For every individual user or organisation, it is important to have a backup plan. If you do not have one, it’s never too late – it would hardly take 10 minutes to set up! Once you set up a backup plan, your precious data will continue to back up on a regular basis. In fact, on Windows 10, it’s much easier than ever before.
With the help of inbuilt utilities, you can easily backup all your important files and folders. If you don’t act now, you might regret letter once your data becomes unavailable due to number of causes like system failure, drive corrupt, accidentally formatted etc.
File History
Introduced with the evolution of Windows 8, File History reappeared in the latest Windows 10 version. It is still considered the most recommended way to backup data. File History has been integrated in the Control Panel as well as the Settings app. File History only backs up files that are located in the user account folder.
All the data stored at C:/Users/[account name] is backed up. This includes the documents, desktop, downloads, pictures, music and other folders. Any data stored on OneDrive is also replicated. File history is smart enough to detect and monitor folders and files for changes. It then backs up files and folders automatically that have changed or modified. It works similar to Mac OSX Time Machine.
OneDrive
In a traditional sense, OneDrive is not a backup solution, but due to its integration in Windows 10, it is considered an efficient medium to backup data. Files stored in OneDrive get synced with the online OneDrive account. The stored data can be accessed from other devices anytime and from anywhere.
If, due to any reason, all your Windows data turns inaccessible, you can log in to your OneDrive account from any other machine and all your stored data will be displayed in the File Explorer window. This way, you can get instant access to your data from anywhere in just few clicks.
System Image Backup
This backup feature is available in the left panel of the Backup and Restore window. Select ‘Create a System Image’ from the left panel and follow the instructions prompted thereafter. Alternatively, launch File History and then select System Image from the window. These options offer creating an entire image of the Windows system, system settings, operating system and user files.
The backup can be stored on any external storage media such as USB drives, Network locations or DVD. If you wish the computer to return back to a particular state, you can restore the backup back to machine. If any of the data is found to be missing while implementing manual procedures, you can use third party software to recover accidentally deleted files.
Advanced Startup Options
From the options given under Advanced Startup, you can restore Windows from the system image that was created earlier. It can also be used to perform maintenance checks as well as to resolve certain issues. This feature also works if the Windows 10 machine encounters boot problems.
To access Advanced Startup Options, open the Settings app and then select Update & Security. Next, select Recovery and click on Restart Now available under Advanced Startup.
Third Party Backup Software
There are, of course, external programs that can be downloaded that will backup and if necessary, restore data. Many will continuously monitor all the states of your files like when they’re modified, created, or moved into new locations.
As always, we recommend doing stringent research on the available options and products – there are many free software packages for performing data backups and retrievals, but the efficiency and efficacy of the services can vary wildly between vendors and products. With that said, be aware that paid software is not necessarily a better option!
