How to Automatically Backup When a USB Drive is Inserted

USB flash drives provide the convenience of carrying important files and folders around. However, if you lose it, that information is gone forever. It's necessary and important to back up your USB drive regularly to protect your data.

Are you also looking for a way to automatically backup USB drive upon insertion? This guide from Tools will introduce you to a professional and reliable tool that helps back up files on your USB drive every time it's inserted.

Tool: Todo Backup - Automatic USB Flash Drive Backup Software

It would be a good idea to develop a backup and recovery software that could save files both to an internal hard disk and an external storage device, such as a USB stick. Even better if the data files backed up automatically whenever Windows detected that the flash drive was plugged in and recognized.

Actually, something like Todo Backup tool is such a backup program that can automatically save backups to a USB drive (including disks and partitions, files, games, apps, system data, and more). Plus, it's the most user-friendly software so far, making it super easy and quick to back up files to a USB drive.

To create an automatic USB flash drive backup, set it up as follows: Options > Backup Schedule > On Event > When a USB is inserted. You can also set up a regular backup to occur on a daily, weekly, monthly, and so on, schedule.

?Related Reading: How to Backup USB to OneDrive | Best USB Backup Software

How to Automatically Backup a USB Drive on Insertion

Next, download and install the Windows backup software Todo Backup on your Windows 11/10/8/7 PC. Prepare a USB flash drive (supporting any brand and capacity USB drive, whether it's 2/4/8/16/32/128GB from SanDisk, Toshiba, Transcend, Lexar, Sony, Kingston, or Samsung), and connect it properly to the computer where you have installed Todo Backup.

To automatically save backups to a USB drive, follow these steps:

Step 1: Choose What to Back Up

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

Step 3: Choose to back up the entire disk or a particular partition, as you need, and then 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 NAS.

Step 6: Once the backup is done, the task will be listed on the left. Right-click on any task and you can manage your backups further, such as restoring a backup or creating an incremental backup.

Final Words

Lastly, **automatically backing up USB drives upon insertion** is crucial for safeguarding important data. As people increasingly rely on USB flash drives for storing and transferring files, the risk of data loss or damage also significantly increases. To address this issue, a reliable backup solution is necessary.

Todo Backup stands out as a clear winner among the available options. It is the best choice for ensuring continuous and effective backups of your USB drive. With this reliable tool, users can easily safeguard their critical data and minimize the impact of any potential disasters.

Frequently Asked Questions About Automatic Backup USB 1. What is an Automatic Backup USB? Answer: An Automatic Backup USB is a feature that allows users to periodically or automatically copy data from a USB device to another storage location when it's inserted into a computer, ensuring data safety and preventing loss. 2. Why do I need an Automatic Backup USB? Answer: Data on USB devices can be lost due to accidental damage, loss, or virus attacks. Automatic backup ensures your important files are always up-to-date and have a secure copy. 3. How do I set up an Automatic Backup USB? Answer: This typically requires backup software. Install a program on your computer that supports this function, such as Windows' "File History" or a third-party backup tool, and then configure the backup schedule and target location according to the software's instructions. 4. How much storage space does an Automatic Backup USB require? Answer: It depends on the amount of data you're backing up. Ensure your backup storage device has enough space to accommodate all important files. Regularly cleaning and managing backups is also advisable. 5. Does an Automatic Backup affect my computer's performance? Answer: Generally, the backup process runs in the background and has minimal impact on your computer's performance. However, if backup files are large or backups are frequent, it might slightly slow down your computer. 6. How can I recover data if my USB device is lost? Answer: If you have an automatic backup, simply restore the data from your backup storage location. Make sure you know where your backup is stored and use the same backup software to retrieve your files. 7. Can I set it to back up specific file types only? Answer: Most backup software allows you to choose specific file types or folders for backup. This way, you can exclude unimportant files and only back up critical data. 8. Does the Automatic Backup encrypt data? Answer: It depends on the backup software used. Some offer encryption options for increased data security. If your data is sensitive, it's recommended to enable encryption. 9. How do I set the backup frequency? Answer: You can set it based on your needs. It can be daily, weekly, monthly, or automatically when the USB device is inserted. Adjust the backup schedule according to how frequently your data updates. 10. How are updated files handled in the backup? Answer: Most automatic backup systems detect changes in files and only update the altered parts, saving time and storage space. Ensure your backup software has this feature.

Can I leave a USB drive plugged in all the time?

While it is generally safe to leave a USB drive plugged in, it is not recommended for several reasons.

First, leaving a drive plugged in can lead to accelerated wear and tear, limiting its lifespan. Second, there is a small risk of data corruption or loss if a drive is disconnected or removed while it is in use. And, if the USB drive contains sensitive or important data, leaving it inserted in a computer increases the security risk in case the machine is attacked or stolen.

How to set up automatic backups to an external drive in Windows 11: 1. Connect the external drive: First off, make sure your external hard drive is properly plugged into your computer. 2. Open the "File History" settings: - Click the Start button in the bottom left corner. - Type "File History" in the search bar and click on the "File History" setting from the search results. - Or, access it via Control Panel: right-click Start, select "Control Panel," then "System and Security," and finally "File History." 3. Turn on File History: - In the "File History" window, if you see "Turn off File History," that means it's disabled. Click "Turn on." - If it's already on, ensure "More options" under "Configure backup" is selected. 4. Pick a backup spot: - After clicking "More options," look for a dropdown under "Back up to a different location." From there, choose your external drive as the backup destination. 5. Customize backup settings: - On this same page, adjust how often backups occur (like hourly or daily) and how many versions to keep. - You can also exclude certain folders from being backed up, if needed. 6. Kick off the backup: - When done with settings, hit "Save changes" or "Start backup" to initiate the file backup process to your chosen external drive. Keep in mind that some Windows 11 features might vary slightly from the steps above, but the overall process should be similar. If you can't locate specific options, double-check that your Windows updates are current.

1. Connect the target external hard drive to your computer. 2. In Windows 11, navigate to "Settings" > "System" > "Storage" > "Advanced storage settings" > "Backup options." 3. Under "Use File History for backups," click "Add a device" to select your external hard drive. 4. Toggle the "Automatically back up my files" switch to enable or disable automatic backups.