What files should users back up on their computers?

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Data loss is a common and frequent occurrence, and it can happen for many different reasons. Your hard drive might fail at some point, or you could lose files due to a virus infection, malware attack, Windows update, power outage, and so on. This is why having a backup of all your files stored offsite is so important.

Most backup solutions let you save your important data on any external or secondary storage device. Since backup files usually aren't that big, you can fit them on any flash drive or external hard disk immediately. So, if you want to make a “perfect” or full backup, you might be wondering which files you should back up on your computer. This article will explore what files you should back up and how to do it. Without further ado, let's get started!

Which files should you back up?

You might be confused about which files to back up to preserve important operating system data. Fear not, for this section covers all the files you must always back up, including:

AppData is a hidden folder in the Windows operating system, standing for "Application Data." This folder primarily serves to store configuration files, user settings, and cached data for applications. Under different user accounts, the AppData folder contains subfolders like Roaming, Local, and LocalLow, each designed to hold various types of program data. These contents are typically not visible to users; however, in certain situations, direct access to this folder may be required to troubleshoot issues or backup essential settings.

The AppData folder, located in C:\Users\Username, stores application-specific user preferences. If you haven't modified your settings to show hidden files and folders, you won't be able to see it.

Is it a good idea to back up the AppData folder? We recommend that you back up individual programs that have user-specific settings rather than the entire folder.

Personal Directory

Backing up your data is the most important step. On a modern Windows computer, you'll usually find these files in C:\Users\Username, where Username is the name of your user account.

When you log in with your user name and password, the Documents folder, the current Downloads directory, the Pictures folder, the Music folder, the Desktop folder, and the Videos folder default to this location.

Project

Save any creative work, such as a project, that you are working on in case your computer has issues or crashes.

Email

If you use a desktop email client, you may want to back up any incoming mail. You can do this by using the updated IMAP protocol instead of the older POP3 to back up your emails. Emails sent with POP3 are only stored on your local computer, so you'll need to manually back these up.

Click Credential Manager.

Crucial document

You can save your files in any location you choose, rather than in the system's default directories. Or, you could move all your important files to a data partition. For safety, you should back up all your important files and keep them in that folder.

How to Back Up Important Files on Your Windows Computer

Before you update your operating system, sell your PC, or do anything else that could potentially cause you to lose your files, it's important to back up the important stuff on Windows 10. Don't risk losing your important data—follow these steps instead.

Method 1: Back Up Files Using File History

File History was first introduced in Windows 8. Despite the name, it's a full-fledged backup tool for restoring earlier versions of your data.

To back up your data with File History, follow these steps:

Step 1: Connect your external drive, and then type “File History” in the Start menu or Windows search bar. Select “File History settings.”

Step 2: Click Select drive in the left pane to view the available storage.

Step 3: Select the external drive you attached in Step 1, and then click OK. If a dialog box appears, click No.

Click OK.

Step 4 (optional): Choose Open. If File History is already enabled, you can skip this step.

Step 5: Click Run Now to start an immediate backup. This will perform the backup immediately, regardless of the hourly schedule.

Note: It is recommended that you use this feature with all other applications closed so that all files can be backed up, including the Outlook.pst file.

Alternative: Use Todo Backup to back up files

If, for some reason, File History can't back up your data, you can use the free tool Todo Backup. Todo Backup can automatically back up your system disk, individual files and folders, and entire hard drives. In Todo Backup, mounting a backup image as a virtual drive is the quickest way to recover your data.

Two crucial factors to consider when choosing backup software are whether it supports various types of backups and what files to back up, including where to save the backups. In this case, Todo Backup is an excellent choice for you.

1. Launch Todo Backup, then click "Create Backup" on the main interface and then click "Select what to backup".

**Step 2:** To back up your hard drive, click "Drive" to begin the backup process.

**Step 3:** In tools Todo Backup, you can choose to back up the entire hard drive or specific partitions as needed. Then click "OK".

4. Choose where you want to save the disk image. You can save it to a local drive or a NAS device.

5. Click “Backup Now”. After it's done, you can right-click on any task to manage your backups (e.g. restore, incremental backup, etc.).

Should I create a system backup?

Recovery from primary data failure typically involves restoring from a backup. Hardware or software failures, data corruption, human error (such as a malware or virus attack), or accidental deletion can all cause primary data failure. The ability to restore data to a previous point in time can help a company recover from an unexpected event.

Backups are essential in case the original is lost or damaged. External hard drives and USB storage devices provide basic extra capacity; tape drives, cloud-based storage systems, and more elaborate options are also available.

To back up your data on a Windows PC, follow these steps:

Method 1: Create a system image using Backup and Restore in Windows 7

Windows has a tool called "Backup and Restore" that can back up important files. The steps below explain how it works:

Step 1: Open the Control Panel, choose System and Security, and then click Backup and Restore.

2. Click on Set up backup to launch Windows Backup, and then choose an external hard drive.

Step 3: Check the "Let me choose" box and click "Next."

Step 4: Select the files or drive to back up, and then click Next.

Note: You can clear the Check system image on drive C box to back up only your data files. A system image can help you recover if your computer stops working.

5. Check your backup settings before clicking the Save Settings and Start Backup button.

Conclusions

There are some general recommendations regarding what files users should back up on their computers. It's crucial to back up your data regularly to prevent the loss of important files due to software or hardware failures. Additionally, we recommend using a tool like Todo Backup for this purpose, as it offers an intuitive interface.