What are the different types of backups that can be performed in Windows?

Full Backup: This type of backup takes a complete snapshot of all the data on the system, including the operating system, applications, settings, and files. Incremental Backup: This type of backup only backs up the data that has changed since the last backup. Differential Backup: This type of backup only backs up the data that has changed since the last full backup. Mirror Backup: This type of backup creates an exact copy of the data on the system and stores it in a separate location. System State Backup: This type of backup backs up critical system files such as the Windows Registry, boot files, and system files. File and Folder Backup: This type of backup allows you to select specific files and folders to be backed up.

How can you create a system image backup in Windows?

Open the Control Panel. Click on System and Security. Click on the Backup and Restore (Windows 7) link. Click on Create a system image in the left pane. Select the drives you want to include in the system image and then click Next. Choose where you want to save the system image and then click Next. Review your selections and then click Start backup. When the backup is complete, click the Close button.

What is the purpose of a system repair disc in Windows?

A system repair disc in Windows is used to restore your computer to its factory settings if it becomes corrupted or unbootable. It can also be used to troubleshoot and fix problems with the operating system, such as a missing or corrupt system file.

What is Windows File History, and how does it work?

Windows File History is a feature in Windows 10 that allows users to back up files on their computer to an external drive. It works by automatically saving copies of files that have been changed or added since the last backup. It stores multiple versions of files so that users can go back to an earlier version if needed. It also allows users to restore files that were accidentally deleted or corrupted. The backups are incremental, meaning that only the changes since the last backup are saved, which helps to reduce the amount of space needed for the backups.

Can you use Windows Backup to backup files to a network location?

Yes, you can use Windows Backup to backup files to a network location. To do this, you will need to select the 'Network' option when setting up the backup. You will then need to specify the network location where you would like to store the backup files.

Windows 10 Backup and Recovery: Tips for Protecting Your Data

Author: Vladimir Artiukh
Editor: Oleg Afonin
Updated: 13.11.2024 11:56

Unlock the Power of Windows 10 Backup and Recovery! Worried about losing important data on your Windows 10 system? Fear not! In this comprehensive guide, we dive deep into the backup and recovery options available in Windows 10. From built-in tools to third-party solutions, we cover everything you need to know to keep your files safe and secure.

Windows 10 Backup and Recovery: Tips for Protecting Your Data

Contents

The latest version of Windows also has an option to back up a system image («System image backup»), to reset the computer to default settings, to save files to an online storage, and to create recovery disks that could come in handy in an emergency situation.

Method 1. File History

File History introduced in Windows 8 is there for Windows 10, and it is still one of the recommended recovery tools. That is why File History is accessible from both the new «Settings» app and the conventional Control Panel, while Backup and Restore (Windows 7) can only be found in Control Panel. This feature is more limited because it backs up only files from the user account folders. If you ever need to restore documents that you have kept in other folders, you will have to create these folders in Windows Explorer and add them to libraries, or create new libraries.

After you’ve done that, Windows will be able to create backup copies of such files automatically. This function can be used to recover all files lost anytime, to recover a certain file, or roll back a file to an older version.

Method 2. Backup and restore the operating system

Windows 10 has been given the old function Backup and Restore (Windows 7). By the time of Windows 8 it was considered obsolete and removed from Windows 8.1 but now it’s back. It’s also known as «Windows Backup».

This tool can help you recover any Windows 7 backup on your Windows 10. However, you can also use it for recovery of a Windows 10 computer. Unlike File History, Windows Backup is a lot easier to create a backup copy of almost everything you have on your hard disk.

You can find this tool in Control Panel, in the section Backup and Restore. However, backing up doesn’t give you a 100% protection against losing data.

Method 3. OneDrive

In the conventional meaning of this word, OneDrive is not a true recovery tool but it is fully integrated with Windows at the moment. Files saved to OneDrive are actually saved to your OneDrive account, so you can use these files from any other device you own.

Even if you reinstall Windows or use Windows from another device, all you have to do is to sign in to your Microsoft account and all data saved to OneDrive folder will be available for you.

Method 4. Reset this PC

Instead of relying on System image backup, most people prefer using the feature known as «Reset this PC» to revert their operating system to its original state. Also, it allows you to forget about such things as reinstalling Windows with a bootable disk or USB drive – just tell your Windows to revert the computer to its original state, and it will go back to factory settings.

In Windows 8, you had two options: Refresh your PC and Reset your PC. In Windows 10, only the second option is present.

