Creating frequent backups is one of the best ways to protect your documents, pictures, videos, custom configurations, and Windows 10 files against software problems, hardware failure, hackers, and malware (for instance viruses and ransomware) attacks.

Although there are many third-party utilities that you can use, Windows 10 ships with the legacy “Backup and Restore” experience, which allows you to create full backups automatically at regular intervals.

A full backup using this tool means that Windows 10 will make a copy of everything on your computer, including installation files, settings, apps, and all your files stored in the primary drive, as well as those files stored in different locations. Then when your device suddenly stops working, a critical error prevents the device from starting correctly, or files get damaged, you can use the “Backup and Restore” feature to recover individual files or the entire system as necessary. Backing up should be an essential part of everyone’s regular routine, whether you work in an office or work at home.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to set up full backups of your Windows 10 device automatically.

How to set up automatic backups on Windows 10

To configure automatic backups on Windows 10, use these steps:

Important: Backup and Restore is no longer a maintained feature on Windows 10. You can still use it, but in the future, it may stop working. Also, as a deprecated feature, Microsoft can decide to remove this tool in future releases completely.

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Click on Update & Security.
  3. Click on Backup.
  4. Under the “Looking for an older backup” section, click the Go to Backup and Restore option.
  5. Under the “Backup” section, click the Set up backup option on the right.
  6. Select the removable drive to store the automatic backups.
  7. Click the Next button.
  8. Under the “What do you want to backup?” section, select the Let me choose option.
    Quick tip: You can select the Let Windows choose option, but if you want to make sure that everything you want is getting backed up, the Let me choose is the option that you want to select.
  9. Click the Next button.
  10. Under the “Data Files” section, check all the items as necessary.
  11. Under the “Computer” section, check the Local Disk (C:). (If you have multiple drives, they will also appear in this list.)
  12. Check the Include a system of drives: System Reserved, (C:) option.
  13. Click the Next button.
  14. Click the Change schedule option.
  15. Check the Run backup on a schedule option.
  16. Specify the frequency, date, and time when Windows 10 should backup your computer. Quick tip: If you’re working with essential data, such as work files, you should consider backing up using the “Daily” option.
  17. Click the OK button.
  18. Click the Save settings and exit button.

Once you complete the steps, an initial backup of your device will be created, and then incremental backups will be performed on the schedule you specified.

During the process, you can click the View details button to see more information about the files being copied and an option to interrupt the process (if necessary). After the backup is complete, in the “Backup” section, you’ll be able to view the current size of the backup and drive location as well as the date and time of the next and previous backup.

How to manage backup settings on Windows 10

After configuring the automatic backup feature on Windows 10, you can manage many of the settings to prevent running out of space in the backup drive and changing the schedule to a different date and time.

Freeing up backup space

To free up space on the backup drive, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Click on Update & Security.
  3. Click on Backup.
  4. Under the “Looking for an older backup” section, click the Go to Backup and Restore option.
  5. Under the “Backup” section, click the Manage space option.
  6. Under the “Data file backup” section, click the View backups button.
  7. Select the oldest backup.
  8. Click the Delete button.
  9. Repeat steps No. 7 and 8 to delete additional backups as necessary.
  10. Click the Close button.
  11. Under the “System image” section, click the Change settings button.
  12. Select the Keep only the latest system image and minimize space used by backup option.
  13. Click the OK button.
  14. Click the Delete button.
  15. Click the Close button.

After you complete the steps, the external drive should have more space to allocate future backups.

If you have a lot of data to protect and optimizing the backup drive storage doesn’t make a difference, you should consider getting a larger external storage.

Changing backup schedule

To set a different schedule to run backups automatically on Windows 10, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Click on Update & Security.
  3. Click on Backup.
  4. Under the “Looking for an older backup” section, click the Go to Backup and Restore option.
  5. Under the “Schedule” section, click the Change settings link.
  6. Continue with the on-screen directions (without changing the settings) until you arrive in the Review your backup settings page.
  7. Click the Change schedule option.
  8. Specify a new schedule for the backup.
  9. Click the OK button.
  10. Click the Save settings and exit button.

Once you complete the steps, backups will run automatically during the new schedule that you specified.

Creating restore media

When the time comes to restore your computer from backup, you’ll need a bootable media. Although the tool includes an option to create a disc to boot your device to restore a backup, newer devices don’t come with disc drives anymore.

If you don’t have a disc drive, you’ll need to use the Media Creation Tool to create a USB bootable media, which you can use to access the recovery environment when your computer doesn’t boot.

In the case that you still have a disc drive, insert a writable blank disc, and use these steps:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Click on Update & Security.
  3. Click on Backup.
  4. Under the “Looking for an older backup” section, click the Go to Backup and Restore option.
  5. Click the Create a system repair disc option from the left pane.
  6. Click the Create disc button.

After you complete the steps, you can use the disc or USB bootable media to start your computer in the Advanced startup mode to recover your files.