How to Set Up Automatic Backups on Windows 10 & 11

Nobody thinks about backups until they need one. A failing hard drive, accidental deletion, ransomware, a stolen laptop — any of these can wipe out years of photos, documents and work in an instant. The good news is that Windows has solid built-in backup tools, and cloud options make it easier than ever to protect your files automatically. Here's how to set it up.

The 3-2-1 Rule

Before getting into the how, it's worth knowing the gold standard for backups: keep 3 copies of your data, on 2 different types of media, with 1 copy off-site. For most home users, "off-site" simply means cloud storage. A local backup (external drive) plus a cloud backup covers you against almost any scenario.

Option 1: OneDrive (Easiest — Recommended for Most People)

If you have a Microsoft account (which you do if you use Windows 11), OneDrive is already built in and gives you 5GB free storage, or 1TB with a Microsoft 365 subscription.

To set up folder backup:

1. Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the system tray (bottom right)
2. Click the settings gear → Settings
3. Go to the Sync and backup tab
4. Click Manage backup
5. Select which folders to back up — Desktop, Documents, and Pictures are the most important
6. Click Start backup

From this point on, any file you save to those folders is automatically synced to the cloud. If your laptop is lost, stolen or dies, you sign into OneDrive on a new machine and everything reappears.

Option 2: Windows Backup (Built-in, to an External Drive)

For a local backup to an external hard drive — important as a second copy alongside cloud storage:

1. Plug in an external hard drive
2. Search for Backup settings in the Start menu and open it
3. On Windows 11: click Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7) — despite the name, this works fine on Windows 11
4. Click Set up backup
5. Select your external drive as the destination
6. Choose Let Windows choose (recommended) or select specific folders
7. Set a schedule — daily is ideal; weekly is the minimum

Windows will now back up automatically when the external drive is connected. Leave it plugged in overnight once a week if you don't want it permanently attached.

Option 3: File History

File History is a lighter-weight Windows feature that continuously backs up your personal folders to an external drive or network location, keeping multiple versions so you can recover a file as it was at a specific point in time.

1. Search for File History in the Start menu
2. Click Select a drive and choose your external drive
3. Click Turn on

By default it backs up every hour. You can restore individual files or entire folders by opening File History and browsing through the timeline.

What About Photos Specifically?

Photos are irreplaceable, so worth extra attention. In addition to the above, consider:

• Google Photos — free (with some storage limits), automatically backs up photos from your phone and can be set up on PC too
• Amazon Photos — unlimited photo storage free with Amazon Prime
• iCloud — if you're in the Apple ecosystem

Having photos backed up in two separate cloud services costs nothing and means you'd have to lose access to both simultaneously to lose your photos permanently.