Windows 11: How to back up your PC quickly and easily
Data safety has come a long way. From somewhat unreliable hard disks to today’s mix of reliable SSDs and cloud-backed storage options, your data is safer than ever. Windows has become more reliable over the years as well, but if you want to be entirely sure that your data is safe, making a backup is the way to go.
Windows 11 has Backup and Restore functionality built right in. While it’s not as easy asbacking up your Android phone, it’s still quite easy to use and works well enough not to require a third-party app. Here’s how to back up Windows 11 and restore it when needed.
How to back up Windows 11
The Backup and Restore tool in Windows 11 is tucked away in the Control Panel. If you’re familiar with Windows because you’ve used the earlier operating system versions, then you’ll find this tool even easier to use. You’ll need an external drive to save the backup. Follow the steps below to back up Windows 11.
These steps are for Windows 11, but the Backup and Restore tool has been in Windows since Windows 7. As such, you can follow these steps for Windows 7 and above.
How to restore a Windows 11 backup
Windows 11’s native backup tool will only let you restore the backup when reinstalling the operating system. This is because the tool makes a complete image of your system and restores it exactly as-is. As such, you will need to boot into a Windows 11 bootable drive, with either a bootable USB or a DVD, and make sure your external drive with the backup is connected to your PC.
This is usually done by pressing a key or combination of keys right after you press the power button to start your PC. Check your laptop or PC motherboard manufacturer’s website for the boot menu key specific to your computer. Once you’ve booted into the Windows 11 installer, you can follow the steps below to restore the backup.
Using third-party backup tools and external storage with Windows 11
While Windows 11 has a solid backup functionality built-in, some users may want additional features. For those users, plenty of third-party back-ups and restore apps are available. Additionally, if you have a lot of data, you might want to build network-attached storage with some of thebest NAS drivesavailable. you may deploy dedicated backup and data protection if you have a NAS, and it’s a great way to keep your data safe from any Windows 11 failures.
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