Does Windows 11 Have Backup?
File History is the default backup and data recovery solution in Windows 11. It was introduced in Windows 8 and allows you to take automatic and incremental backups of files and folders stored in the Library. Files are backed up in an external drive or a networked folder.
The Backup and Restore feature is another built-in Windows 11 utility, but Microsoft has stopped developing the feature even though it’s included as a Control Panel applet. Third-party system image tools are better for creating full system backups instead of this legacy feature.
Where Is Back Up on Windows 11?
There are three principal methods to preserve your files and folders in Windows 11:
Back up with File HistoryBack up with third-party system image toolsBack up to OneDrive
File History is in the Control Panel. You can also back up to the cloud with OneDrive using the 5GB of free storage space available to every Windows user. The OneDrive folder syncing feature is available under Settings.
As the limited free cloud space is only helpful for partial backups of some files, it’s always better to use a combination of offline and online fallback sources.
How Do I Back Up All My Files on My Computer?
Here are two main methods to back up all your files offline on a Windows 11 PC. There are a few differences between the two methods.
Using File History on Windows 11
File History is a newer method to copy files to an external location. It can be configured to run automatically on pre-determined intervals.
Select Start. Enter Control Panel and select the top result to open the panel. Select System and Security. Select File History. If File History is switched off, connect an external drive and refresh the window. From the left pane, select Advanced settings. In the Save Copies of Files drop-down list, set the schedule. The default is Every hour. You can also set how long it will keep the backup version of the files. Select the dropdown for Keep saved versions and change it as per your needs. The default is Forever. Go back to File History and select Exclude folders from the left pane. choose Add to list folders you don’t want to back up. Navigate to the folder in Explorer and select them for the list. Return to the main File History screen. Select the Turn On button to enable File History. Windows starts backing up the files from Libraries, Contacts, and Favorites. Allow it to continue. You can select Turn off to terminate the process if you want to for some reason.
