3 Easy Ways | Backup Files to External Hard Drive on Windows PC

Why do I need to backup computer files?

It is a nagging question while some users still don't attach importance to file backup. They always think "Data loss will never happen to me". But I have heard too many tragedies of people who lost all files because of system crashes, hard disk failures, power surges, or natural disasters, and got badly influenced. So, if you spend much time on your computer, a backup should be a must-have job during your computer experience.

Files backup can help you return things to normal when disaster strikes. By backing up files, you have a copy of your files. In this way, if your computer crashes or is attacked by a virus, you are still able to restore files from backup images to your computer. Unlike disk backup, file backup only backup the files that are of most important to you or cannot easily be replaced, such as financial information, digital photos, music, videos, or programs.

Should I save backup files to an external hard drive?

There are many possible locations for backing up your computer files such as CD/DVD, external hard drive, NAS device, and online storage. But why backup files to an external hard drive? Here are some explanations in the following.

• Separately from your computer. As mentioned above, computer-related issues like system crashes will result in data loss. So, you’d better choose a storage device outside a computer.

• The price is affordable. Nowadays, external hard drives are very reliable and reasonably cheap. The cost of a CD/DVD is also acceptable, but its storage space is not big enough.

• The device is portable and can be taken everywhere. This is very important for users who need to use backup files at different places, such as home, or office.

• Save backup time. Compared with NAS or online storage, backing up your files to an external hard drive does not require a good internet connection. So, the backup time will be less.

How to backup files to an external hard drive (3 ways)

Speaking of how to back up all files on external hard drives in Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, and older versions, you may think about using Windows built-in tools, such as Backup and Restore, and File History. I’ll introduce you how to use them later. However, in the first place, I’ll introduce the easiest way first.

Not a single backup only backup files at a certain time point. To include all the changes made later, you need to create a schedule backup to protect your files continuously.

• Method 1: Backup all files to external hard drive with free backup software (Easiest)
• Method 2: Backup file to external drive with File History
• Method 3: Backup files to external hard drive with Backup and Restore

Method 1: Backup all files to external hard drive with free backup software (Recommend)

AOMEI Backupper Standard is free backup software that allows you to backup files to an external hard drive in Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, and XP. It also supports back up system, disk, and partition if you need it. You can enjoy the following advantages of this software:

Backup files automatically: You do not want to lose any data due to unexpected disasters or forgetting to backup files. You can enable daily backup, weekly backup, and monthly backup to backup them automatically at a regular time.

Backup only changed files instead of full copy: Your backup disk may be fulfilled soon due to accumulated backups if you back up all files every time. To slow down this issue, you can choose only backup changed files with incremental backup.

Other useful features: If you are worried that your computer may fail, you can choose to create a boootable USB or CD/DVD in advance.

Then, download this software and install it on your computer. Please connect your external hard drive to the computer and make sure it can be accessible.

(PS: This version only supports Windows 7/8/10/11. If you are currently using a server system, try AOMEI Backupper Server.)

1. Launch this software, and choose "Backup" and "File Backup" subsequently.

2. Click “Add File” or “Add Folder” to select the files you want to back up. Also, you can type a new task name in the box if you want to distinguish it from other backups

3. Click the folder-shaped button and then select the connected external disk to store the file backup image.

4. To backup files to an external hard drive automatically, click “Schedule Backup” > "Enable Schedule Backup" and select "Daily", "Weekly", "Monthly", "Event trigger", and "USB plug-in".  The last two options are only available on the professional version.  

5. Afterward, click "Start Backup" to back up files to an external hard drive. It will backup changed files per day if you select daily backup in the previous step. By default, this software uses Incremental Backup, which backs up only changed files since the last backup.

Now, you can disconnect your external hard drive and put it in a safe location. If you replace your computer with a new one, you can also connect the external hard drive and restore files.

✍ Helpful tips:

👉 You may feel good at the beginning, but in the long run, your backup disk may be fulfilled. To resolve this problem completely, you can choose to delete backup files using the By quantity, By time,  By daily/weekly/monthly cleanup method. You need to upgrade the professional or other advanced editions to enjoy it. 

👉 Cloud drive is also a good backup location. It doesn't require a physical connection and it won't be affected by hard disk damage. AOMEI offers users its cloud - AOMEI Cloud. After you sign up for an AOMEI account, you can use 1TB of storage for free within 15 days. 

Method 2: Backup file to an external drive with File History

File History is a free built-in file backup tool, which was launched in Windows 8. This tool allows you to backup all the default and custom Libraries (including Public Folders), plus Contacts, Desktop, and Favorites folders. Windows adds a new feature called “Add Folders” in Windows 10, which can help you backup specific folders.

To backup files with file history, use the steps below:

1. Connect the external drive to your computer, and ensure it can be detected.

2. Click “Start”, type backup in the search box, and select it.

3. Click "Add a drive" and select an external drive. Then, it will turn on the slide button under the “Automatically back up my files” link.

4. Click “More options” to set up backup settings. Scroll down to “Back up my files”, “Keep my backups”, and “Exclude these folders” and select any setting you like. After that, go back to the top of the backup options and click “Back up now” to back up your files immediately.

Method 3: Backup files to external hard drives with Backup and Restore

In Windows 7, there is still a free backup software named “Backup and Restore”, which allows you to backup individual files or the entire system as you like. This tool is kept in Windows 8 and later versions.

To backup files with “Backup and Restore”, follow the detailed steps below:

1. Connect your external hard disk, and then type backup in the search box and select it.

2. Then, click “Set up backup” to add the first backup task.

3. Select the connected external drive, and click Next.

4.  Tick “Let me choose” and click Next.

5.  Check the folders you want to backup and click Next.

6.  Click “Change schedule” to modify the backup settings. After that, click “Save settings and run backup” to start this task. You just need to wait patiently until the operation is completed 100%.

Note: The scheduled backup is set to 7:00 PM every day. If you are not convenient at this time, you can change it to another time.

 Tips on how to backup files to an external hard drive in Windows 11:

If you are currently using Windows 11, the entrance to access File History and Backup and Restore may be a little different. You have two ways in the following.

Way 1: Go to Control Panel > System and Security > File History or Backup and Restore (Windows 7).

Way 2: Go to Settings -> System -> Storage -> Advanced Storage options > Backup options, then scroll down to Back up using File History or Looking for an older backup.

Written in the end

That's all for how to backup files to an external hard drive on a Windows PC. You can use Windows built-in tools, such as Backup and Restore, and File History. Also, you can consider using free backup software like AOMEI Backupper Standard and it's the easiest way. 

It has an intuitive interface, so users can easily and quickly understand the operation. You can backup only changed files per day/week/month if you want to protect your system continuously, which greatly reduces the pressure of running out of disk space. Besides, you can also eliminate this problem by automatic backup cleanup methods in the advanced version. Just try it!