Windows 7 stopped receiving security updates in January 2020, so if you still have a Windows 7 PC, a current backup is more important than ever: older hard drives fail, and you’ll eventually want to move your files to a newer computer. Windows 7 includes a capable backup tool called Backup and Restore that can save your files and a full system image to an external drive. This guide shows how to use it, how to make a manual copy, and how to get your files onto a new PC.
Quick Answer
Connect an external hard drive, open Start > Control Panel > System and Security > Backup and Restore, and click Set up backup. Choose the external drive, select Let Windows choose (or pick folders yourself), and click Save settings and run backup. For a full copy of the whole system, also click Create a system image.
Before You Start
- Get an external drive at least as large as the data you’re backing up, and ideally larger than the whole used space on your C: drive if you’ll make a system image.
- Format it as NTFS (system images require NTFS). Most new drives come as exFAT; you can reformat in Computer > right-click the drive > Format, which erases it.
- Delete files you don’t need and empty the Recycle Bin to make the backup smaller and faster.
Method 1: Back Up Files With Backup and Restore
- Plug in the external drive.
- Click Start, type backup, and open Backup and Restore.
- Click Set up backup.
- Select your external drive and click Next.
- Choose Let Windows choose (recommended) to back up your libraries, desktop, and default Windows folders, plus a system image if there’s space. Or choose Let me choose to pick specific folders and drives.
- Review the settings. Click Change schedule if you want automatic backups (for example, weekly) while the drive is connected.
- Click Save settings and run backup.
The first backup can take hours depending on how much data you have. Later scheduled backups only copy what’s changed.
Method 2: Create a System Image
A system image is an exact copy of your drive: Windows, programs, settings, and files. You can restore it to get the PC back exactly as it was, even onto a replacement hard drive.
- In Backup and Restore, click Create a system image on the left.
- Choose On a hard disk and select the external drive.
- Confirm the drives to include (the system drive and the small System Reserved partition are selected automatically).
- Click Start backup.
- When it finishes, click Yes when asked to create a system repair disc, which lets you restore the image if Windows won’t start. You’ll need a blank CD or DVD.
Keep in mind that restoring a system image replaces everything on the target drive. For moving to a new PC, file backups (Method 1 or 3) are more useful than an image.
Method 3: Copy Files Manually
For a simple, easy-to-open backup that any computer can read:
- Open Start > your user name to see your personal folders.
- Select Documents, Pictures, Music, Videos, Desktop, Downloads, and Favorites.
- Drag them onto the external drive (or right-click, Copy, then Paste on the drive).
Don’t forget files stored elsewhere, such as a separate D: drive, email data files (for example, Outlook .pst files), browser bookmarks (export them from the browser), and saved game folders.
What About Cloud Backup?
Many cloud services have dropped Windows 7 support. OneDrive’s desktop app, for example, stopped syncing on Windows 7 in 2022. You can still upload files through a service’s website in a supported browser, but an external drive is the most reliable option on Windows 7. Note that current versions of most browsers no longer run on Windows 7 either.
Verify Your Backup
- Open the external drive on the Windows 7 PC and spot-check a few files.
- In Backup and Restore, click Restore my files and browse the backup to confirm your folders are there (you can cancel before restoring).
- If possible, plug the drive into another computer and open some files.
Restore Files on a New Windows 10 or 11 PC
- Manual copies: Just copy the folders from the external drive into your new user folders.
- Windows 7 backup files: On Windows 10, open Control Panel > Backup and Restore (Windows 7) and click Select another backup to restore files from. On Windows 11, the same tool is available in Control Panel as Backup and Restore (Windows 7), and it can read Windows 7 file backups.
- Reinstall programs on the new PC rather than copying them; programs don’t transfer by copying files.
Troubleshooting
- Backup fails with an error code: Check that the drive has enough space and run chkdsk /f on the external drive from an administrator Command Prompt.
- Drive not shown as a backup location: Some USB flash drives can’t hold system images. Use an external hard drive, formatted NTFS.
- Backup is very slow: Use a USB 3.0 port and cable if your PC has one (often blue), and close other programs.
Summary
- Connect an NTFS-formatted external drive.
- Open Backup and Restore and click Set up backup.
- Create a system image and a repair disc for full recovery.
- Also copy key folders manually for an easy-to-open backup.
- Verify the backup, then plan your move to a supported version of Windows.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.