How to take a backup from my computer
How to back up or transfer your data on a Windows-based computer
Losing data because of a computer problem or a hard disk crash is discouraging, to say the least. You might lose family photos, your music collection, or financial data. And, after you get the computer just the way that you want it, it can take a long time to reconfigure your personal settings on a new computer: desktop background, sounds, screensavers, and wireless network configurations to name just a few
However, a little prevention can go a long way to avoiding this ordeal. To help save you lots of time and aggravation, we recommend that you take the precaution of regularly backing up your data and settings.
This article describes how to manually back up your personal files and settings in Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP. It also describes how to use the data tools in Windows to back up your files and settings.
Method 1: Manually back up your files and settings to removable media
The simplest method is to manually back up your files and settings to removable media. You can specify the files and settings that you want to back up and how often you want to perform a backup.
Note Examples of removable media include external hard disks, DVDs, CDs, and USB memory cards.
To manually copy your files to a network location or to removable media on a computer that is running Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003, follow these steps:
Click Start windows icon, click Computer and then double-click the drive where you currently have Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003 installed.
Open the Users folder, and then open the user folder that contains the files that you want to back up.
Copy the necessary folders from the user folder to a network location or to removable media.
Notes:
To back up data for all users, repeat steps 2–3.
To determine the size of all the files in the user folder, select all the folders, right-click those selected folders, and then click Properties.
The saved files can be copied to any computer. However, you must have corresponding applications installed on that computer to open those individual files.
Not all applications save their files to the user folder. You should make sure that you check other applications and the file system location where the applications save files by default, and then copy those files to the network location or to the removable media.
Method 2: Use the Backup and Restore Center (This method also has a tutorial video attached at the botom)
As a precaution, you can use the Backup and Restore Center feature in Windows 7 and Windows Vista to back up your data.
Back up a Windows 7-based computer
Note Data that you back up by using the Windows 7 Backup and Restore Center can be restored only on a Windows 7-based operating system.
Click Start, type backup in the Start Search box, and then click Backup and Restore in the Programs list.
Note If you are prompted to close programs, make sure that you have saved any open documents and close those programs. Or, click Close Programs.
Under Back up or restore your files, click Set up backup.
Set up backup
Select where you want to save your backup, and then click Next.
Note Remember to save your backup files to removable media or a network location.
Click Let Windows choose or Let me choose, and then click Next.
Make the appropriate selections, and then click Next or Save Settings and run backup.
The backup will be saved to the backup location.
Also here's a tutorial video that you can watch for this method:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvsm1Z5zlyw
Losing data because of a computer problem or a hard disk crash is discouraging, to say the least. You might lose family photos, your music collection, or financial data. And, after you get the computer just the way that you want it, it can take a long time to reconfigure your personal settings on a new computer: desktop background, sounds, screensavers, and wireless network configurations to name just a few
However, a little prevention can go a long way to avoiding this ordeal. To help save you lots of time and aggravation, we recommend that you take the precaution of regularly backing up your data and settings.
This article describes how to manually back up your personal files and settings in Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP. It also describes how to use the data tools in Windows to back up your files and settings.
Method 1: Manually back up your files and settings to removable media
The simplest method is to manually back up your files and settings to removable media. You can specify the files and settings that you want to back up and how often you want to perform a backup.
Note Examples of removable media include external hard disks, DVDs, CDs, and USB memory cards.
To manually copy your files to a network location or to removable media on a computer that is running Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003, follow these steps:
Click Start windows icon, click Computer and then double-click the drive where you currently have Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003 installed.
Open the Users folder, and then open the user folder that contains the files that you want to back up.
Copy the necessary folders from the user folder to a network location or to removable media.
Notes:
To back up data for all users, repeat steps 2–3.
To determine the size of all the files in the user folder, select all the folders, right-click those selected folders, and then click Properties.
The saved files can be copied to any computer. However, you must have corresponding applications installed on that computer to open those individual files.
Not all applications save their files to the user folder. You should make sure that you check other applications and the file system location where the applications save files by default, and then copy those files to the network location or to the removable media.
Method 2: Use the Backup and Restore Center (This method also has a tutorial video attached at the botom)
As a precaution, you can use the Backup and Restore Center feature in Windows 7 and Windows Vista to back up your data.
Back up a Windows 7-based computer
Note Data that you back up by using the Windows 7 Backup and Restore Center can be restored only on a Windows 7-based operating system.
Click Start, type backup in the Start Search box, and then click Backup and Restore in the Programs list.
Note If you are prompted to close programs, make sure that you have saved any open documents and close those programs. Or, click Close Programs.
Under Back up or restore your files, click Set up backup.
Set up backup
Select where you want to save your backup, and then click Next.
Note Remember to save your backup files to removable media or a network location.
Click Let Windows choose or Let me choose, and then click Next.
Make the appropriate selections, and then click Next or Save Settings and run backup.
The backup will be saved to the backup location.
Also here's a tutorial video that you can watch for this method:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvsm1Z5zlyw
Updated on: 19/01/2023
Thank you!