Understanding Windows 8 Backup System

Introduction

In this article we are explaining how the Windows 8 Backup system differs from Windows 7. In Windows 8 the file history replaces the Windows 7 Windows backup. If we use Windows backup and update to Windows 8, then we will see many differences. Windows 8 provides a new revamped backup system. Today, only 5% of PCs use Windows backup. The new file history system works automatically in the background and is designed to be simple to set up. 

Step 1

First we start the Windows 8 start screen.

 Windows8-start-screen.jpg

Step 2

Click the desktop and open the Control Panel.

 All-control-panel-items-in-windows8.jpg

Step 3

We select Windows 7 file recovery and open it.

 Windows7-file-recovery.jpg

Step 4

When we enter the Windows 7 file recovery page then we click Set up backup in the Windows 8 Control Panel.

 Open-Set-up-backup-page-in-windows8.jpg

Step 5

Select where we want to save our backup to.

 Select-Drive-in-windows8-control-panel.jpg

Step 6

After this process we select the Let me choose radio button.

 Select-Let-me-chcose-tab-in-windows8.jpg

Step 7

With Windows 7, we can back up any file (such as, personal files, programs files, and also system files) from our PCs. If we restore our PCs in the future, then we create a full system image. Then we choose our recovery data.

 Set-up-backup-in-windows8.jpg

Step 8

After this process we can no longer create full system images, and we can't back up everything on our hard drive. We can only back up files in your libraries, files on your desktop, your contacts, and your browser favorites. Windows 8 File history is designed to protect user's personal files which are generally irreplaceable.

 File-History-n-windows8.jpg

If we want to back up a folder elsewhere on our hard disk, we can add it to a library and tell Windows 8 to back up that library.

Step 9

Then we continues Backup, and review our backup setting.

 Review-backup-setting-in-windows8.jpg

Step 10

When setting up a backup in Windows 8, the default is a continuous backup that automatically takes a snapshot of the latest versions of our files every hour.

 Advance-setting-in-windows8.jpg

Step 11

Restoring files from File History documents.

 Documents-in-windows8.jpg

Step 12

You can restore a previous version of a file by right-clicking it and using its properties window, but this previous version of a file may come from elsewhere, such as a system restore point – not necessarily from a backup taken with Windows Backup.

 properties-in-windows8.jpg

Step 13

Windows 8's File History also has some other features that work with the way people actually use backups.

Recommend-drive-in-windows8.jpg

For example, it's easier to set up – when we connect an external hard drive, we'll be asked whether we want to use it for backup. We can no longer use an internal drive for backups – we'll need an external drive or network location. This helps enforce good backup practice – there's no sense backing up our files to another partition on the same hard disk; we'll lose everything if the hard disk fails.

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