Easy-to-Follow | How to Backup Windows 11 to External Drive

Windows 11 Backup to External Drive

Windows 11, the latest operating system from Microsoft, brings forth a fresh user experience. As Windows 11 continues to gain popularity among users worldwide, it is essential to recognize the potential risks and challenges associated with data loss in this advanced operating system.

Backing up data in Windows 11 is crucial to counter potential risks like hardware failures, malware attacks, and accidental deletions. By utilizing an external drive for backup, you can ensure data security and peace of mind.

How to Backup Windows 11 to External Drive | 3 Ways

Backing up your Windows 11 to an external drive is a crucial step to safeguard your data. Here are 3 easy-to-follow methods to perform a backup to external drive.

• Using Backup and Restore for Windows 11 Backup to External Drive
• Using File History to Save Windows 11 Backup to External Drive
• Using AOMEI Cyber Backup to transfer Windows 11 to External Drives

Way 1. Using Backup and Restore for Windows 11 Backup to External Drive

The Backup and Restore feature is a built-in tool that provides you with the ability to create backups of your important files, folders, and system settings. You can easily backup your computer data to external drive using Windows 11 Backup and Restore with the steps below.

1. Access to Control Panel and select Backup and Restore (Windows 7), and click Set up backup to start the backup configuration process.

2. Select the external drive that you want to save your Windows 11 files and click Next.

3. Choose Let Windows choose option or select specific folders and files to include in the backup. Click Next.

Notes ✎: Let Windows choose: backup data stored in libraries, on the desktop, and default Windows folders, etc.

The Let me choose: select libraries and folders in the backup.

4. Review the configured settings. If everything looks correct, click Save settings and run backup to initiate the backup process.

☞ Restore Windows 11 from Backup and Restore

1. Navigate to Control Panel >> System and Security >> Backup and Restore (Windows 7).

2. Click Restore my files, then choose the files/folders you need to recover.

Way 2. Using File History to Save Windows 11 Backup to External Drive

File History in Windows 11 is a built-in backup feature that allows you to automatically back up your important files and folders to an external drive. It provides an easy way to protect your personal data, ensuring that you can recover previous versions of files in case of accidental deletion, data loss, or system issues.

To use File History to save a Windows 11 backup to an external drive, follow these steps:

1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard to open the Start menu, and then click on the gear-shaped Settings icon. Alternatively, you can press Windows key + I to open Settings directly.

2. In the Settings window, click on the Update & Security option.

3. Click on the Add a drive. Windows will search for available drives, including the external drive you connected earlier.

4. Choose your external drive from the list of available drives. Windows will now start using File History to back up your files to this drive.

5. (Optional) By default, File History will automatically back up files from your Libraries (Documents, Pictures, Videos, Music, etc.) and Desktop. If you want to customize which folders are backed up or the backup frequency, please click on the More options link under File History.

✤ Adjust the backup frequency by choosing a different time interval.
✤ Configure backup retention policy to store d Windows 11 data for one month to two years before being deleted.
✤ Add or remove folders to be backed up.

4. Once you have configured your File History settings, click on the Back up now button to initiate the first backup. Windows will start copying your selected files to the external drive.

From now on, File History will automatically back up your files according to the frequency you've set. It will save multiple versions of your files, allowing you to restore previous versions if needed.

☞ Restoring Files from File History:

To restore files from File History, simply open the folder where the original file was located, right-click on it, and select Restore to recover data to the original location or Restore to to restore your files to a new destination.

Your Windows 11 files will now be regularly backed up to the external drive using File History.

Notes ✎: Remember to keep the external drive connected to your computer to ensure continuous backups.

Way 3. Using AOMEI Cyber Backup to transfer Windows 11 to External Drives

What if your Windows 11 system encounters an unexpected hiccup, leading to data loss or a catastrophic crash? Windows 11 Backup to External Drives is about more than just data; it's about preserving your memories, your work, and your peace of mind. The solution is at your fingertips: AOMEI Cyber Backup helps you backup Windows 11 to an external drive easily and quickly, ensuring your digital life remains secure.

🎈 Multiple platform: supporting not only physical machine backup, but also virtual machine backup and SQL backup.
🎈Auto Backup: scheduling your Windows backups at fixed intervals (daily/weekly/monthly) and choose backup methods as full / incremental / differential.
🎈Flexible Storage: supporting various storage devices such as USB, HDD, SSD, etc.
🎈Great Compatibility: supporting multiple operating system (Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, 11 etc.).

You could download AOMEI Cyber Backup to backup Windows 11 for free by clicking the button below:

☞ Simple Steps to Backup Windows 11 Data via AOMEI Cyber Backup

Step 1. Configure AOMEI Cyber Backup Agent and connect AOMEI Cyber Backup to the external disk.

Step 2. Access to Source Device >> Add Windows Device, then fill in the correct IP address and user information.

Step 3. Go to Backup Task >> Create New Task >> System Backup.

Step 4. Choose a destination to save the backup.

Step 5. Schedule backup method as full / incremental / differential backup and run the backup tasks at daily / weekly / monthly.

Step 6. Click Start Backup to protect your Windows Server data.

☞ Restore Windows 11 from AOMEI Cyber Backup Easily

You can easily restore the Windows 11 operating system to the original PC without any complex configuration or reinstallation.

Step 1. Click Restore to recover the Windows 11 system quickly when the unforeseen happens.

Step 2. Select the system you want to restore.

Step 3. Click Restore to original location to create a same Windows 11 system.

✌ While the Free Edition covers most of the Windows backup needs, you can also upgrade to enjoy:
✦ Backup Cleanup: Configure retention policy to auto delete the old backup files and save storage space.
✦ Restore to New Location: Easily make a clone of your partition in the same or another computer, without reinstalling or configuring a new partition.

Conclusion

Windows 11 backup to an external drive guarantees data protection, shielding against potential threats and offering efficient data recovery options. This article offers 3 simple and secure ways to backup Windows 11 to external drive and its recovery process.