Backup and Restore

Backing Up to Flash Drive, External Hard Drive, or DVD

Windows 8 File History

1. Right Click the Windows Start Button
2. Select the Control Panel
3. Under the System and Security category, select Save backup copies of your files with File History
4. Make sure your backup drive is connected and click Select drive
5. Select the Backup disk as the location
6. Click Turn on

Note: File History only saves copies of files in your libraries, contacts, favorites and on your desktop. You must add other locations to your existing libraries or create a new library to backup additional locations.

Windows 7 Backup and Restore

1. Click the Windows Start Button
2. Click the Control Panel
3. Select Backup and Restore
4. Click Set up Backup
5. Choose media you want to back up to. It is recommended that you use an external hard drive.
6. Select if you would like to have Windows choose which data you will have backed up or if you want to choose your own data to back up. This latter option is good for people who are using flash drives to back up to.
7. The next screen will let you choose when your backup will run. When you done, you will click the save settings and run backup button to finish.

Click the Set up backup button

It is recommended that you use a larger flash drive or an external hard drive. The example shown above is using a 2GB flash drive.

If using a smaller flash drive, you will want to choose files. If you are using an external hard drive, you will want to let Windows choose.

You can choose when and how often your backup runs.

Running a backup

A scheduled backup will run with the saved criteria you specified as long as you have your backup location attached to the computer. You can also click the Back Up Now button to start a backup.

This is what the Backup and Restore menu will look like when everything is setup.

Restoring from backup

1. Click the Windows Start Button
2. Click the Control Panel
3. Select Backup and Restore
4. Click the Restore my files button
5. In this menu, it will show backup files in which you can restore lost data from. Or you can select a different backup to restore data from.
6. Select the files you would like restored.
7. Choose where you want the files restored to. You can choose a different folder or the folder it was previously in.
8. Click Restore

Removing Old Backup Files

Occasionally you may need to remove old back up files.

1. Click the Windows Start Button
2. Click the Control Panel
3. Select Backup and Restore
4. Click the Change Settings link
5. Click the View Backups link
6. To delete a backup, click it once and select Delete
7. Close Backup and Restore when you are done.