Manually backing up your Windows files is a straightforward way to keep a separate copy of important documents, photos, videos and other personal files on an external hard drive or USB drive.
This guide shows you how to locate your Windows user-profile folders, copy the files you want to protect, and paste them onto your external drive.
Before you begin: Connect your external drive and open File Explorer. Check that the drive appears under This PC and has enough free space for the files you plan to copy.
1. Select the files you want to back up
Open your Windows user-profile folder and identify the files and folders you want to save. Common folders include Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Videos and Music.
Select the files or folders you want to copy, right-click your selection, and choose Copy. Avoid moving the originals or choosing Cut.
2. Copy the files to your external drive
Open the external drive in another File Explorer window. Create a folder for your backup if you wish, then right-click inside the destination folder and select Paste. Wait for the copying process to finish before disconnecting the drive.
3. Check that your backup is complete
Before disconnecting the external drive, check that the copying process has finished.
- Open the backup folder on your external drive.
- Confirm that the expected files and folders are present.
- Open a few files to make sure they work correctly.
- Safely eject the external drive when you’re finished.
Keep the external drive disconnected when you are not backing up files. This helps reduce the risk of accidental deletion or damage from malware.
Important: Manually copying files does not create a complete copy of Windows or automatically back up every application, account setting or program. If you need to recover your entire computer, you’ll need a suitable system image or another full recovery method.
Which Windows backup method should you use?
The best backup method depends on what you want to protect.
- Copy files manually: Useful for making a straightforward copy of selected documents, photos, videos and other personal files to an external drive.
- File History: Worth considering if you want Windows to save copies of supported personal files regularly to an external drive.
- Backup and Restore: An older Windows backup tool that may suit particular backup requirements on Windows 10 or 11.
- OneDrive: Useful for storing and synchronising supported files online, so they can be accessed from other devices.
These methods are not interchangeable. Copying files manually does not create a complete Windows recovery image, and synchronising files with OneDrive is not the same as keeping a separate offline backup.
For step-by-step instructions, use the relevant guide linked below.
| Manual copying | How to Manually Back Up Windows to an External Drive |
| File History | How to Use File History to Back Up Windows |
| Backup and Restore | How to Use Backup and Restore in Windows 10 or 11 |
| OneDrive | How to Back Up Windows Files to OneDrive |
If you’re unsure how much space you need, see our guide to choosing the right amount of storage for a backup.
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