Reasons for Your Data Not Yet Being Backed Up in Windows

Occasionally, you might encounter an issue where you're unable to perform a backup in Windows and receive a prompt to back up your data immediately. Upon clicking "Back up now," a spinning wheel displays for a while, and subsequently, the "Back up now" button reappears with the message: "Your data has not yet been backed up."

Obviously, the issue of Windows 10 backup not working could be due to the following reasons:

    • A virus infects the system.
    • Hard drive failure.
    • Sudden shutdown of the computer.
    • Installation of a faulty program.
    • The WindowsImageBackup folder is inaccessible.
    • Bad sectors or partitions on external hard drives.

your data is not backed up in windows

4 Methods to Solve the Issue: Your Data Is Not Yet Backed Up

Encountering the issue "your data is not yet backed up" is not uncommon. However, several approaches can address this. You can utilize the CHKDSK command, format the external storage drive to NTFS, delete the WindowsImageBackup folder, or employ other professional backup software.

Let's start with using the CHKDSK Command.

Method 1: Use the CHKDSK Command

You can perform the CHKDSK disk scan or command automatically using the "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors" option. This is done to verify the integrity of your file system volume and rectify logical errors at the same time. To run CHKDSK automatically, follow the steps outlined below:

Step 1. Press the Windows key once.

press the windows key

Step 2. Type "cmd" in the search box.

type cmd in the search box

Step 3. Right-click and select "Run as administrator" to open a command prompt. If the User Account Control (UAC) prompt appears, click Yes to continue.

Step 4. Type "CHKDSK X: /R", then press Enter (X is the backup drive letter).

type and press enter

Step 5. Restart your computer.

restart computer

Method 2: Format the New External HDD Storage Device

Another approach to resolving the issue of "Your data is not yet backed up" involves formatting the new external HDD storage device. While this might seem straightforward, it actually entails more steps compared to the first method. Here's a guide on how to accomplish this:

Step 1. Ensure that the external hard drive is properly connected to the computer.

Step 2. Press the Windows + X key combination, then choose "Windows PowerShell (Admin)" to open it.

Open Windows PowerShell

Step 3. Type "Get-Disk" to identify the disk to be formatted.

type get-disk

Step 4. Locate the external drive name under the Friendly Name column.

Step 5. Type "Clear-Disk –Number Y  –RemoveData" and press Enter. Here, "Y" represents the drive number assigned to your backup drive; it could be 2, as shown in the image below.

type codes and press enter

Step 6. Next, type "Y" and press Enter.

Step 7. Type "New-Partition -DiskNumber Y -UseMaximumSize -IsActive -DriveLetter Z" and press Enter to create a new partition. Here, 'Z' signifies the drive letter you want to assign to your USB or external HDD, and 'Y' represents the drive number assigned to your backup drive, for instance, 3.

Step 8. Input the command "Format-Volume -DriveLetter Z -FileSystem NTFS -NewFileSystemLabel USB" to format the external hard drive or USB to NTFS File System.

Method 3: Delete WindowsImageBackup Folder

As previously mentioned, an inaccessible WindowsImageBackup folder can lead to the "your data is not yet backed up" issue. To eliminate this folder and resolve the problem, follow these steps:

Step 1. Type "cmd" in the search box.

Step 2. Right-click the best match result and select "Run as administrator".

Type cmd in the search box and run as administrator

Step 3. In the black screen that appears, type "dir /s /a K:\WindowsImageBackup" and press Enter. Make sure to replace "K" with the correct backup drive letter.

Step 4. Finally, type "rd /s /q Q:\WindowsImageBackup" and press Enter to delete the WindowsImageBackup folder.

Method 4: Use Professional Backup Software to Backup Windows

The above three methods can assist in resolving the issue of data requiring backup. However, incorrect input of commands might lead to booting issues. To prevent the need for data backup and ensure safety, a more reliable solution is to use professional backup software like tools Todo Backup Home. This software is a trustworthy backup solution with a long-standing reputation in the field of data security.

Todo Backup Home is software designed for data backup on Windows systems, offering system image recovery and system restore functions, as well as data restoration. It boasts an exceptionally professional and powerful performance, making it easy for you to accomplish backups. Please read below to explore its main features:

    • Simple Backup Mode: Supports scheduled backup and automatic backup, ensuring the security of your data and enhancing your work efficiency.
    • Comprehensive Backup Types: Offers various backup options, including full backup, incremental backup, and differential backup, allowing you to tailor a unique personal backup plan.
    • Reliable Cloning Utility: Todo Backup enables you to clone hard drives, effortlessly accomplishing backup, system upgrades, data copying, risk mitigation, and other computer tasks.

Here are the steps you can take to create a disk backup:

Step 1. Open Todo Backup tool and choose "Create Backup" on the home page, then click "Select backup contents".

create disk backup step1

Step 2. Since you want to back up your disk, simply click "Disk" to initiate the backup process.

create disk backup step2

Step 3. Todo Backup offers you options. You can choose to back up a whole disk or a certain partition as needed, and then click "OK".

disk partition backup

Step 4.  Choose the destination where you wish to save the backup. You can opt to save the disk to a local drive or to a NAS (Network-Attached Storage) device.

Disk backup step5

Step 5. Click "Backup Now". After the backup process is done, you can right-click on any of the tasks to manage your backup, like recovering it, creating an incremental backup, and more.

Disk backup step6

Final Thought

Although you can opt for any of the methods above to fix the "your data is not yet backed up" issue, using the Todo Backup Home tool is more advantageous since it lets you perform backups quickly without encountering any black screen on your PC.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why is my backup file 0 bytes in size?

There is a high possibility that the backup drive is corrupted or damaged.

2. How do I fix a 0KB EXE issue?

This issue is caused by the 0KB virus and can be resolved by using automated (anti-virus) software to remove and clean it up.

3. What does it mean when it says 0 bytes?

This means that the .exe file is empty and does not contain any data, so no form of content can be written to or read from it.