Easy back up options for a non-tech person

[YogaProf]

After narrowly avoiding complete loss of 11 years of data, because I received the Blue Screen of Death on my old Lenovo and I had not backed up my laptop…like, never ever, I now understand that I need to start to do this on my new ASUS laptop.

I am non-tech, so I need an easy way to do this.

My OS is Windows 11 (I feel fancy saying that now, considering I was using Windows 8). ☺️

This is some other information that I copied from my laptop’s information:

Processor 13th Gen Intel(R) Core™ i9-13900H (2.60 GHz)
Installed RAM 32.0 GB (31.6 GB usable)

I’ll be honest, that all means absolutely NOTHING to me.

What easy options do I have? I wish to save all work associated files, and updated files, all my music, photos and videos, etc.

I hope that I have posted this in the right category.

Thank you in advance.

[PeterOz]

Sorry if this is a bit long winded.

The main thing we need is how what size is the current drive.

Right click on the Windows icon -4 squares next to search.

Left click on Disk management

Take a screenshot - On the keyboard press the Windows key & the PrtScrn key together. This will put a picture in Pictures> Screenshots

Attach the picture in your next reply.

A lot of people use the 3-2-1

The 3-2-1 backup rule is a data protection strategy requiring three copies of your data, stored on two different types of media, with one copy kept in an off-site location.

Backing up also has different methods.

One Way is you use a program to make a system image, after all your programs are installed. A system image will allow you go back to where you were on the day you made it. You can then use the same program to run daily backups to an external drive/s.

When you add a new program you make a new system image. If you make a system image and then backup your changed files and if you have a disk crash you put in a new drive restore the system image and then reinstall the files from the backup.

Or you could make regular systems images which would be faster to restore but take more space on the drives.

Which method you use is the same as how long is a piece of string.

All methods have Pros & Cons.

If you just run programs like Microsoft office and or you have the Disc/Files for the programs you could always just backup data and then reinstall windows and redownload the programs as long as they are still available for download or you have the files.

If you do not use any specific programs you could just use a sync program and sync your files to an external drive.

On one computer I have, it is running Windows 10 With Microsoft Office.
It also runs Microsoft Sync Toy (No longer supported by Microsoft but still works)
I have a shutdown icon on the desktop that will run SyncToy and when finished it will shut the computer down.
If the hard drive died I just have to unplug the usb and put it into another computer running any version of Windows and Office and there is no interruption to work.

It then gives me time to put a new drive into the broken computer, reinstall Windows, Office and SyncToy(I have the DVD’s). I then know my new install of windows is current and the files are readable from the usb. However not everyone has more than one computer to do this.

You can also use Microsoft One Drive which backs your data up to the cloud.
Remember the cloud is just someone else’s computer.

For the cost of a new drive and maybe some ram your old computer might be able to be brought back to life.

[YogaProf]

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[YogaProf]

Hello Peter

Thank you for taking the time to write all this information.

I used the snipping tool for the screenshot.

So, I should have mentioned that I wish to avoid anything Cloud, because if it is in the cloud, they can take it away, at any time. I want my stuff with me. I like hard copies of films and music. I’m old fashioned.

I think I will be better with something that I can plug directly into this laptop and register all. I will not want to do a back-up more than once a month, just saying. There will be some weeks where I do not use the laptop, I just use my phone to connect to whatever I need usually.

So, do I need an external hard drive, which I attach via a cable to this laptop, and use with a programme to back-up everything? I really just want to press ‘Back up’, and it does it all without me having to do anything. Does that exist?

Thanks for being patient.

[PeterOz]

So, do I need an external hard drive, which I attach via a cable to this laptop, and use with a programme to back-up everything?

Yes A 1TB drive should be enough.

I really just want to press ‘Back up’, and it does it all without me having to do anything. Does that exist?

More or less Read this Click on me I would not use Windows Backup

I will tag some others for an opinion.

@xrobwx71 @phillpower2

[PeterOz]

Also when you use the backup programme make sure you make a bootable recovery USB so if things go wrong you can boot to the backup program from the USB

[YogaProf]

Hello Peter

Thank you for all that information. I like option 4 using File History because it appears to be the most simple for me. Does that still come under the Umbrella of a Windows Backup, though? because I note that you would not use option 3, which is Windows.

Is option 4 good, then?

[YogaProf]

make sure you make a bootable recovery USB so if things go wrong you can boot to the backup program from the USB

Holy Moly, I definitely do not know how to do that, but I want to learn how!

If you recommend option 4 for me, I’ll start with that, once I have the external drive. Then I’ll look at the USB recovery.

I have found a 1TB drive, is 500GB enough? It has a three year warranty. It is also pink.

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[PeterOz]

I like option 4 using File History because it appears to be the most simple for me

I have never used it. Let’s see if the others reply

[YogaProf]

Okay, thanks, will keep a look out for that.

[xrobwx71]

I have been using Veeam at work and home and am very happy with it.

[URL unfurl="true"]https://www.veeam.com/products/free/microsoft-windows.html?ad=downloads[/URL]

This one is free, and easy to setup.

Tutorial: Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows Free Edition | Sysnative Forums

[YogaProf]

Thank you, but I’d rather not install software for this.

[YogaProf]

Has anyone experience of using File History for backup to an external drive?

[PeterOz]

Not me I have gone from liking windows backup to not trusting windows

[YogaProf]

Same, I am not a fan of Bill Gates and his stranglehold on MS consumers, nor his meddling in pharmaceuticals and farming.

Forgive my ignorance, but if I backup my files using file history to an external hard disk drive, isn’t that different from using the Windows 11 restore and back up?

When I received my new laptop, it had Windows 11 installed as the OS. It kept prompting me to link my laptop to a Microsoft account…excuse me, but no. I had to find a tutorial to learn how to avoid that, which I did.

It is why I won’t backup to clouds and all that nonsense. I want hard copies of my stuff, so it cannot be removed at the whim of a corporation or government body.

But hey, I also cover my phone camera and laptop camera with stickers. My suspicion of the government was compounded with the enforced ‘vaccination’ programme, the censorship against anything other than the official narrative at the time on platforms like YouTube, and censorship by Google and on social media (which I do not do).

My apologies, I didn’t mean to go in that direction, Bill Gates made me do it. :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes: