You have noticed that the amount of important files on your PC equipped with Windows 10 has increased exponentially, so you are looking for a solution that can put them safely, maybe on a disk or even in the cloud, so as not to lose them in event of unexpected or breakdown of your devices. It seems clear to me that you need a backup and, fortunately, Windows 10 offers many solutions to this effect, both included “standard” and released by third parties as separate downloads.
How do you say? Can not wait to find out how to make Windows 10 PC backups to get you started right away? I am happy to inform you that this is the guide for you: in fact, I will show you the simplest and most effective methods to secure your computer data and restore them in case of need: all without paying a single euro .
In particular, I’ll let you know the various types of backups you can create and then I’ll show you both a default solution included in Windows 10 (which therefore does not require additional software downloads), and some useful external program that can help you reach your goal with minimum effort. That said, now I can only wish you good reading and good backup!
Types of backups
Before catapulting yourself into the world of backup, it is good that you learn simple concepts about what are the types of storage that the various software can exploit. Do not think that, at every backup, all the files are diligently copied on the chosen device, because it is not: there are programs that, using each of the techniques that I will explain shortly, can speed up and optimize the data copy operation, beyond that decrease the size of the resulting backup file. Curious to know how? Read carefully the differences between the various backup techniques that I am going to explain and you will find out.
- Full backup – as the name suggests, it is a complete copy of the files and folders on the chosen device, as they are and without any exclusions. It is a type of backup that is simple to manage, but very long to create.
- Incremental backup – this type of backup only stores files created and modified since the last backup performed, leaving the others unchanged. Therefore, before making an incremental backup you need to create a complete one. It is a solution that generates files of small size but, for recovery, requires the last full backup and all previous incremental backups.
- Full synthetic backup – is identical to incremental backup, but “incorporates” its files into the full backup from which it originates. It is practical and safe, but takes longer to create (due to the merging operation).
- Differential backup – much like incremental backup, it stores files and folders created since the last full backup, leaving everything else intact. Therefore, before creating a differential backup, you need to create at least one full backup. This type of solution is a little more important, in terms of space, than incremental backup, but simpler as regards recovery: to do it, we need the last full backup and only the last differential backup.
So, in summary, each of the methods listed has its merits and its shortcomings: it is up to you to choose the one that best suits your needs and, based on this, the most useful program for your purposes. For more information and all the explanations of the case, I refer you to my guide dedicated to backups .
Create backups with File History
Windows 10 includes a very useful tool for saving data: it is File History, which is very simple to use. This functionality of the operating system allows you to create incremental backups and, if necessary, to execute them completely automatically.
To perform a backup with File History, click the Start button located at the bottom left (the one with the Windows flag icon), then the ⚙ icon in the left sidebar and in the window that appears , select the items Update and securityand Backup .