How to backup Windows 10 PCs

Windows 10 is a great operating system, but like all software, it’s not perfect. Sometimes things go wrong and the only solution is to reinstall Windows 10 from scratch. But before you do that, it’s a good idea to make a Windows 10 backup. That way, you can restore your computer to its previous state if something goes wrong. In this article we will show you how to backup Windows 10. Why do I need to back up my data? Hard drive failures, ransomware, accidental file deletion – there are many reasons why you may need to restore your computer to an earlier state. Windows 10 allows you to easily create a backup of your data so that you can restore your computer in case of a problem. In this guide, we will walk you through the steps to back up Windows 10 by creating a system image so you can restore your computer to its previous state. Backing up your data is essential to protect your files in the event of a hard drive failure or other disaster. By creating backups on a regular basis, you can rest assured that your data is safe and can be restored should the need arise.

If you are using Windows 10, you have many different methods to create a backup. For example, you can use third-party solutions to back up your entire system or manually copy files to an external drive or upload them to a cloud storage service like OneDrive. However, if you don’t want to use manual methods or third-party tools, you can always create a full backup using the built-in system image backup tool. A system image is another way of saying “full backup”, as it contains a copy of everything on your computer, including installation, settings, apps, and files. Usually, you will find this tool more suitable for restoring your entire system from critical hardware or software problems, such as hard drive failure or when trying to restore an older version of Windows 10. In this guide, we will walk you through the steps to create a full Windows 10 backup with all custom settings, apps, files and installation using the system image tool.

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The system image tool allows you to create a full backup to an external drive or a shared folder on the network. However, it’s best to use a removable disk, which you can then disconnect and store in a different physical location. To create a full Windows 10 backup with the system image tool, follow these steps.

You open Settings. click on Update and security. click on Backup. In the section “Are you looking for a previous backup?” section, click the option Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7). Click on the option Create an image system in the left pane. Select the option On a hard drive. Use the “To hard drive” drop-down menu and select the location to export the Windows backup to. Click the button Avanti. (Optional) Select any additional hard drives to include in the backup. Click the button Avanti. Click the button Start backup. Click the button No. You’ll also get a prompt to create a system repair disc, but since most devices no longer include an optical drive, you can skip it. If you need to restore the machine, you can use USB installation media to access the recovery environment. Click the button Close.

Once the steps are complete, the tool will create an image of the entire system that includes everything on your primary hard drive and any other drives you may have selected. While the backup is in progress, you can continue working on your device as it uses the “Copy” function to back up your files even if the files are open and the apps are running. After the process is complete, you can disconnect and store the external drive in a safe place. If you have valuable data, you may want to consider keeping the backup in a different physical location.

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If you need to replace your hard drive or a hardware failure occurs, you can use one of the backups to restore your device and files. To restore a Windows 10 backup, follow these steps. Connect the drive with the full backup to the device. Connect the Windows 10 USB boot drive to your computer. Start your computer. At the boot USB boot drive prompt, press any key to continue. If the device fails to boot into the Windows Setup Wizard, you will need to enter the Basic Input / Output System (BIOS) or Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) to change the boot order settings. We recommend that you visit the manufacturer’s support website for more specific details. On the “Windows Installation” page, click the button Avanti.

Click on the option Repair your computer in the lower left corner of the screen. Click on the option Resolution some problems. Click on the option System Image Restore. Select the option Windows 10 as the target operating system. On the “Re-image your computer” page, select the option Use the latest available system image. You can use the “Select a system image” option if you have multiple backups and are trying to restore a previous version of your system and files. Click the button Avanti. Select the option carefully Format and repartition disks before restoring the backup (if you are restoring the backup to a new drive). If you choose this option, use the option Exclude disks to prevent formatting of secondary drives that may contain data.

Select the ** Restore system drivers only ** option (if your backup contains a copy of multiple drives and you want to restore the operating system only). Click the button Avanti. Click the button Fine. Click the button Yup. After completing the steps, the recovery process will start on your computer. The time it takes to complete the recovery will depend on the amount of data and the hardware configuration. If you are about to restore a device, do not interrupt the process as it may cause the backup to fail, making the device unbootable. It is always recommended to connect your laptop to a power source and a desktop computer to an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to avoid problems. Once the Windows 10 backup is restored, open Settings > Update and security > Windows Update and click the button Check for updates to quickly install any missing security updates.

Conclusion

While there are many other solutions to create a complete backup of your entire system and files, there are still many reasons to choose the System Image Backup tool. For example, when you don’t have another solution and are about to upgrade to a new version of Windows 10. You can use the built-in tool to create a temporary full backup in case you need to roll back. Or if you’re about to replace your primary hard drive or need a quick way to transfer the installation and files without the need for a reinstall.

It is also always recommended that you back up your computer periodically if unexpected events occur and you need to recover from system or hardware failure, malware, ransomware, or hacker attacks. One thing to keep in mind with this tool is that it is meant to restore the entire system, not the files and settings individually. If you want to have up-to-date copies of your files, you should use other solutions, such as OneDrive or File History. Also, you need to be proactive in creating backups because you can only restore a system from the last backup. Anything after the full backup, such as apps, settings, and files, will not be available during the restore. Backing up your PC is one of the most important things to do to protect your data. Windows 10 makes it easy to back up your files, so there’s no excuse not to.