Don't use Windows built in image backup.
Hi, everyone. Leo Notenboom here for Askleo.com.
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Here's the question I got.
You keep saying that I should not use the backup software built into Windows.
Why not?
Why shouldn't I use it if it's already built in?
Well, there are a couple of things going on here, but first,
the very first thing we need to do is make sure we're talking about the same thing.
Because in reality of late,
Windows includes several different things that could be considered backup.
Specifically, there is a tool in Windows 10 and 11
called, ironically, the Windows 7 Backup and Restore.
That's the image backup program that's built into Windows.
That is what we are going to be talking about today.
There's also something called File History that is an real time ish backup that will
actually back up files as they change to an external drive.
That's not what I'm talking about today.
That's a fine tool to make part of your backup strategy.
And of course, there's One Drive and what
I'll call an assortment of fairly confusing One Drive settings that can also
be, as I often refer to it, an important part of a well balanced backup diet.
But what we're really talking about here is the Windows 7 Backup and restore.
Now, without getting into specifics about why you shouldn't use it at the technical
side, the number one reason you shouldn't be using it is, Microsoft said so.
They now recommend
that you not use the built in Backup and Restore functionality in Windows.
And in fact, have in the past suggested
that instead you need to use a third party tool.
Now, of course, we've talked a lot about
third party tools here at Ask Leo, where we talk about things like
Macrium Reflect or EaseusTodo, or any of several other tools.
But the bottom line here is that even
Microsoft has said this is a tool that you should probably stop using.
It's still there so that you can read old
backups and if you need to, I suppose, create new ones.
But the bottom line here is that Microsoft themselves is suggesting that you no
longer use this tool and they have, I'll even say, threatened to completely
remove the tool from future versions of Windows.
Now, at a technical level, though, why isn't it being supported?
They stopped supporting it.
They stopped making any changes to it since Windows 7.
And in fact, that's why in the user
interface, you'll see it referred to as the Windows 7 backup and restore tool.
Well, I don't know why they haven't continued it.
I would make a lot of sense for them to actually have a backup program built
into Windows that was robust, but it's not.
Honestly, backup in Windows has had a very, very shaky history.
The backup that was included in Windows 7 is what I would consider to be the first
instance of a bare minimum backup program that I would have been willing to rely on.
Now that they're no longer supporting it, of course, the point is moot.
I'm no longer willing to rely on it anyway.
The problem is, though, it actually had some issues.
It was never really a good, complete solution for backing up.
To be clear, the several problems I had
with it include it was almost impossible to tell what it was actually doing.
It doesn't support incremental or differential backups.
Its scheduling options were extremely, extremely limited.
Given that there are so many alternatives,
like I said, ESOS To Do has a free version you can use.
Macrium Reflect has been something
that I've been talking about for a very long time.
There are dozens of other good backup solutions out there.
There really is no reason to rely on what
is now called the Windows 7 backup and restore in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Even Microsoft has suggested that you move
to a third party tool for that type of image backup.
So what do you do?
Well, invest in an alternative.
The paid version of Macrium Reflect is a great program.
If you don't want to pay, Ease's To Do has a free version that is quite good.
There are other alternatives, as I mentioned.
Perform daily backups.
A full image once a month and incrementals
daily is the default plan that I tend to recommend for most people.
Enable File History.
File History is actually pretty cool and is one of those things that will back
up files in more or less real time as you're working on them.
It just requires an external hard drive.
Then consider using One Drive or any of the equival to One Drive for off site
storage to back up your work in progress to the cloud.
But the bottom line here is that the image backup software
referred to as the Windows 7 backup in Windows 10 and Windows 11
is not something you should be investing anymore in.
For updates, for comments,
for links related to this topic and more, visit
askleo.com/155457.
I'm Leo Notenboom and this is askleo.com.
That's it for anks for watching.