Backing up your Windows PC

A backup is the safety net behind everything else. If a PC is lost, broken, or hit by ransomware, a good backup turns a disaster into an inconvenience. It's the most reassuring hour you'll spend.

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CE: Secure Configuration

A storage device used for backing up data

Cyber Nova AI helps you prepare for Cyber Essentials. It doesn't award or certify it. Follow the steps here to get ready, then apply for certification through an accredited Cyber Essentials body when you're set.

The 3-2-1 rule

A simple rule to aim for: three copies of anything important, on two different types of storage, with one kept separately from your PC. It sounds like a lot, but the tools below get you most of the way with little effort.

The Windows tools

A few built-in tools do the heavy lifting:

OneDrive backs up your Documents, Pictures, and Desktop to the cloud automatically, and it's built into Windows.
File History copies your files to an external drive on a schedule. Set it up under Settings > System > Storage or search for File History.
Windows Backup helps you save settings and files, handy when moving to a new PC.

3 steps

Keep one copy disconnected

Ransomware can only reach what's connected. So keep at least one backup that isn't always plugged in, such as an external drive you connect for backups and then unplug, or a cloud copy.

Test it now and then

A backup only counts if it works. Every so often, open a backed-up file to confirm you can actually restore it. Better to find a problem today than on the day you need it.

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