How to Set up Automatic Backup at Shutdown in Windows 7

Should you backup before computer shutdown?

Considering the consequence of data loss and the enormous reasons behind it, many people want to backup their computer once they finish working on it. When would that be? Clearly, when you want to shut down your computer, you definitely have created or saved new files.

However, you may not shut down your computer at the same time every day, so you cannot just set up a regular scheduled backup triggered at certain point of time. In Windows 7, it is not a built-in feature to backup at shutdown automatically, but there is a workaround for it.

How to backup Windows 7 at shutdown

To let Windows run backups at shutdown, you may first think of Task Scheduler, a Windows snap-in tool to perform scheduled tasks. However, Task Scheduler may only works for short tasks. Usually, it only takes a few seconds to shut down or restart system, so it is not enough for a Windows 7 backup to complete. The best way is to use local Group Policy Editor. You can use it to run a backup script or WBAdmin start backup command with parameters.

To schedule a backup at shutdown:

1. Press Win + R to open Windows Run box. Type “gpedit.msc” in the Run box and press Enter.

2. In the pop out window, navigate to Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Scripts (Startup/Shutdown). Then, double click on “Shutdown”.

3. At the next screen, click “Add” to add a script or input a WBAdmin start backup command.

4. Click “Apply” to apply the changes.

There might be other workarounds to run backups before shutdown, but Group Policy Editor should be the easiest way if you only look for the built-in utility. However, if you are running Home version, then you are not allowed to edit anything in Group Policy Editor. In that case, you can always switch to third party software which makes things easier.

Let Windows 7 backup at shutdown with AOMEI Backupper

AOMEI Backupper Professional is specialized backup software for Windows 7/8/10 that gives you the ability to perform backup immediately when a system shutdown event is triggered. Like Windows 7 Backup and Restore tool, scheduled backup will be performed as incremental backup by default.

To create an automatic/schedule backup at shutdown:

1. Download the free trial of AOMEI Backupper Professional and run it on your computer.

2. At its main interface, click the “Backup” tab, and then it will take you to the next screen to select a backup type depending on what you want to include in the backup. Here “System Backup” it is.

3. For system backup, the program will, by default, select the needed partitions for a full system recovery into the backup source. Click the second bar to select the destination location.

4. Click the “Schedule” option at the bottom. In a pop-out window, select “Event Triggers” from the dropdown menu under “General” and select the “System shutdown” event.

5. Click “Start Backup” to add this schedule or run it immediately. Then a system backup will be taken when a system shutdown event is triggered.

Summary

To perform Windows 7 backup at shutdown automatically, you can use Group Policy Editor to run WBAdmin command at Shutdown or use third-party software to set up automatic backup.

If you do not want to mess up your computer with something you do not trust its original source, you can always try AOMEI Backupper. It also enables you to create bootable media to restore the system to previous date when Windows fails to load.