How to Backup Files to External Hard Drive (Auto & Manual)

Whether you’re safeguarding family photos, work documents, or important personal records, relying solely on your computer’s internal drive puts your data at risk from hardware failures, system crashes, malware, or accidental deletion. One of the most reliable and cost-effective ways to protect your data is to backup files to an external hard drive.

⏰Automatic Backup:
👉 Method 1: Using best free backup software🔥
👉 Method 2: Using Windows built-in tool
👩Manual Backup:
👉 Method 1: “Drag-and-Drop” or “Copy-and-Paste”
👉 Method 2: Using File Explorer’s “Send to”

Preparation before backing up computer files to external hard drive

Before you start backing up files, a little preparation will ensure a smooth, secure, and efficient backup process.

1. Choose the Right External Hard Drive

• Storage capacity: Choose a drive with at least double your current data size for future backups.
• Drive type: SSDs offer faster speeds and better durability, while HDDs provide higher capacity at a lower cost.
• Connectivity: USB 3.0/3.2 or Thunderbolt ports provide faster transfer speeds than older USB 2.0.

2. Check Compatibility and Format the Drive

Your external hard drive should be formatted to match your operating system. For Windows users, use NTFS or exFAT (if you also plan to use it on Mac).

3. Organize Your Files

Backing up cluttered or unnecessary files wastes space and time. Before backup:

• Delete duplicate or obsolete files.
• Organize folders into categories (Documents, Photos, Projects, etc.)
• Rename folders clearly for easy restoration in the future.

How to automatically backup files to external hard drive

Automating your backups ensures your files are continuously protected without you needing to remember to copy them manually. Below are two effective ways to automatically backup files to an external hard drive on Windows 11/10/8/7.

Method 1: Using best free backup software

For automatic backup to external hard drive, one of the best free tools available is AOMEI Backupper Standard.

✨Multiple backup types: It offers System, Disk, Partition, and File Backup to meet your different needs.
✨Various destinations: You can backup PC to cloud, local disks, external drives, USB flash drives, or network locations.
✨Automatic backup: Set backups to run daily, weekly, or monthly without manual intervention.
✨Incremental backup: Automatically backs up only changed data to save time and space.

Download AOMEI Backupper now to try it out!

Follow the steps below to automatically backup files to external hard drive via AOMEI Backupper:

1. Connect your external hard drive to your computer and make sure it is detected. Launch AOMEI Backupper and click Backup > File Backup.

2. Click Select Source > Add Folder/Add File to choose the files or folders you want to back up.

3. Click the destination box > Local Drive > select your external drive and click OK.

4. Click Schedule to enable automatic backup (One Time, Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Event triggers).

5. Click Start Backup > Add the schedule and start backup now to begin the process.

Method 2: Using Windows built-in tool

Windows includes a built-in feature called File History, designed to automatically back up your personal files to an external drive. Learn how to use it below:

1. Connect your external hard drive to your PC.

2. Open File History.

• In Windows 11, type and search File History in the Windows search bar, then click Open.
• In Windows 10, go to Control Panel > File History.

3. File History will choose your connected external drive for backups. Just click Turn on to start.

4. To prevent certain default folders from being backed up, click Exclude folders to leave them out.

5. Click Advanced settings to customize your backup schedule and storage.

• Save copies of files: Choose how frequently your files are backed up, from every 10 minutes to once a day (the default is every hour).
• Keep saved versions: Decide how long to store your old file versions, from one month up to forever (the default).

How to backup files to external hard drive manually

Manual backup methods give you full control over what gets copied and when. They are simple, require no extra software, and are ideal for occasional backups. Here are two easy ways to manually backup files to an external hard drive.

Method 1: “Drag-and-Drop” or “Copy-and-Paste”

This is the most common and straightforward way to transfer files manually.

1. Connect your external hard drive to your PC.

2. Open File Explorer and browse to the files or folders you want to back up.

3. Select the files/folders, then choose one way to copy them:

• Drag and drop them into your external drive window.
• Right-click > Copy, navigate to the external drive, right-click again and choose Paste.

4. Wait for the transfer to complete. The time will depend on the file size and drive speed.

Method 2: Using File Explorer’s “Send to”

The Send to option provides a quicker way to copy files directly to your external drive without needing to navigate to the drive manually.

1. Plug in your external hard drive.

2. Open File Explorer and browse to the files or folders you want to back up.

3. Right-click on a file or folder and select Send to > [Your external drive name].

4. Windows will automatically send a copy of the file to your external drive.

Advanced tips for secure and long-term backup

Backing up your files is just the first step—keeping them safe, organized, and retrievable over the long term requires ongoing strategy. Here are advanced best practices to ensure your data remains secure.

1. Use Incremental and Differential Backups

Instead of backing up all files every time, these methods only back up files that have changed:

• Incremental Backup: Saves changes since the last backup—fast and storage-efficient.
• Differential Backup: Saves changes since the last full backup—faster restoration.

2. Enable Backup Encryption

Protect sensitive data by encrypting your backup files. If you need to set a password for your backup, please try AOMEI Backupper Professional.

3. Rotate Multiple External Hard Drives (3-2-1 Rule)

Follow the proven 3-2-1 backup rule:

• 3 copies of your data
• Stored on 2 different types of media
• 1 copy kept offsite (or on another external hard drive you store in a separate location)

4. Test Your Backup Regularly

A backup is only useful if it can be restored:

• Perform a test restore every few weeks or months
• Verify that files open correctly and no data is corrupted
• Update your backup plan as your files grow

Wrapping things up

This article offers both manual and automated ways to backup files to an external hard drive in Windows 11/10/8/7. For users who want a smarter, faster, and fully automated backup experience, AOMEI Backupper Standard is the best free backup software to rely on. It enables you to backup all kinds of computer data with minimal effort. Go for it now!

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