Use Backup and Restore in Windows 10 or 11
Windows includes a legacy tool called Backup and Restore (Windows 7) that may still be available in Windows 10 and Windows 11. It can be used to back up selected files to an external hard drive or USB drive.
This guide explains how to open the tool, choose a backup drive and configure a file backup. The available options may vary depending on your Windows version and configuration.
Before you begin: Connect your external hard drive or USB drive and make sure it has enough free space for the files you want to back up.
In the Windows search box, type Backup and Restore (Windows 7) and open the matching Control Panel result. If it doesn’t appear, open Control Panel and look for Backup and Restore (Windows 7).
Start and check your backup
Review your backup settings, then select Save settings and run backup (or the equivalent option shown in your version of Windows). Wait for the backup to finish, and check the status to confirm that it completed successfully.
Schedule future backups
If the scheduling option is available, choose how often Windows should run the backup, such as daily, weekly or monthly. Keep the external drive available when the scheduled backup is due. The available scheduling options may vary by Windows version and configuration.
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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