How to Backup and Restore Files in Windows 11
About Windows 11 Backup and Restore
With the release of Windows 11, many users have downloaded and installed it. After upgrading to the new operating system, besides some new features and graphical interface, including centered Start menu, taskbar, rounded corners windows, etc, users are also very interested in the changes of the built-in tool Backup and Restore in Windows 11.
Windows 11 still has the Backup and Restore feature, you can use it to backup your new Windows system or other important files. If there is a problem with your system or file, you can use the backup to restore it.
However, it is worth noting that the entrance to the Backup and Restore in Windows 11 has changed, the original entrance has been removed and replaced by the OneDrive backup feature.
- In Windows 10, you can access the Windows 10 backup software - Backup & Restore from Settings > Update & Security > Backup > Backup and Restore (Windows 7).
- In Windows 11, you can follow 2 paths, that is Control Panel > System and Security > Backup and Restore (Windows 7) or you can go to Settings > System > Storage > Advanced Storage options > Backup options, then scroll down to Looking for an older backup and select Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7).
How to Backup Files with Windows 11 Backup and Restore
If you want to backup your files with Windows 11 Backup and Restore, you can follow the graphic tutorial below.
Step 1. Go to Control Panel > System and Security > Backup and Restore (Windows 7).
Step 2. Select the Set up backup option under the Backup section.
Step 3. If prompted, enter your admin password.
Step 4. Select your Backup Drive and click Next.
Step 5. Select Let Windows Choose option and click Next. It will backup files about users, such as files saved in libraries, on the desktop, and default Windows folders.
✡ Note: You can choose the second option to select libraries and folders and whether to include a system image in the backup. The items you choose will be backed up on a regular schedule.
Step 6. Click Save settings and run backup button.
✡ Note: By default, it will automatically backup files at every Sunday 7:00 PM, but you can change this setting to suit your needs by clicking Change Schedule.
How to Backup Files with Windows 11 File History
Step 1. Connect an external hard drive to your computer first. Next, navigate to System > Storage > Advanced storage settings > Backup Options. Then click Add a drive option under Back up using File History.
Step 2. Click “on” under the“Automatically back up my files”option.
Step 3. Select “More options” to configure how often File History backs up, how long it keeps those backup copies, and which files it backs up.
▶ Back up my files: By default, File History backs up your files every hour, but you can change this setting. You have the different options of doing it from 10 minutes to 24 hours.
▶ Keep my backups: It is set to keep backups forever by default, but you can change this setting to keep them from one month to two years before deleting them.
▶ Back up these folders: You can view the full list of folders in this window and add more folders you want to backup by selecting "Folder". You can also choose a folder here and use the "Delete" button to prevent Windows from backing it up.
Step 4. When you’re done, save and exit. Then click Back up now. Windows 11 will automatically backup your files to the drive when you connect it to your computer.
Windows 11 Backup and Restore Alternative Tool to Backup Files
Backup and Restore, as a popular built-in tool, can basically satisfy users' backup and restore needs. However, it still has some drawbacks, such as it doesn't support differential backup. To avoid these problems, you can choose a more professional and secure alternative tool, such as Qiling Disk Master Standard to help you backup Windows 11. It provides 4 backup solutions including System Backup, Disk Backup, Partition Backup and File Backup, so you can backup anything and restore it easily. It has the following advantages.
- It provides three backup methods, namely incremental backup, differential backup and full backup. Incremental backup can help you save target disk space while keeping your backups up-to-date.
- It supports schedule backup, and you can choose the frequency of daily, weekly or monthly.
- It provides different backup modes (intelligent sector backup or exact backup) and various compression levels (high/normal/low).
- You can write comments to your backups and set up email notifications.
- It supports multiple storage devices, such as USB, HDD, SSD, etc.
- It has good compatibility with operating systems (Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, 11, XP, Vista, etc.)
Now you can follow the steps below to backup your Windows 11.
Step 1. Download Qiling Disk Master Standard, install and launch the software. Select “Backup” > “File Backup”.
Step 2. Click “Files” or “Folders”, then select the files or folders to be backed up.
Step 3. Choose the destination for your backup.
More options you could use:
✾ Options: It allows you to compress or split an image file and enable email notification.
✾ Schedule Backup: It supports setting a backup task to run automatically at fixed intervals, such as daily, weekly, and monthly.
✾ Backup Scheme: It will backup only changed files with incremental or differential backup and delete old backups automatically to save target disk space. And some of these features are available in Qiling Disk Master Professional and higher versions.
Step 4. Click “Proceed” to execute this backup task with Windows 11 backup software.
Now, you have a duplicate copy of the original files. To keep it safer, it's suggested to backup to one more location, such as, backup folders to Qiling Cloud, a cloud with 1TB of free storage, and you have 15 days of free access after registration.
Summary
This article introduces you the difference of Windows 11 backup and restore features as well as how to use the built-in tools Windows 11 “Backup and Restore” or “File History” to backup files. You can choose any of them to help you to backup files.
Besides, you can use a free and professional file backup software - Qiling Disk Master Standard to help you. It can backup anything and restore it easily. What's more, if you need to restore your system to a computer with different hardware, its Universal Restore function in the professional edition can also help you to do it easily.
In addition, it is also a free SSD migration tool so that you can migrate your operating system simply to SSD. You can download Qiling Disk Master to explore more useful functions.
Related Articles
- How to Make a Bootable Backup on Windows 11 (2 Free Ways)
A bootable backup allows you to restore a bootable system image when your computer falls into serious system errors. Scroll down to learn how to make Windows 11 bootable backup easily in 3 free ways. - Best Free Backup Software Windows 11 to Protect PC and Data
You will learn the best Windows 11 free backup software and how to use it for system and data protection. - How to Backup Windows 10 Before Upgrading to Windows 11
It's important to backup Windows 10 before upgrading to Windows 11. If there is a problem after the upgrade, or if you don't like the functions of the new system, you can easily restore to the previous state through a backup. You can learn three ways to backup Windows 10 in this page. - Three Reliable Hard Disk Defragment Software for Windows
You can find three hard disk defragment software for Windows 10, 8, 7 from this article. Including built-in tools in Windows and a third-party software.