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Create a backup in Windows 8: how the backup works

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Backup in Windows 8: How to Set File History
Windows 8: create a backup of the entire system
Automatic regular backups of Windows 8 in the cloud
After the crash: restore Windows 8 backup

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Create a backup in Windows 8: how the backup works

To ensure that you do not lose your data if the system crashes, it is recommended that you make backups, that is, backup copies, regularly. With Windows 8, you don't need to install any additional software for this, since the operating system includes all the necessary backup functions . While Windows 7 offered the possibility of generating backup copies automatically from time to time, Windows 8 relies on the so-called file history . This option creates, so to speak, a minibackup , that is, a backup copy only of files located in libraries such as documents, music, pictures, videos, and the desktop..

Another way to generate backups in Windows 8 is the manual creation of a system image . It is, in this case, a backup of the entire system and not just personal files stored in certain folders. Read on to learn how to use both ways to create a backup in Windows 8.

Index
  1. Backup in Windows 8: How to Set File History
  2. Windows 8: create a backup of the entire system
  3. Automatic regular backups of Windows 8 in the cloud
  4. After the crash: restore Windows 8 backup

Backup in Windows 8: How to Set File History

The easiest way to create a backup in Windows 8 is the automatic file history , which only saves files from personal folders on the partition where Windows is located. The advantage of this option is that Windows automatically saves the data in the background, without the user having to intervene. Here we summarize the essential steps to configure this backup process :

  1. Open the control panel. Can you do it searching? Control panel ? in the search bar of the start menu.
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Search in Windows 8 for? Control Panel?
  1. Click on the menu? System and security ? (only visible in category view).
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In the control panel, go to the category? System and Security? to get to the Windows 8 backup option.
  1. Then select the option? File history ?.
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In the option? File history? You can configure data backup in Windows 8.
  1. Now, choose a disk drive where your Windows 8 backup will be regularly saved (? Select drive?). Above all, make sure that the chosen hard disk has enough space . As a general rule of thumb, the proper model should have at least 32 gigabytes of storage space.
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Click? Select Drive? and choose the disk drive in which to save the backup.
  1. If you want to exclude certain folders from the copy, go to the side menu on the left and select? Exclude folders ?, a function with which you can prevent specific folders from being included in the Windows 8 backup , such as? Images? or that of? Music ?.
  2. Once the changes have been saved, click? Activate ? By doing this, all the files in your personal folders will automatically be saved in the background on your chosen drive. To deactivate the file history you just have to click the "Deactivate" button.

Windows 8: create a backup of the entire system

As an alternative to the file history, you also have the possibility of making a complete backup of your Windows 8 system , which has some advantages: on the one hand, if the system fails , the backup can be opened on another device and thus allows you to return to the I work quickly. On the other hand, it not only saves a copy of the libraries, but of all the data of the system partition, as well as the configuration of the system. This type of backup is, in other words, an exact replica or image of the system and all the saved data. Its implementation in Windows 8, however, must be manual and works as follows:

  1. Open the? Control Panel? and go to the category? System and security ?
  2. As in the previous case, also click on? File history ?.
  3. In the lower left corner, select? System image backup ? (requires administrator rights).
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To create a backup of Windows 8 manually, click, as administrator, on the option? Backup system image ?.
  1. Choose a disk drive to save your Windows 8 backup . This can be a CD, a DVD, a USB stick or a hard disk, either internal or external.
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At this point, choose the appropriate drive to back up your data. Keep in mind that the storage space should cover at least what the system partition occupies.
  1. Click? Make a backup now ? to immediately start the backup of your Windows 8 system. The process may take a few minutes, depending on the size of the system.
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To start Windows 8 backup, click "Back up now".

Automatic regular backups of Windows 8 in the cloud

In addition to the tools built into the system, you can also back up your data with a cloud storage service such as IONOS Cloud Backup. This service allows you to make a backup of Windows 8 with a single click and access it online whenever you need it . In addition, if you want an even more practical option, with storage in HiDrive Cloud you can synchronize the system and your data online through an app at regular intervals. This way you can always access them from any device..

After the crash: restore Windows 8 backup

The biggest advantage of regularly backing up Windows 8 is the ability to restore important files in an emergency. To do this, first open the option? File history ? (in the "System and Security" menu of the control panel). Then click? Restore personal files ? and select the data you want to recover:

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By clicking on the left menu option with the same name, you can restore your personal files.
Note

If you have decided to do a system image backup , you can simply connect the storage unit of your choice to your computer. After restarting the computer, the recovery wizard will start automatically using the system image.

Naturally, you can also create a backup in Windows 10 and Apple devices also have integrated tools to make backups of full or partial Mac systems..


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