How does windows backup work

Below is a screen capture of this process on my PC as I write this article. I told Windows to perform an image backup of my primary drive C: and save that image to another internal drive F:. The whole process takes about an hour. Once Windows has completed the image creation, I can restore that image if my computer begins acting up.

The restore process takes about 40 minutes. Microsoft could do a much better job at explaining the differences between the backup options they offer within Windows As it currently stands, the options within Windows 10 are confusing to many users.

And when users get confused, they tend to leave things alone which is a shame. Because Windows 10 includes some decent tools — they should be much easier to use. These are tools that have been built from the ground up to help you backup your system. They perform the basic backup and imaging process without any drama yet they also include helpful features that make them more valuable than free options.

Dedicated imaging tools give professionals a lot more control over the entire imaging process. They work well not only on desktop PCs, but also workstations and servers. Some work well within virtual environments as well. Scheduling : The best tools give you concise control over when you perform a full image backup and incremental backup.

They also allow you to select how many incremental backups to keep. I take a full backup each week as well as a nightly incremental backup. The best tools make this information easily available and simple to change. Remote Management : Managing the backup for one computer is one thing. A lot of the free tools lack any type of remote management. Incremental Backups : Incremental backups only backup the data that differs from the time you took a full system image or the last incremental.

Some of the more advanced tools will allow you to set a storage limit, and then allow incremental backups to run until you reach that limit. This is very helpful if your storage capacity changes frequently. Need more help? Join the discussion. Was this information helpful? Yes No. Thank you! Any more feedback? The more you tell us the more we can help. Can you help us improve? Resolved my issue. Clear instructions. Easy to follow. No jargon. Pictures helped. Didn't match my screen.

Incorrect instructions. Too technical. Not enough information. Not enough pictures. Any additional feedback? Submit feedback. To save it in a different place, right-click Restore , select Restore to , and then choose a new location.

Find your backups created on previous versions of Windows. If you used Backup and Restore to back up files or create system image backups in previous versions of Windows, your old backup is still available in Windows In the search box on the taskbar, type control panel. Windows 11 Windows 10 More Restore files with File History Connect the external storage device that contains your backup files.

Follow the instructions to restore your files. Restore files with Backup and Restore Connect the external storage device that contains your backup files. In the search box on the taskbar, type Control Panel. Restore your files with File History If you're missing an important file or folder that you've backed up, here's how to get it back: In the search box on the taskbar, type restore files , and then select Restore your files with File History.

Look for the file you need, then use the arrows to see all its versions. Find your backups created on previous versions of Windows If you used Backup and Restore to back up files or create system image backups in previous versions of Windows, your old backup is still available in Windows Need more help? Expand your skills.