How to Backup Windows 10 to USB Yourself [3 Methods]

Are you attempting to backup Windows 10 to a USB device for the purpose of performing a system restore, data recovery, or even resetting Windows 10 to a previous healthy state? On this page, you will find three methods to backup your computer to a USB drive.

Translate into English

3 Ways to Back Up Windows 10 to USB External Drive

Here, we've compiled and listed the reasons that can explain why Windows users might want to back up their computer to an external USB drive:

1. 1. Backup the operating system and restore it to a previous state in case of virus attacks, hard drive failures, or human errors.
2. 2. Backup computer data to prevent file loss.
3. 3. Create a system image to perform a factory reset at any time.

So, how do you back up Windows 10 or your entire computer to a USB drive? Here, we've gathered three methods to assist you. Choose the appropriate method based on your needs and proceed to back up your Windows 10 now:

So, how do I back up my Windows 10 computer to an external USB drive? Follow the desired guide and start backing up your Windows 10 now.

Method 1: Backup Windows 10 to USB using Tool Software

It's wise of you to opt for dependable backup software to back up your Windows 10 data. In this case, we recommend you try File Backup Software, a tool specifically designed for System Backup and File Backup on Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, Vista, and Windows XP.

You can apply it to back up Windows 10 fully on your own, including the OS and data, to your external USB drive:

#1. Backup Windows 10 to USB

Step 1. Launch Todo Backup on your computer, and click Create Backup on the home screen. Then, hit the big question mark to select backup contents.

Step 2. To back up your Windows operating system, click "OS" to start the backup task.

Step 3. Your Windows operating system information and all system-related files and partitions will be automatically selected, so you don't need to make any manual selections at this stage. Next, you need to choose a location to save the system image backup by clicking on the illustrated area.

Step 4. The backup location can be another local drive on your computer, an external hard drive, network, cloud, or NAS. Generally, we recommend using an external physical drive or cloud to store your system backup files.

Step 5. If you're interested, customization settings such as enabling an automatic backup schedule daily, weekly, monthly, or on an event, and creating differential and incremental backups, can be found in the Options button. Click "Backup Now", and the Windows system backup process will commence. The completed backup task will be displayed on the left side in a card format.

#2. Backup Windows 10 Data to USB Backing up your Windows 10 data to a USB drive is an essential step to ensure the safety and security of your important files. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do it: 1. **Connect the USB Drive**: Plug in the USB drive into one of your computer's USB ports. 2. **Open File History**: Click on the Start button, type "File History" in the search bar, and select "File History" from the results. 3. **Turn On File History**: If it's not already turned on, click "Turn on" in the File History window. You may be prompted to choose a location to store backups; select your connected USB drive. 4. **Configure Settings**: You can customize the settings by clicking on "More options." Here, you can choose how often backups occur, how much space to allocate for backups, and which folders to include or exclude. 5. **Backup Now**: Once you've configured your settings, click "Backup now" to start the backup process. Windows will begin copying your selected files to the USB drive. 6. **Wait for Completion**: The backup process may take some time depending on the amount of data you have. Make sure not to remove the USB drive until the process is complete. 7. **Verify Backup**: After the backup is finished, you can open the USB drive to verify that your files have been successfully backed up. Remember to keep your USB drive in a safe place and update your backups regularly to stay protected against data loss.

Step 1. The first time you use Todo Backup to back up files, click Create backup on the home screen, then click the big question mark to select backup contents.

Step 2. Since you're planning to back up files and folders on your computer, proceed with the "File" backup mode. Here, you can choose to back up pictures, videos, documents, and all other types of files.

Step 3. Follow the paths to find the files, folders, or directories you want to back up, select them all, and click "OK".

Step 4. Next, you need to choose a backup location to save and store the backup.

Step 5. Todo Backup enables users to save backup files to any device that suits your needs, such as a local hard drive, external USB drive, SD card, network drive, NAS drive, or the brand's cloud drive. Personally, we recommend selecting the cloud drive over physical drives to store important backups due to its better accessibility, flexibility, and security.

To access the Tools Cloud, all you need is an email registration and login.

Step 6. If you're interested in an automatic and intelligent backup schedule for the next file backup task, proceed with the "Options" setting. Here, you can encrypt a confidential file backup, compress the backup image size, or customize a backup scheme to instruct the software on when to initiate the subsequent backup.

Customize an advanced and automated backup task here:

Step 7. Click "Backup Now" to initiate the file backup process. Your completed backup files will be displayed on the left side in a card view.

