How to Back Up Windows 10 to a Network Drive: 3 Methods Explained

Backing up your computer is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your data. If your hard drive fails and you don't have a backup, all the information on it will be lost. The 3-2-1 backup strategy is considered the best approach to backing up your computer, which involves keeping backups on two different kinds of media and storing at least one copy offsite. As a result, when choosing backup locations, users can opt for local hard drives, external storage devices, network drives, tape, or cloud storage, among other options.

In this article, we'll show you how to back up Windows 10 to a network drive. We'll present three methods: using File History, Backup and Restore, and third-party Windows backup software. We'll also provide step-by-step instructions for each method. So whether you're backing up your computer for the first time or just want to try a different approach, we've got you covered!

Why use a network drive to save computer backups?

Before we discuss how to back up to a network drive, let's talk about why you would want to use one. A network drive is simply a storage device within an enterprise or home local area network (LAN). A network drive can be located on a server, a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device, an external hard drive, or one of the computers on your network.

The benefits of using a network drive as a backup target include:

You can back up multiple computers to the same network drive, which can be convenient if you have more than one computer at home or in your office.

• A network drive is usually larger than an external hard drive, so you can store more data.
• A network drive is often faster than an external hard drive, so backups will complete more quickly.
• A network drive is typically more reliable than an external hard drive, so your backup will be safer.
• A network drive offers more flexibility since you can access your backup from anywhere with an internet connection.

Now that you know the benefits of using a network drive to back up your computer, let's see how to do it!

Recommended reading: How to Backup Network Shared Folders with Network Backup Software

Method 1: Back Up Windows 10 to a Network Drive with File History

File History is a built-in backup feature in Windows 10. Normally, when you first set up File History to work, it prompts you to add a drive to use as a backup drive. Since the backups that File History creates grow over time (by default, the backup schedule is set to back up every hour), one of the accepted backup retention policies is to use a network drive to keep the backups indefinitely (keeping multiple versions of backups for as long as possible).

Note: File History only backs up files in your user account folders, such as Documents, Pictures, Videos, Music, and Desktop, along with any offline OneDrive files available on your computer.

Follow the instructions below to set up and configure a network drive for File History to back up a network location in Windows 10.

Step 1: Press the Windows logo key + I to open Settings, and then select Update & Security.

Step 2: Click “Backup” on the left, then click “Add drive” on the right.

Step 3: Select your network drive from the list of available disks, and click “OK.”

Step 4: If desired, click More options to change your backup frequency or other settings. When done, click Save changes.

Step 5: Backups will now automatically begin according to your schedule. To run a backup immediately, click Backup Now.

If you're already running File History on Windows 10 with an external drive, you'll need to < strong>stop using your current drive first</strong>, and then choose “Add Drive” again to select the network drive you want to use.

If you don't see any network drives as an option under "Add a drive" when configuring File History in Windows 10 Settings, it might be because Windows isn't indexing that network drive. To make the network drive appear in the list, you need to map it using its network address in File Explorer. Here's how to map a network drive: 1. **Open File Explorer**: Click on the File Explorer icon in the taskbar or press the `Win + E` keys. 2. **Go to the "This PC" section**: On the left sidebar, click on "This PC" or "Computer." 3. **Map a network drive**: In the ribbon menu at the top, click on "This PC" > "Map network drive." 4. **Enter the network path**: In the "Drive" field, select a letter that is not currently assigned to a drive. In the "Folder" field, type the network address (also known as the UNC path) of the shared folder. It typically starts with "\\\\" followed by the server name and the folder path. For example: `\\ServerName\SharedFolder`. 5. **Choose options (optional)**: If you want the drive to be connected automatically when you log in, check the "Reconnect at sign-in" box. 6. **Map the drive**: Click "Finish" to create the network drive mapping. After mapping the network drive, it should appear in the "Add a drive" list within the File History settings. If you still don't see it, restart your computer and try configuring File History again.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + E to open File Explorer.

Step 2: Click This PC on the left, and then click Map network drive on the right.

Step 3: Choose a Drive letter from the drop-down menu, and then type the Network Path of the network drive. For example, if the network drive is located at \\192.168.0.1\share, enter this path as the network path.

If necessary, select the Reconnect at sign-in check box to have Windows automatically reconnect to this network drive when you sign in.

Step 5. When finished, click Finish.

Your network drive should now be indexed by Windows and appear in the File History list.

Method 2: Back Up Windows 10 to a Network Drive Using Windows Backup and Restore (Windows 7)

Windows Backup and Restore is an older backup feature that was included with Windows 7 and is also available in later versions. If you use it in Windows 10, you can back up your files as well as create a system image backup. It's considered a more comprehensive free backup solution from Microsoft than File History.

To create a backup drive using the Backup and Restore feature in Windows 10 to a network drive/NAS, follow these steps carefully:

Step 1. Press the Windows logo key + R to open the Run dialog box, type control panel, and press Enter.

Open Control Panel in Run

Step 2: In the Control Panel window, click Backup and Restore (Windows 7).

Step 3: Click on Set up backup on the right.

Step 4: To specify a network location for your backup, click Save on the network.

Note: You can manually enter the network location, or click Browse to select the current location. You might need to provide login credentials by entering a username and password. When finished, click OK.

Step 5. You now have two options: let Windows choose what to back up, or choose what to back up yourself. If you don't have any special backup needs, the recommended settings are fine. Windows will back up data files saved in your libraries, desktop, and default Windows folders. It will also create a system image that you can use to restore your computer if it becomes unbootable. Click “Next.”

Select backup content

Step 5: In the final step, you can click on the "Change plan" link to change the backup schedule. The default is to run a backup every Sunday at 7 PM. Check your backup settings and then click Save settings & Run Backup.

Want a guide on how to restore a system image from an external hard drive? Click the link for instructions.

Method 3: Back Up Windows 10 to a Network with Todo Backup

Both are default solutions provided by Microsoft with Windows, and they have in common the fact that their features are free and basic, with File History, in particular, having limitations when it comes to backing up various types of files, as well as other items such as hard drives or operating systems.

If you're looking for a simpler and more reliable backup solution, you might want to try a third-party free backup software like Todo Backup. This is a popular backup tool that allows users to back up their data, operating system, or even hard drives to a network location with straightforward steps.

Aside from the web location, the software surpasses native programs in many ways: it also lets users save their backups to the cloud. Be it the popular OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, or the company's own branded Cloud tool – cloud drives can be a better alternative to local drives as a backup location, regardless of storage capacity and security. You can read more about this in our Cloud Backup vs. Local Backup guide.

With the Todo Backup Free tool, you can easily back up everything on your Windows 10 computer.

• Disk/Partition
• System
• File

According to the schedule you set, you can even automate Windows backup to an external hard drive.

Now, follow the simple guide to back up Windows 10 to a network drive using the Todo Backup tool:

Step 1: Choose What to Back Up

Step 2: There are four backup categories: Files, Disks, System, and Mail. Click on Disks.

Step 3: You can back up the entire disk or a particular partition. Choose the option you need, and click “OK.”

Step 4: Choose where you want to save your backup.

Step 5. For disk/partition backup, you can choose to save the backup to a local drive or a NAS.

Step 6: Once the backup is complete, the task will appear on the left. Right-click on any task to manage your backups further, such as restoring a backup or creating an incremental backup.

Conclusion

It's wise to back up Windows 10 to a network drive for data security, ensuring ample disk space and flexible access from different locations. You can accomplish this through three methods: File History, Backup and Restore (Windows 7), or third-party backup software like Todo Backup. Whichever method you choose, we hope it proves helpful and keeps your data secure!