![]() ![]() ![]() This isn’t a way to back up your personal files. If system files become corrupted or your computer’s software becomes unstable, you can use System Restore to restore your system and program files from a System Restore point. It creates backup copies of important system and program files on a schedule or when you perform certain tasks, such as installing a hardware driver. System Restore on both Windows 7 and 8 functions as a sort of automatic system backup feature. RELATED: How System Restore Works in Windows Windows 7 File Recovery was removed in Windows 8.1. This allowed former Windows 7 users to restore files from those old Windows 7 backups or keep using the familiar backup tool for a little while. The original version of Windows 8 still contained this tool, and named it Windows 7 File Recovery. You’ll find it under Backup and Restore in the Control Panel. Windows 7 has its own Backup and Restore feature that lets you create backups manually or on a schedule. To create a recovery drive, hit Start, type “recovery,” and then select “Create a recovery drive.RELATED: Geek School: Learning Windows 7 - Backup and Recovery Windows also lets you can create a recovery drive that will allow you to access these advanced startup options, even if your Windows installation becomes completely damaged and you can’t access this menu-or if you’ve had to replace a hard drive and want to restore an image backup. RELATED: Be Prepared: Create a Recovery Drive for Windows, Linux, Mac, or Chrome OS This same menu should also appear if your PC cannot load Windows normally. If you’re running preview builds of Windows, this menu allows you to revert to a previous build if the current build doesn’t boot or work properly. RELATED: Should You Use the Windows 10 Insider Previews?įrom here, you can restore Windows from a system image you created, use System Restore to correct problems, and perform other maintenance tasks. To access them otherwise, go to Settings > Update & security > Recovery > Advanced Startup and click “Restart now.” You can also hold the Shift key as you click Restart in the Start menu. If Windows cannot load normally, you’ll see those startup options automatically. In Windows 8 and 10, the advanced startup options work a bit differently, but they’re still there. RELATED: How to Use the Advanced Startup Options to Fix Your Windows 8 or 10 PC In Windows 7, you can access certain advanced startup options-like booting into Safe Mode or getting to a Command Prompt-by hitting F8 when your system is starting. Windows has always offered some kind of recovery environment to help you troubleshoot things when your computer won’t start. You can exclude folders you don’t want backed up and add folders from elsewhere on your PC that you do want backed up. ![]() It not only regularly backs up files, it also retains previous versions of files that you can easily restore.īy default, File History backs up important folders in your user folder-stuff like Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, Videos, and parts of the AppData folder. You set up File History to back up all your files to an external drive and then you really can just let it do its job. Rather, it focuses on making sure that your personal files are backed up. File History doesn’t create a full backup of your entire PC. RELATED: How to Use Windows' File History to Back Up Your Dataįile History was first introduced in Windows 8 and continues to be the primary built-in backup solution in Windows 10. RELATED: Which Files Should You Back Up On Your Windows PC? File History You also should be creating offsite backups-or at the very least, storing a copy of your backups in a different location. Just remember, it’s not only about backing up to an external hard drive. The good news is Windows itself provides some pretty solid tools to get the job done. We’ve covered all kinds of ways to make sure that your computer is backed up and we’ve even talked about what files you should be backing up. You’ve heard the advice a million times, but it’s still surprising how many people don’t take the time to make sure their files are adequately backed up. RELATED: What's the Best Way to Back Up My Computer? Built-In Backup Tools in Windows On the Recovery side of things, Windows offers a full recovery environment you can use for troubleshooting and recovery, as well as the ability to fully reset your PC to it’s default settings. ![]()
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