Please note, the Todo Backup tool also features a scheduling backup option, so you can automatically back up your files to an external USB drive.

#3. Restore Windows 10 System from USB Backup

After a successful backup, you may also need to know how to restore Windows 10 backup from the USB drive. If you can boot into Windows, open the Todo Backup tool and skip to Step 2 below to restore the system image.

If Windows fails to boot, follow the steps outlined below:

Step 1. Connect the USB with the Windows 10 OS backup to your PC and restart it.

When you see the Windows boot menu, select Tools > Todo Backup.

Step 2. Choose the image file you wish to recover and click "Recover".

Step 3. Choose the destination location where you want to restore the system and save it. Then, click Proceed to continue with the Windows 10 backup restoration.

Method 2: Backup Windows 10 System Image to USB

Another efficient way to back up Windows 10 is to create a system image on a USB drive. If you don't want to use software for creating a system image backup, you can try this method (source from Microsoft).

It's based on Windows' built-in Backup and Restore tool. Let's see how to back up your Windows 10 system to a USB drive:

Step 1. Connect the USB drive (larger than the C drive) to your PC and format it to NTFS.

Step 2. Right-click on the Windows icon, select "Search," and type: Control Panel. Open it and click "Backup and Restore (Windows 7)."

Step 3. Click "Create a system image".

Step 4. Under the On a hard disk section, select the external USB drive as the destination, and click "Next" to proceed.

Step 5. Check the System and System Reserved partitions, then click "Next" to proceed.

Step 6. Click "Start backup" to begin creating an image of your current system to the USB drive.

Wait for the process to finish, and you'll have successfully created a Windows 10 system image on your USB drive.

When dealing with an OS boot issue or system failure error, you can easily restore a system image backup of Windows 10 from your USB drive whenever needed.

Method 3: Create a Windows 10 Recovery Drive on a USB

The last method you can attempt is to create a Windows 10 recovery drive on a USB. This way, you can restore Windows 10 by performing a factory reset on your computer anytime issues arise with the computer or operating system.

The built-in Windows tool also supports creating a Windows 10 recovery drive. But it will take much time. Let's see.

Step 1. Insert the USB drive into your computer. In the Windows 10 Control Panel, click "Recovery."

Step 2. Click "Create a recovery drive".

Step 3. Check "Back up system files to the recovery drive" to use the drive to reinstall or restore a previous version of Windows. Click "Next".

Create a Windows 10 Recovery Drive using Windows 10 Recovery Tool

Wait until the wizard prepares to copy the files to your flash drive.

Step 4. Choose your USB flash drive as the recovery drive and click "Next".

Step 6. Acknowledge the warning message stating that "everything on the drive will be deleted. If you have any personal files on this drive, make sure you've backed up the files" and click "Create."

Step 7. When you see the message "The recovery drive is ready," click "Finish."

The backup process might take a few hours, so please be patient. Once it's done, you can use the Windows 10 recovery drive to fix OS failures or PC boot issues on your computer. For more detailed information, follow this link and refer to: Download Windows 10 Recovery Tool for both 32-bit and 64-bit systems.

Choose the Right Method and Back Up Your Windows 10 to USB Now

This page outlines 3 distinct yet effective solutions to back up Windows 10 to USB, ensuring comprehensive protection of your Windows 10 system and data from any unforeseen operating system issues.

Among them, you can choose backup software - Todo Backup to back up your entire computer, including Windows 10 and its data, in an easy and convenient manner.

If you only want to back up the Windows 10 OS to a USB drive, either Method 2 or Method 3 can be of assistance. Although slightly more complicated, it's still worth attempting. It's not too late; take action now to back up your Windows 10 and data.

Frequently Asked Questions on Backing Up Windows 10 to a USB Drive

What is the most effective way to back up a Windows 10 computer?

Utilizing a third-party tool, Todo Backup is one of the most efficient and straightforward methods for backing up a Windows 10 computer. This software offers comprehensive and effective solutions for backing up systems, disks, partitions, files & folders, and emails. Its user-friendly interface ensures that even beginners can effortlessly perform the backup process with just a few clicks.

What size of flash drive do I need to backup Windows 10?

The size of the flash drive you require depends on the quantity of data you intend to backup. For instance, if you plan to backup your entire hard drive, you'll need a flash drive that is at least the same size as your hard drive. If you only wish to backup specific files or folders, you'll require a flash drive with sufficient capacity to accommodate those files.