Backups for Windows can be confusing, especially with Windows 7 and 8 where there are several tools integrated with different names. The important thing is to know that with a Windows PC there is no need to install external or commercial programs to have a backup of the computer, just use the internal Windows tools.
Precisely there are seven backup tools in Windows 7, 8 and 10, to be known and also used all together on the PC
1) Backup and restore in Windows 7
Windows 7 has its own backup and restore functionality which allows you to create backup copies manually or on a scheduled basis.
The backup tool is located in the Control Panel and another article was explained in the guide on how to create a system image in Windows 7 as a rescue disk .
This tool is still present in Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 and also allows you to create a system image that includes system files, installed programs and personal files.
In another article, Windows 10 backup guide
2) System Restore
System restore in Windows has always been there and that in Windows 7 and 8 works as a sort of automatic system backup.
Windows automatically creates backup copies of important system files so that if something goes wrong, you can go back to the previous configuration and resolve any problems.
This is not a way to save personal files but a troubleshooting tool.
In another article the guide on how to restore the system configuration of Windows 10, 7 and 8 .
Attention that in Windows 10 the configuration restore must be activated.
3) "Previous versions" of Windows 7
In Windows 7, previous versions of files can be recovered on demand.
Previous versions of modified or deleted files are recovered from the main backup or even from the restore points if they are system files.
When Windows 7 creates system restore point, it will sometimes contain personal files. Earlier versions allows you to extract your personal files from recovery points.
Another article explains how to restore a modified or deleted file in Windows 7.
In Windows 8, there is no such functionality because system restore does not create backup copies of personal files (see next point).
4) File history in Windows 10 and 8
Windows 8 has replaced Windows 7 backup with File History.
This function is not enabled by default and must be turned on from the PC Settings of the right sidebar, in the Update and restore section.
It is, in fact, an easy way to create backup copies of files on an external disk or on a network location.
File History is the Windows 8 Backup tool which also works as the tool of previous versions.
By opening File History from the Control Panel you can choose in the backup settings which folders to save as a copy and how often to do the incremental backup.
READ ALSO: How to backup files and restore in Windows 10
5) Storage spaces in Windows 10 and 8
Storage Spaces is a function that can be used from the Windows 8 Control Panel that allows you to set up a kind of RAID.
For example, it is possible to use two hard disks of the same size to mirror them, ie making them mirror one another.
The disks are seen as a single drive and the data is written to both simultaneously so that if one of the disks breaks, the data is on the other and the computer continues to work smoothly.
This is not a good long-term backup solution, but it is a way of ensuring that you never lose important files, even if a disk breaks.
6) Backup settings on the Microsoft account
In Windows 10 and 8.1 you can backup your Windows settings to your Microsoft account so that you can use them on any other Windwos 8 PC you use.
To use this feature, you need to log in to your computer using a regular Microsoft account.
The backup of the settings in OneDrive is activated automatically, but it can be deactivated by going to PC Settings from the right sidebar of Windows 8, section OneDrive -> synchronization settings .
7) OneDrive Cloud Storage
Microsoft hasn't publicized Windows 8's File History feature much because it wants users to use the backup in Onedrive, the former Skydrive.
OneDrive has been added to the Windows 8.1 desktop and can be used to save personal files online, in your cloud account.
The files then become accessible from any other computer, smartphone, tablet, or even via the web.
As seen in another article, you can disable Onedrive in Windows (or hide it)
If you don't like all these tools, you can ignore them to use free PC backup programs.
The important thing is to ensure the safety of important files, which are saved on an external or additional drive, so as not to lose them if the hard disk breaks or if you will be asked to reinstall Windows.