Open the Settings app, select Update and Security, after that go for Recovery and click on Get started in the section Reset your PC.

When starting the reset process, you are offered a choice: Keep my files or Delete everything.

This is when you have to think very carefully about possible consequences: if you select Delete everything, your programs and settings will be deleted as well as user accounts and – what is most important – all their files.

Of course, this only applies to the disk where your Windows is installed (usually, this is disk C). However, disk C contains all files you keep on the Desktop, as well as Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Videos, and Music folders.

Any files deleted that way cannot be recovered by Windows tools, though specialized data recovery tools could handle this task easily.

One of such tools is Hetman Partition Recovery – a versatile utility widely used by data recovery specialists. It analyzes the hard disk for file signatures and file system elements. When such elements are detected they are added to the list of volumes available for recovery.

Partition Recovery™ 5.0

The tool recovers data from any devices, regardless of the cause of data loss.

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The first and the most important step is to power off your computer and take out the hard disk. You don’t need to run Windows from the same disk that you want to restore files from. On the contrary, this disk should be connected to another PC as a removable drive, and scanned with this data recovery tool.

Step	Description	Actions	Notes
1. Preparation	Preparation for recovery.	Download and install Hetman Partition Recovery. Connect the disk where the data was lost, if it is an external disk or flash drive.	Do not use the disk for new recordings to avoid overwriting lost data.
2. Launch the program	Launch Hetman Partition Recovery.	Open the program. Select the disk or partition from which you want to recover data.	Make sure you select the correct disk.
3. Scanning	Scanning the disk to detect lost data.	Click the button to scan the selected partition. The program will perform a deep scan, searching for lost files.	The process can take from a few minutes to several hours, depending on the size of the disk.
4. Preview files	Preview recovered files.	After the scan is complete, review the found files in the scan results. The program usually displays files that can be recovered in a tree or list view.	Check if the files you need are among the recovered ones.
5. Select files to recover	Select files to recover.	Select the files and folders you need to recover. Right-click on the selected file and choose “Recover”.	Selecting large files may take more time.
6. Recover files	Recover selected files.	Select a location to save the recovered files (preferably on another disk to avoid overwriting). The program will recover the files to the selected location.	Do not recover files to the same disk from which you are recovering data to avoid data loss.
7. Complete the process	Complete the recovery.	Check the recovered files for integrity. If everything is fine, you can use the recovered files.	If some files are not recovered, try performing another deep scan or contact professionals.

Method 5. System image backup

Microsoft removed the system image backup feature in earlier versions of Windows 8.1, but then returned it again following numerous user requests. It is also present in Windows 10.

You can find it inside Backup and Restore (Windows 7) tool. Just click «Create a system image» on the left, or open the File History panel and choose «System Image Backup».

Unlike other features, this function lets you create a complete image of your current system, including the operating system, installed programs, settings and user files. Such backup can be saved to an external hard disk, several DVDs or a network storage. If you ever need to restore your computer, you’ll be able to do it with the previously saved backup.

In real life, though, most people never use it. You can also reset the operating system to defaults using the option Reset this PC, and then reinstall the necessary apps manually. This way, your backups will be smaller and you could configure them to be created regularly.

This method is quite popular, and if you ever need to create a system image, you don’t have to look for third-party tools.

Method 6. Advanced startup options

Advanced startup options in Windows 10 work in the same way as in Windows 8. To access them, open the Settings app, select Update and Security, after that Recovery, choose Advanced startup and hit Restart now. Also, you can do it by clicking «Restart» in the Start menu while holding down the Shift key.

Method 7. Windows recovery drive

You can create a USB recovery disk that will open the way to advanced boot options even if your current installation of Windows 10 is heavily damaged and you can’t access that menu otherwise.

To create it, open Control Panel and select «Recovery». You can see the list of available tools.

To create a recovery disk, click «Create a recovery drive». To access this tool directly, open the Start menu, type RecoveryDrive.exe and press Enter.

Windows 10 no longer has a separate recovery partition, so this tool will not let you remove a recovery partition from the computer. As it is no longer necessary, we’ll just use the free disk space by default.

Windows 10 also includes other troubleshooting options it inherited from previous versions. If you encounter stability issues, you can try system restore feature to make your computer work properly again. People who did not use built-in Windows features to tackle various issues, might find it useful to try out a special program for recovering data deleted from the hard disk.