How to Back Up Important Windows Files

Step by step

1. 1 min

   Enable File History

   Connect your external drive to the PC. Navigate to Settings > System > Storage > Advanced storage settings > File History and select Turn on to begin backing up your user profile folders automatically.

   Note: Ensure your external drive has sufficient capacity to store multiple versions of your files.
2. 1 min

   Define backup folders

   Open the File History Control Panel applet. Click Select drive to designate your external storage, then use the Include folders option to add specific directories that contain critical data beyond the default libraries.

3. 30 sec

   Run the initial backup

   Return to the main File History window and click the Run now button. Wait for the status bar to confirm that the file copy process has completed successfully.

   Note: The first backup will take significantly longer than subsequent incremental updates.
4. 2 min

   Sync files to OneDrive

   Open File Explorer and locate the OneDrive folder in the left sidebar. Move or copy your most sensitive working files into this folder to ensure they are synchronized to your Microsoft cloud account in real-time.

   Note: Look for the green checkmark icon on files to confirm successful upload to the cloud.
5. 1 min

   Test file recovery

   Within the File History window, click Restore personal files. Browse the directory tree to verify that your data appears correctly and attempt to restore a single dummy file to ensure the integrity of the backup.

   Note: Always perform a restoration test before assuming your backup strategy is foolproof.