Backup and Restore—improved for Windows 7—creates safety copies of your most important personal files, so you’re always prepared for the worst.
Let Windows choose what to back up, or pick individual folders, libraries, and drives yourself. Windows can back up files on whatever schedule you choose—just set it and forget it.
You can back up to another hard drive or a DVD. And if you’re using the Professional or Ultimate editions of Windows 7, you’ll also have the option of backing up your files to a network.
We recommend the Western Digital My Passport Essentials line of pocket drives.
To back up your files
- Open Backup and Restore by clicking the Start button
, clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Maintenance, and then clicking Backup and Restore. - Do one of the following:
- If you’ve never used Windows Backup before, click Set up backup, and then follow the steps in the wizard.
If you’re prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation. - If you’ve created a backup before, you can wait for your regularly scheduled backup to occur, or you can manually create a new backup by clicking Back up now. If you’re prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
- If you’ve never used Windows Backup before, click Set up backup, and then follow the steps in the wizard.
Notes
- We recommend that you don’t back up your files to the same hard disk that Windows is installed on.
- Always store media used for backups (external hard disks, DVDs, or CDs) in a secure place to prevent unauthorized people from having access to your files—we recommend a fireproof location separate from your computer. You might also consider encrypting the data on your backup.
To create a new, full backup
After you create your first backup, Windows Backup will add new or changed information to your subsequent backups. If you’re saving your backups on a hard drive or network location, Windows Backup will create a new, full backup for you automatically when needed. If you’re saving your backups on CDs or DVDs and can’t find an existing backup disc, or if you want to create a new backup of all of the files on your computer, you can create a full backup. Here’s how to create a full backup:
- Open Backup and Restore by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Maintenance, and then clicking Backup and Restore.
- In the left pane, click Create new, full backup.
Note
You will only see this option if your backup is being saved on CDs or DVDs.
