How to make a backup in Windows 7 is one of those questions that we are faced with when we have important information on our computers. This is a process that we all must know, since creating backups is one of those good practices that we must maintain as users.. To achieve this, there are several alternatives and here we are going to comment on some of them so that you can choose the one that best suits your needs.
The idea of carrying out this task is to always have an updated version of all our files at hand. for the purpose of restoring them in any contingency.
4 Ways to Backup in Windows 7
Copying the user folder
The first alternative that we are going to review is based on the native options of the operating system, so you will not need more than the storage device where you will make the backup.
Within the Windows directory tree, there is a folder called Users and in it the data of each of the people who log on to the computer is stored. In that sense, If you are looking for how to make a backup in Windows 7, it is as simple as copying this folder or the one that corresponds to your user specifically.
The path of the folder in question is as follows: C: \ Users
Inside it, you will find the subdirectories of each user of the system. As we mentioned before, you can copy the entire folder, choose only the one of your session or even be more selective, choosing specifically the Desktop, Documents, Music or whatever you need.
An important fact in this process is that it will take much longer if you select the entire folder corresponding to a user. This is because you will also be transferring hidden directories that often contain junk files, cache files, and program information.
From the backup wizard
The above process is what we might call "manual", because there is nothing more involved than the copy and paste actions. Nevertheless, Windows 7 has a somewhat more automated process, through an assistant that makes it easier for us to select what we want to back up. This modality, in addition, greatly reduces the margin of errors that we can make during the task.
To access the backup wizard, go to Control Panel and go to “System and Security”
Now, go into the “Backup and Restore” section.
Immediately, you will go to a window where you will see the storage data of your hard drive and a button next to it, oriented to execute the realization of a backup. Click it to start the wizard.
In the window that opens, you will see all the storage units connected to your computer. Select the one you have chosen to save the backup and click "Next".
Then the wizard will ask if you want to choose the directories to back up on your own or if you will let Windows do it automatically.
Allowing Windows to do this automatically will create a backup of the so-called Libraries, the Desktop, and the default system folders. If you choose to make the selection manually, then you will be taken to a window where you can choose specifically what you want to copy.
Finally, a summary will be displayed with what you have configured for the backup. If everything is correct, click on the “Save configuration and exit” button to start the backup process. This will return you to the "Backup and Restore" screen where you can see the progress of the task.
When you have your backup ready, you can restore it at any time from the “Restore” section of the same menu.
With third-party applications
At the beginning we mentioned that there are several alternatives to answer the question of how to make a backup in Windows 7. We have already seen a couple of options with the native functions, but we can also work with third-party applications.
In this regard, one of the most popular in this field for various reasons is Cobian backup. First of all, we can mention that it is completely free software. In this way, we are talking about a solution that we can rely on, without worrying about license payments. Additionally, it is a very easy-to-use application where, in addition, you can program the creation of backups. Thus, you will always have an updated copy that will always be generated at the configured time and date.
To make a backup on Windows 7 from Cobian Backup, run the program and right-click on an empty space on the interface, then choose “New Task”.
Now, go to the “Files” section, choose the files to copy and the destination directory or storage unit.
Then go to “Schedule” and choose how often you want to back up.
It should be noted that the program has other options that you can review to adjust everything to your requirements. Finally, click "Ok" and you will have created a backup routine for your Windows 7 system.