Beginners Guide to Setting Up Automated Backups on Windows 10

Introduction

Backing up your data regularly is one of the most important things you can do to protect yourself against data loss. Setting up automated backups on Windows 10 is actually quite easy once you know how.

In this beginner’s guide, I will walk you through everything you need to know to set up a robust automated backup system on your Windows 10 computer. I will cover various backup methods, software recommendations, scheduling backups, where to store backups, and backup best practices.

Whether you want to back up your personal files or create a full system image, this guide will help you implement a set-it-and-forget-it backup solution. Let’s get started!

Backing Up Your Personal Files

The easiest way to back up your important personal files on Windows 10 is to use File History. Here’s how to set it up:

Enabling File History

1. Open the Settings app and go to Update & Security > Backup.
2. Under File History, toggle the switch to On.

This enables Windows 10’s built-in File History tool.

Configuring Backup Settings

Next, configure these important settings:

• Drive – Select an external drive to save your file history to. This can be a USB drive, network location, etc.
• Back up my files – Choose which folders to back up. Your key folders like Documents, Pictures, Desktop, etc. should be selected.
• Back up frequency – Choose how often to run backups. Daily or weekly is recommended.

File History will now automatically back up your files on the schedule you chose.

Restoring Files

If you ever need to restore a previous version of a file, open File Explorer, go to the Home tab and click Restore previous versions. You can browse and restore old copies of your files here.

Creating a System Image

To back up your entire system, create a system image using Windows 10’s built-in tools:

Creating a System Image

1. Open the Start menu and search for Create a system image and select it.
2. Choose the external drive to save the backup image to and hit Next.
3. On the next screen, check every drive to back up the entire system.
4. Hit Start backup to create the system image.

A system image contains a full copy of your hard drive including the operating system, programs, settings, and files. You can restore your entire system from this image if needed.

Restoring from a System Image

To restore your system from an image, reboot your PC, open the Startup Settings menu, and choose System Image Recovery. Follow the prompts to restore your entire system from the system image you created.

Using Backup Software

For more advanced backup capabilities, third party backup software is recommended. Here are some top options:

• Acronis True Image – Offers full image and file backups, mobile backups, cloud storage options, and excellent recovery capabilities.

• Macrium Reflect – Creates incremental image and file backups and can verify images for integrity. Free version available.

• EaseUS Todo Backup – Backs up files, partitions, and creates a full system image for recovery. Free and paid versions available.

These programs offer more robust backup scheduling, imaging, and recovery features compared to Windows’ built-in tools.

Storing Your Backups

When backing up your data, the goal is to keep at least one copy off-site in case of theft, fire, or disaster. Here are some storage options to consider:

• External HDD or SSD – An external drive offers high capacity storage for local backups. Store off-site for an extra layer of protection.

• NAS device – Network attached storage can act as a central home for backups accessible from other PCs.

• Cloud storage – Services like OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc allow you to also store backups in the cloud.

• External media – Flash drives, DVDs, or Blu-Rays allow you to keep backups separate from your PC.

Automating Your Backups

The key to an effective backup strategy is automation – setting backups to run on a schedule without any user intervention. Here are some tips:

• Use backup software with scheduling capabilities to automate daily, weekly, or monthly backups.

• Enable Windows’ File History to automatically back up your files periodically.

• Create system images regularly as well – monthly or quarterly is a good cadence.

• When possible, enable continuous backup to instantly save changed files to the cloud.

Automated, hands-free backup is the best way to consistently protect your system and files.

Backup Best Practices

Here are a few final best practices to follow:

• 3-2-1 rule – Maintain 3 copies of your data, on 2 different media, with 1 copy off-site. This protects you from hardware failure, device corruption, theft, and disaster.

• Verify backups – Periodically do test restores to ensure your backups are working as intended.

• Encrypt backups – Encryption protects your backups from unauthorized access. Use BitLocker for system images.

• Label removable media – Clearly label external drives and disks to know what’s backed up on each one.

Conclusion

Regular automated backups are essential to protect your irreplaceable data from loss or catastrophe. With Windows 10’s built-in tools and third party software, setting up a robust backup system is straightforward.

Just remember to automate backups to run regularly to both local and cloud storage. Test restorations periodically and follow best practices like the 3-2-1 rule. Your data will be safely secured!