You’ll learn how to backup installed programs in Windows 10 with built-in tool, or a flexible backup software - AOMEI Backupper Standard. Scroll down to learn more!
Backing up installed programs in Windows 10 means you won’t have to start from scratch if something happens to your system, especially useful when you’re upgrading Windows, replacing a hard drive, or doing a full reset.
It also saves a huge amount of time, as you don’t need to reinstall all programs or reconfigure settings. A system image backup lets you restore everything at once, including programs, preferences, plugins, and even licenses for certain software, etc., making recovery faster, easier, and stress-free.
Windows 10 includes a few backup tools, but none of them can directly back up installed programs. Fortunately, you can create a full system image backup that includes Windows, installed programs, settings, drivers, and user data. Restoring it brings everything back exactly as it was.
Step 1. Open Control Panel and go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7).
Step 2. Click Create a system image on the left side.
Step 3. Choose where to save the backup, such as local drives, external drives, or network locations with enough space. Click Next > Start Backup.
⚠️Note: Unless you click Set up Backup in Step 2, you cannot configure schedule backups using this method, which primarily backups user data and includes system images. The default schedule runs every Sunday at 7 PM.
AOMEI BackupperStandard is a flexible Windows backup software that offers different backup solutions, giving you more choices and making the process easier. It’s free and fully compatible with Windows 10.
Step 1. Open AOMEI Backupper Standard and click System Backup under the Backup tab. It will automatically select all the boot-related partitions required to start Windows.
Step 2. Click the PC icon to select the backup destination. It can be an external drive, USB flash drive, network drive, etc.
Step 3. Click Schedule to set an automatic backup, such as daily, weekly, monthly (by week), etc., minimizing heavy human intervention. Optionally, click Options to enable Email notification, encryption, or change backup settings. Confirm and click Start Backup.
⚠️Notes:
✅Incremental backup: It’s the default backup method - using least backup time and space. You can also change it to differential backup.
✅ Cleanup methods: Select a cleanup method to automatically deleted old backups, freeing up more space.
1. Can I back up programs without a system image?
Not easily. Most Windows programs rely on registry entries, system files, and hidden folders, so copying the program folder alone doesn’t work. If you only back up files, the software usually won’t run after restoring. Creating a system image is the most reliable method to back up installed programs.
2. Will a system image restore all my software?
Yes, a system image restores Windows, installed programs, settings, drivers, and personal files exactly as they were at the time of backup. After restoring, your PC will work just like before -no need to reinstall apps.
3. Can I move apps to a new computer?
Yes, you can transfer programs to a new computer if you use a powerful backup software like AOMEI Backupper. It includes a Universal Restore feature that can install all drivers to start Windows during the first startup.
4. Does File History back up installed programs?
No. File History only saves personal files such as documents, photos, and folders. It does not backup installed software, program files, or system settings.
5. How much space do I need for a system image?
A system image is usually the size of all data on the system drive plus overhead. For most users, a 100- 500 GB external drive is enough.
To backup installed programs in Windows 10, the simplest and most reliable method is to create a full system image. It preserves Windows, apps, settings, and personal files, so you can restore everything at once without reinstalling software.
You can use built-in Backup and Restore (Windows 7) or powerful backup software - AOMEI Backupper. It supports automatic backup, multiple backups, flexible destination, etc., minimizing heavy human intervention while saving much disk space.