Fixed: Windows 11 Backup Options are Missing

User Case: File History and Backup Disappeared

“I have just updated to Windows 11. Unfortunately, the menu to make back-up with "file history security update" to external drive (via USB) has disappeared. I need very much to have this function which worked fine with windows 10. Can this function be upgraded to windows 11 ???”

-Question from Windows 11 Forums

The new Windows 11 comes with many new and existing backup options that allow us to easily create new backups and restore old ones. However, many Windows 11 users reported that some backup options are missing in their systems. As a result, they are unable to use them.

This article provides some effective ways to help you retrieve missing backup options. Read on if you are interested.

Consequences Of Missing Windows 11 Backup Options

Windows 11 Backup and Restore (Windows 7) is a free built-in tool from Microsoft that helps you backup and restore your files. It can backup files less than 4GB in size. But Windows 11 Backup and Restore (Windows 7) can only restore files to the same computer used to create the backup.

File History for Windows 11 remains the file/folder backup tool in Microsoft Windows. Like Windows 10 File History, Windows 11 File History enables users to automatically back up files including documents, pictures, music, videos, desktop, downloads, OneDrive, contacts, and more to another internal or external hard drive every few minutes, every few hours, or once a day.

Due to the lack of Windows 11 backup option, you may face various consequences.

• Cannot quickly restore a backup of Windows 11.
• Cannot recover from virus infections, system crashes or disk failure errors.
• System data will always be at risk.
• Cannot create a system image.

Don't worry, reading this guide can help you fix Windows 11 backup options missing issue.

How to Fix Windows Backup Options Missing Error

Before trying the solutions mentioned below, you need to first identify which backup option is missing in your Windows 11 PC. Once you are sure, start following the below mentioned guide to fix it and make the backup option work again.

#1. Fix Backup and Restore Missing in Windows 11

If the Backup and Restore (Windows 7) features are missing from your Windows 11 system, please follow the solutions mentioned below carefully to get them back.

✨ Method 1. Enable Volume Shadow Copy

One of the solutions to the backup and restore loss issue on Windows 11 is to ensure that Volume Shadow Copy is enabled. You can follow the steps mentioned below to turn on the Volume Shadow Copy service.

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog. Then type Services.msc in the search bar.

2. Find Volume Shadow Copy in the Services tab. Right-click on it and select Properties.

3. If the service is running, the Start button will not be clickable. If not, click Start to open the Volume Shadow Copy service. Finally, click Apply and close the window.

✨ Method 2. Use CHKDSK Command to Retrieve Missing Windows 11 Backup Options

If you are experiencing the Windows 11 backup options missing error, it is possible that there is something wrong with your hard disk that is causing the problem. You can fix all the disk errors by executing a command in the Command Prompt.

1. Press Win + S to open the search box. Type command prompt and open the Command Prompt with administrator privileges in the best match.
2. Copy and paste the following command in Command Prompt. Replace the X in the command with your hard drive letter.

• chkdsk /r X:

3. Then click the Enter button and enter Y to start the scanning process. Once the scanning process is complete, reboot the system and check that the Backup and Restore (Windows 7) option on Windows 11 is back.

#2. Fix Windows 11 File History Missing Error

Another scenario where Windows 11 backup option is missing is that File History feature is missing in their Windows 11 PC. If you are also facing the same problem, you can follow the below-mentioned fixes to overcome this issue.

✨ Method 1. Enable the File History service

First you need to make sure that the service is enabled. Below are the steps to ensure and enable the File History service.

1. Open the Services app as mentioned before. Find the File History Service in the Services tab.

2. Double-click the File History Service to open its properties. Then click the Start button to start the File History service.

3. Finally, set the Startup type option to "Automatic (Delayed Start)". Finally, click Apply to save all settings.

✨ Method 2. Turn on the File History Option

If the File History backup feature is missing on Windows 11, it is possible that the File History option is disabled on your Windows 11 system. You will need to follow the steps described to enable the File History option.

1. First, press Win + S to open the search box and type in File History. Then open the File History settings from the search results.

2. Then, click Turn on to enable the File History option on your computer.

3. Finally, restart your computer and check if the missing File History backup option is now present in its respective location.

✨ Method 3. Run SFC Scan Command to Fix Missing Backup Options

Finally, you can also try using the System File Checker Scan command to scan for all system errors and fix them immediately. This may help you to fix Windows 11 backup options missing errors.

1. Run the Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Copy the following command into CMD and hit Enter key to run it.

• sfc /scannow

3. Once it is done, reboot the system and check the status of the problem.

Best Free Backup Software to Protect Your Windows 11 PC Data

The missing Windows 11 backup option is just one of the many problems with the Windows 11 backup tool. Other issues such as Windows File History not working can affect our daily use. It can be time and energy consuming to find the appropriate solution.

Therefore, I recommend that you always have a free third-party software to help you protect your computer's data and system. AOMEI Backupper Standard is your best choice because it works with all Windows PCs, including Windows 11/10/8/8.1/7/Vista/XP, etc. It provides you with:

🥯 Different backup methods: File Backup, System Backup, Disk Backup and Partition Backup. You can choose the kind you want.
🍨 Intelligent backup methods: Incremental Backup and Differential Backup (available in Pro edition). Incremental backup only backs up data that has changed or been newly added since the last backup.
🥘 Automatic backups: you can set to create backup tasks in daily, weekly or monthly mode.
🧁 Multiple backup destinations: You can synchronize or backup files to the cloud, NAS, local disk or external hard disk, etc.

To backup the files in your computer, launch the software and click Backup -> File Backup in order. Then the software will ask you to select the files or folders you want to back up and the backup destination. After finishing all settings, click Start Backup.

Final Words

In this article, you will learn about the possible consequences of Windows 11 backup option missing problem and how to fix it. Also, at the end of the article, you will find the best alternative to the backup software that comes with Windows 11 - AOMEI Backupper Standard.

With its help, you won't encounter any backup problems and you can create backups of your computer data or system anytime and anywhere to keep them safe. After upgrading to a more advanced version, you can even encrypt your hard drive or important files.