Making a backup of your Windows 11 setup is a wise move. Windows 11 is a great operating system with cutting-edge security tools and many protection measures. However, you may easily restore your Windows 11 system using the backup file if your system fails or you experience software problems.
In this guide, we’ll discuss backing up and restoring a Windows 11 computer. We’ll advise you to create a complete backup because it’s the best protection against virus attacks and hardware malfunctions that could damage your Windows 11 system.
How to Backup Files and Folders on Windows 11
Here, we’ll discuss two simple methods for backing up your files and folders: using cloud services like OneDrive and Windows’ built-in backup features.
If you want to back up all your important files and folders, then the Microsoft Cloud feature can come in handy. You can use OneDrive to back up your important files and folders on the cloud and you can access it whenever you want on any device.
OneDrive comes pre-installed on Windows 11, you will not have to install it manually. Here is how you can use it to sync your files seamlessly to the cloud.
1. On the Windows 11 search bar, type OneDrive and open it.
2. To use OneDrive, you have to sign in to your Microsoft Account; to do so, enter your Microsoft account email and click on the Sign In button. If you don’t have a Microsoft account, then visit this link.
3. Here, you can move any file and folder, and it will be instantly synced across all your devices having the same OneDrive account. If you want to access the files on the cloud, you can do so by following this link, and you can also restore it directly to your Windows 11 pc.
It will only back up all your files and folders. If you want a full backup of the Windows system, you can follow the guide below.
How to Create a Full Backup of Your Windows 11 PC
You can use the system image tool on Windows 11 to create a full backup to an external drive. To create a full backup of Windows 11 with the system image tool, use the following steps:
1. Click on the Search icon on the taskbar.
2. Type Control Panel and open it.
3. It will open the Control Panel window. Here, click on the System and Security option.
4. You will now see all the system and security settings options. Simply select the File History option.
5. To create a full system backup for your Windows 11. You need to click on the System Image Backup option.
6. Here, you will get the backup or restore your files window, click on the Create a system image option from the left side panel.
7. After that, select the external drive where you want to save the Windows 11 backup.
8. Then click on the Next button to continue.
9. Confirm your backup settings and click the Start backup button.
10. Next, you will get a pop-up to create a repair disk, but you can ignore this option since you can use the Windows 11 bootable media to access the recovery settings to restore the backup.
Once you complete the steps, a complete backup of your Windows 11 device, including the installation files, settings, apps, and personal files, will be created.
How to Restore Full Backup on Windows 11
If you ever need to restore your Windows 11 system, you can use this method to restore a full system image. Follow the steps below.
Note
Before you begin, ensure that your backup device is connected to your Windows 11 system.
1. Click the Windows icon to open the Start Menu, then open the Settings app.
2. In the settings, click on the System tab and look for the Recovery option present to the right of your screen.
3. In the Recovery options section, click the Restart Now button next to the Advanced Startup option.
Note
You can also access the Advanced Boot options from the startup screen. To do this, turn off your computer, turn it back on, and press the F8 key before Windows starts.
4. Your Windows operating system will restart and it will open the Windows recovery option. Here, click on the Troubleshoot option.
5. Click on the Advanced option.
6. Now select the System Image Recovery option. If you are not getting the option, then click on see more recovery options.
7. Select the Use the latest available system image option to restore the Windows 11 backup.
8. Then click on the Next button to continue.
9. Once the process is complete, click the Finish button and restart your device. After that, enter your username and password. That’s it—you’re done and ready to use your device.
Conclusion
That’s it! This is how you can back up and restore your Windows 11 PC. You can always check for updates to ensure you’re using the latest version of Windows and its features. It will quickly install any missing security updates and more.
I hope this article was helpful to you. However, if you have any suggestions or doubts, feel free to leave them in the comments section.
