  10. Choose Restore the entire disk.
  11. Select Next.
  12. Hit Start Restore to restore Windows 8 or 8.1 disk backup from the external hard drive.

Note: Universal restore lets you restore Windows 8 or 8.1 to another computer, and if you want to operate a system image on several systems at the same time, you can use AOMEI Image Development.

How to Backup Files in Windows 8 or 8.1 using File History?

You can use the Windows built-in backup tool in Windows 8 or 8.1 to backup files. To do so, follow the steps below:

  1. Hold Windows + C to open Windows 8 charm bar.
  2. Input Backup.
  3. Select Settings.
  4. Select Save Backup Copies of your Files with File History.
  5. Select the external hard drive as the destination or hit Select Drive at the left side to choose the target drive. 
  6. Hold Turn on to backup files to external hard drive for Windows 8 or 8.1.

How to Restore Files with File Explorer?

You can restore older versions of file with File Explorer. To do so, follow the steps below:

  1. Right click on the chosen folder.
  2. Choose the option of Restore previous versions after opening File Explorer. You can also do it by clicking on Previous Versions after clicking the Properties option.
  3. You will see an older version of your chosen file in File History.

Note: You can preview them or restore them to a new location on your system.

To see deleted files and previous versions in a specific folder, find the folder in File Explorer. Click the tab Home on the window’s ribbon bar, then, Hit History.

You can find files contained in the folder in a list. Also, the interface is the same as the one that you use for regular file restoration. Moreover, File Explorer allows you to begin from the specific folder to get things done quickly.

How to Restore Files from Backup?

Follow the steps below for file restoration:

  1. Select the Setting app.
  2. Click on Select Backup after choosing Update and Security.
  3. Scroll down to the bottom of Windows and select Restore files from current backup.

Another way is through Control Panel. Follow the steps below:

  1. Select System and Security.
  2. Choose File History.
  3. Select Restore Personal Files.

Note: It is not important whether you are restoring backups to a new computer or a current computer. Choosing the drive with the backup files and setting up File History will allow you to restore files with the Restore Files interface to a new computer.

If you want to see restoring backup files, go through the Files and select the File and Folder you want to restore, then right-click on the files to restore or preview them by selecting the green button after clicking on them.

On the window sides, there are arrow buttons for selecting a time. You can see the information like backup periods. For example, the 2 of 3 you see in the screenshot tells you that the number of backups is three.

How to Enable File History?

File History has been made muchly uncomplicated by Microsoft, which you can enable very quickly. At first, you should connect an external hard drive to your system before you allow it. Then, open the Start Menu and select Settings. After that, enter the Update & Security and then select Backup.

Hit Add a drive under the Backup using File History to add the external drive that File History will use for backing up files.

Also, you can use Control Panel for enabling File History. In this can you should find System & Security in the Control Panel and then select File History.

Select the drive that Windows uses for File History. You can see an option of automatically backing up my files. It will be activated automatically, and it will back up your data to your external drive whenever it is connected to the system.

How to Configure File History?

To configure the files that File History has to backup, select More Options. The default setting for File History is to backup files on an hourly basis. A different schedule can be selected. Thus, the available options include after every 10, 15, 20, and 30 minutes to every 1, 3, 6, 12, 24 hours.

File History usage is to store backups. But, you can delete them after 1, 3, 6, and 9 months or every 1 to 2 years. For making space empty on the backup drive, you can program File History to delete older backups automatically.

The default destination for backing up folders like Videos, Pictures, Music, Documents, Downloads, and Desktop in File History is the home folder of the user’s account. You can find the folder recording application data and OneDrive folder in this list.

You can see the full folder list in this window. Select Add a Folder to backup folders. You can also remove folders from the list by selecting the folder and hitting Remove.

Note: Putting the extra folders for backup in Windows 8 needs their addition to a library instead of adding them with File History.

You can see a part named Exclude these folders that allow you to the exclusion of specific subfolders from the backup list. You can find this option on the File History on the left side of the window. You can also choose Stop Using Drive for selecting another drive with another backup purpose. The backups remain intact; however, Windows cannot back up two drives at the same time.

Another way that File History can be configured with the different interface is through Control Panel. You can click on the link See Advanced Setting to access it. By selecting Advanced Settings, you can find options like deleting older file versions, letting other home group PCs back up to the external drive, and an Event Viewer.

Conclusion

In conclusion, you can find some ways to back up and restore files in Windows 8. We presented some ways to help you back up and restore files. Do you know any other way to back up and restore your files in Windows 8? Share your ideas with us.

Reyhane A

Reyhane is an author and technology enthusiast who has a passion for writing about Windows tips and tricks. Born and raised in Tehran, Iran, Reyhane always had an interest in technology, which led her to pursue a degree in computer engineering from the University of Tehran. After completing her studies, Reyhane began working as a software engineer, where she gained a wealth of experience and knowledge in the field of technology. She soon discovered her love for writing, and began sharing her knowledge with others through her blog. Reyhane's blog quickly gained popularity, and she became known as an expert in the field of Windows tips and tricks. Her articles are known for being clear, concise, and easy to understand, making them accessible to everyone, regardless of their level of technical expertise. Today, Reyhane continues to share her knowledge with the world through her blog and YouTube channel, where she provides tips and tricks for Windows users to help them optimize their computer's performance and get the most out of their technology. In addition to her passion for technology, Reyhane enjoys traveling, photography, and spending time with her family and friends. She is also an avid reader and is always on the lookout for new books to add to her collection. Reyhane's dedication to her work and her love for technology have made her a respected figure in the industry, and she continues to inspire and educate others through her writing and online content.

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