Backing up Windows 11

Backing up Windows 11

Why bother?

Over the years, countless people have asked me to revive a Windows laptop or desktop after losing vital data. Asking, “Where’s your backup?” feels cruel when you already know the answer — there isn’t one. macOS users tend to fare better thanks to Apple’s seamless Time Machine feature, but Windows users still get caught out. Surely Windows 11 has reasonable backup tools? I wasn’t certain, but since I’ve been using a Windows 11 laptop for a project, I decided it was time to find out.

TL:DR – Windows 11 includes capable backup options. You won’t think about backups until the exact moment you desperately wish you had one. Do yourself a favour: get an external drive larger than your PC’s internal storage. Connect it, then enable all three backup tools included in Windows 11. That way, you’re protected if your machine fails or your data vanishes.

You’ll need an external drive — I opted for a Samsung T7 Portable SSD, 1 TB. Optionally, add an external USB DVD writer if your system lacks an optical drive, so you can create a bootable System Repair Disc for recovery.

Windows 11, Backup and Restore

Control Panel, System and Security, Backup and Restore (Windows 7)

Search for 'Control Panel' and then choose 'System and Security

Then choose 'Back up and Restore (Windows 7). I don't know why it has Windows 7 in brackets. I guess its an old but still supported tool. Seems a bit counter intuitive but here we are again just below the glitzy surface in Windows all the old things are still here.

Now you can see some back up options. I prefer the term 'backup' but Microsoft has both Back up and Back-up on this screen. 

Choose Create a system image

Select your nice new external drive. Ive partitioned it into two 500GB partitions, both in NTFS on the default settings.

Accept the defaults to to include the System Particion, Windows Recovery and your C: (System) drive. Microsoft use the term backup here after all!

Confirm your backup settings and click 'Start backup'

Let Windows do its work.

Windows 11, Windows is saving the backup

Windows 11, Backing up the EFI System Partition

Windows 11, Backing up (C:)

Windows 11, The backup completed successfully.

Windows 11, Create a system repair disc

Windows 11, Using the system repair disc

Windows 11, System repair disc complete

File History

File History saves copies of your files so you can get them back if they are lost or damaged

Select a drive for File History. I chose the other 500GB partition on my external SSD. Click 'Turn on'

Thats it. You are done!

Scheduled Windows Backup

Windows 11 can automatically backup your system, by default weekly, to an external drive

Now back in Back up and Restore (Windows 7) on Windows 11, choose Set up backup

Temp

Let Windows choose. On reflection this is the best choice as it saves everything you need.

Let Windows choose

Click Save settings and run backup

You can watch your backup run if you wish

And now its set you can be safer in the knowledge that it will run weekly provided your external drive is plugged in. Mines in a dock and so it usually will be fine.

References

See also:

• Back up and restore with Windows Backup Windows backup for Windows 11 backs up the settings you choose across all your Windows 11 devices that you've signed in to with your Microsoft account. Its completely different to Windows 11, Back up and Restore (Windows 7) which this article is about. Seems more confusing than it should be.