When Windows backupis turned on, Windows backs up the settings you choose across all your Windows 11 devices that you've signed in to with your Microsoft account.
Turn on Windows backup
To turn on Windows backup and choose your backup settings, select Start > Settings > Accounts > Windows backup.
Open Windows backup settings
The following items can be backed up:
How to stop backing up items
To stop backing upyour settings and remove them from the cloud, turn off Windows backup settings on all the devices connected to your Microsoft account. After this is done, you'll need toremove these settings from your account. Here's how:
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Go to account.microsoft.com/devices.
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At the bottom of the page, select Clear stored settings.
When Sync settings is turned on, Windows syncs the settings you choose across all your Windows 10 devices that you've signed in to with your Microsoft account.
Note:You can also sync your settingsfor a work or school account if it’s allowed by your organization. For more info about how Azure Active Directory and Enterprise State Roaming work to synchronize user and app settings to the cloud, see Enterprise State Roaming overview.
To find Sync settings, selectStart, then select Settings > Accounts > Sync your settings .
Choose from settings such as language preferences, passwords, and color themes. If you turn onOther Windows settings, Windows also syncs some device settings (for things like printers and mouse options), File Explorer settings, and notification preferences. For a complete list of settings that Windows can sync, seeWindows 10 roaming settings reference.
Open Sync settings
To stop syncing your settings and remove them from the cloud, turn off synced settings on all the devices connected to your Microsoft account. After this is done, you'll need toremove it from your account. Here's how:
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Go to https://account.microsoft.com/devices.
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Scroll down to the bottom of the page and selectClear stored settings.
FAQs
Google Backup and Sync is a great tool for users who want to sync their data. Once you have backed up your selected folders, all the files are automatically copied to the computer by default. With this app, every computer the user adds gets a dedicated entry. Most importantly, the file structure is maintained.
Does Windows backup save everything? ›
1. Does Windows 10 backup back up everything? Windows 10 supports full backup, and it will make a copy of everything on your computer, including installation files, settings, apps, and all your files stored in the primary drive, as well as those files stored in different locations. 2.
How do I change Windows backup Settings? ›
To turn on Windows backup and choose your backup settings, select Start > Settings > Accounts > Windows backup. Turn on OneDrive folder syncing to start backing up your files and folders right from Settings.
What is Windows backup and how does it work? ›
Windows Backup can help back up other Windows settings for you, such as your installed apps, your Wi-Fi network and password information, and other settings such as language preference or your wallpaper settings. Again, just toggle these settings On or Off.
Should I use Google Drive for desktop or backup and sync? ›
Backup & Sync is easier for making sure you have copies of your files on your pc & Google Drive, while Drive for Desktop is better if you want to mainly keep your files on Google Drive and stream the ones you need to your PC, keeping more of your hard drive space free.
Is backup and sync discontinued? ›
Google Backup and Sync app was a popular application. Unfortunately, in October 2021, it stopped functioning, leaving users to wonder what's next. Today we talk about Google Backup and Sync and which tools can replace it. This text is specifically aimed at small and medium businesses and their unique needs.
Is a Windows backup necessary? ›
You do not have to backup your system that is just a feature of Windows that is available, but everyone should have some sort of a backup, one copy of your files is never enough.
What is the best way to backup my entire computer? ›
We recommend backing up your computer in multiple ways so you have both an onsite and an offsite backup. You can back up to an external drive, use an online backup service, back up to a NAS over your local network, or even try a cloud storage service. Everyone loses data at some point in their lives.
How often should you backup Windows? ›
Important data should be backed up at least once a week, but preferably once every twenty-four hours. These backups can be performed manually or automatically. A lot of automatic software options are available that you can set to make a backup of your data at a set time of the day or week.
Is Windows backup free? ›
Your free Microsoft account comes with 5 GB of Microsoft storage (and more storage is available for purchase if you need it), and backing up your folders syncs the folders you specify to your OneDrive account, making them instantly accessible on all computers that you use with this Microsoft account.
The Microsoft 365 Backup service, offered through the Microsoft 365 admin center, is a pay-as-you-go consumption-based service. The list price is $0.15/GB/month of protected content.
How do I backup my entire computer to an external hard drive? ›
To backup your files using an external hard drive, you typically connect the drive to your computer or laptop with a USB cable. Once connected, you can choose individual files or folders to copy onto the external hard drive. In the event you lose a file or a folder, you can retrieve copies from the external hard drive.
What is the most secure place to store your backups? ›
By far the best way to securely store your data is through cloud solutions. Cloud data storage provides a range of advantages and apart from being one of the most secure methods it has the added benefit of practicality and flexibility.
What is the difference between Windows file history and Windows backup and restore? ›
While File History allows you to restore individual files, Backup and Restore does not. Consequently, if you want to recover files from a backup file set, you must restore them all or none at all.
Does Windows Backup include files? ›
File History automatically backs up important files and documents, while the Windows Backup Tool backs up core files, settings, and apps so you can copy them to a new PC.
Which is better, sync or backup? ›
Regarding restoring your data, backup is the most preferred option. You can only recover and access your valuable asset over the internet for syncing and sharing services. No internet means no syncing for files and folders. Additionally, it is more complicated when you have to recover gigabytes of data.
Does syncing iPhone backup everything? ›
iCloud backups include all the information and settings stored on your device that don't already sync to iCloud. iCloud backups don't include: Data that you already store and sync in iCloud, like Contacts, Calendars, and Notes. Photos, if you turned on iCloud Photos.
What is sync and do I need it? ›
Sync, short for synchronization, refers to the process of ensuring that the data on two or more devices is consistent and up to date. In other words, synchronization involves making sure that the same files and information are available on all devices that are being synced.
What is the difference between backup and sync in iCloud? ›
The short version is that a backup is a copy of a file that you store so you can retrieve it if you need it, while sync involves having a file in two or more locations where changes made in one copy are reflected across all others. Because of this, they have very different uses.
