Backup My Laptop?

[xmccall]

how do I create a backup to a thumb drive for my laptop?

I need to backup my files to reinstall Windows 11.

[BeemerBiker]

1 - You can use the Windows 11 backup as explained by Google's AI

====from google======

To backup your Windows 11 laptop, open your Start menu, search for "Backup settings", select the option to open it, then choose your preferred backup drive and select which folders you want to back up, like Documents, Pictures, and Desktop, using the built-in Windows Backup feature; you can also use an external hard drive to store your backup data. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Key steps: [1, 2, 3]

• Access Backup settings: Go to your Start menu, type "Backup settings" and select the option. [1, 2, 3]
• Choose your backup drive: Select the external hard drive you want to use for your backup. [1, 4, 6]
• Select folders to back up: Choose which folders like Documents, Pictures, Desktop, etc., you want to include in your backup. [1, 2, 7]
• Start the backup process: Click "Save settings and run backup" to initiate the backup process. [1, 2, 4]

Important points to remember: [8]

• Use the "3-2-1" rule: Ideally, have three copies of your data, on two different local devices, and one offsite backup (like a cloud storage service). [8]
• Consider cloud storage: You can also use OneDrive or another cloud storage service to backup your important files. [2, 7, 8]
• System image backup: For a complete system backup, you can use the "Create a system image" option within the backup settings to capture your entire Windows installation. [1, 2, 3]

Generative AI is experimental.

[1] https://www.acronis.com/en-us/blog/posts/windows-11-backup/

[2] https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/back-up-and-restore-with-windows-backup-87a81f8a-78fa-45...

[3] https://www.asus.com/support/faq/1013067/

[4] https://www.crucial.com/articles/pc-builders/how-to-back-up-a-computer-to-an-external-hard-drive

[5] https://www.kingston.com/en/blog/personal-storage/how-to-backup-drives-windows-mac

[6] https://www.wikihow.com/Copy-Files-to-an-External-Hard-Drive

[7] https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/back-up-your-folders-with-onedrive-d61a7930-a6fb-4b95-b28...

[8] https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/guides/how-to-back-up-your-computer/

====end of google======

2 - You may already have your important files backed up

Log into https://onedrive.live.com using your microsoft credentials and see the files there are all you need.

3 - You can install windows 11 with the option to preserve your documents.  Let me know if you want to do this.

[Lily_Gr]

To create a backup of your files to a thumb drive before reinstalling Windows 11, you can follow these steps:

1. Insert your thumb drive into a USB port on your laptop.
2. Open File Explorer (press Windows key + E) and locate your thumb drive under "This PC."
3. Copy your important files (documents, photos, etc.) and paste them onto the thumb drive. You can either drag and drop or select files and press Ctrl + C to copy, then go to the thumb drive and press Ctrl + V to paste.

Learn more ways to backup files to external hard drive in Windows 11 here:

https://www.ubackup.com/articles/backup-files-to-external-hard-drive-windows-11.html