Submit an edit

This guide explains how to create a backup of your files and restore those files on Windows 7 computer.

If you're looking on how to use System Restore, go to <a href="https://neosmart.net/wiki/windows-system-restore/#Restore_Windows_7">our Windows System Restore - Windows 7 guide</a>.

[toc]

<h2>How to create a backup in Windows 7</h2>

To backup certain files on a Windows Vista computer, you'll be using the Backup and Restore utility.

In Windows Vista, it was called Backup and Restore Center.

To create a backup of your system in Windows 7, follow these steps:

<ol>
<li>Click Start</li>
<li>Go to Control Panel</li>
<li>Go to System and Security</li>
<li>Click Backup and Restore

For a faster route: click Start, type <code>backup</code> in the search field, and then click on the Backup and Restore option from the search results list.
</li>
<li>At the Back up or restore your files screen, click Set up backup

[caption id="attachment_2591" align="alignnone" width="367"]<img src="/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/10/windows-7-set-up-backup.png" alt="Windows 7: Set up backup" width="367" height="230" class="size-full wp-image-2591" /> Windows 7: Set up backup[/caption]
</li>
<li>Select where you want to save the backup and click Next

You can save the backup on:

<ul>
<li>a hard disk drive</li>
<li>writable DVDs</li>
<li>on a network</li>
</ul>

If you plan to save the backup on a DVD, insert the DVD when prompted and label each DVD in sequence.

If you plan to save the backup on a network, browse to the the desired location on the network. After you type the network credentials, click OK.
</li>
<li>Choose Let Windows choose (recommended)

[caption id="attachment_2592" align="alignnone" width="577"]<img src="/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/10/windows-7-let-windows-choose.png" alt="Windows 7: Let Windows Choose" width="577" height="247" class="size-full wp-image-2592" /> Windows 7: Let Windows Choose[/caption]

You can opt for Let me choose and select individual files and folders to backup.
</li>
<li>Click Next</li>
<li>Verify the backup details</li>
<li>Click Save settings and run backup</li>
<li>The process will now start. This might take some time because your system is backing up all data on your system.</li>
<li>After the process is complete, the Back up or restore your files wizard will display the size of the backup file.</li>
</ol>

<h2>How to restore a backup in Windows 7</h2>

The instructions to restore a backup file using the Backup and Restore utility are:

<ol>
<li>Click Start</li>
<li>Go to Control Panel</li>
<li>Go to System and Security</li>
<li>Click Backup and Restore</li>

Or type <code>backup</code> in the search box at Start and click the Backup and Restore items from the search results list.</li>
<li>At the Back up or restore your files screen, click Restore my files.

[caption id="attachment_2593" align="alignnone" width="428"]<img src="/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/10/windows-7-restore-my-files.png" alt="Windows 7: Restore my files" width="428" height="95" class="size-full wp-image-2593" /> Windows 7: Restore my files[/caption]

If no backups are being detected, the Restore my files button won't appear. In this case, click Select another backup to restore files from instead.
</li>
<li>Browse to locate the backup file

You can narrow your location search by clicking Choose a different date. This enables you to choose a backup file based on the date you saved the backup.
</li>
<li>Click Next</li>
<li>Select a location where you want to restore the backup file</li>
<li>Click Restore</li>
<li>The restore process will now begin. This process may take a while depending on how large the backup file is.</li>
<li>When the process is complete, click Finish</li>
</ol>

<h2>Delete individual backup files</h2>

In Windows 7, you can delete individual backup files created using Backup and Restore utility.

To do, follow these steps:

<ol>
<li>Click Start</li>
<li>Go to Control Panel, then System and Security</li>
<li>Click Backup and Restore</li>
<li>At the Back up or restore your files screen, click Manage space

[caption id="attachment_2594" align="alignnone" width="402"]<img src="/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/10/windows-7-backup-manage-space.png" alt="Manage Space button in Windows 7" width="402" height="25" class="size-full wp-image-2594" /> Manage Space button in Windows 7[/caption]
</li>
<li>The Manage Windows Backup disk space wizard should now appear</li>
<li>Click View backups

[caption id="attachment_2595" align="alignnone" width="570"]<img src="/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/10/windows-7-view-backups.png" alt="View Backups button in Windows 7" width="570" height="65" class="size-full wp-image-2595" /> View Backups button in Windows 7[/caption]
</li>
<li>Select the backup files you want to remove</li>
<li>Click Delete</li>
<li>Click Delete again to confirm that you want to delete the backup files.</li>
<li>The deletion process will now start. This may take a while depending on how large (and how many) the backup files are.</li>
<li>Once the backup files are deleted, click Close</li>
<li>Click Close again to exit the Manage Windows Backup disk space wizard</li>
</ol>

<h2>Restore files from Windows Vista backup</h2>

If you created a backup file in Windows Vista, you can have it restored on a Windows 7 system.

To do so, follow these steps:

<ol>
<li>Insert the Backup DVD you used in Windows Vista</li>
<li>Click Start</li>
<li>Go to Control Panel, then System and Security</li>
<li>Click Backup and Restore</li>
<li>At the Restore section, click Select another backup to restore files from

<img src="/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/10/windows-7-select-another-backup-restore-files-from1.png" alt="Select another backup to restore from" width="232" height="72" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2596" />
</li>
<li>Verify the backup file details. Click Refresh if you don't see the details yet.</li>
<li>Click Next</li>
<li>Choose Select all files from this backup</li>
<li>Click Next</li>
<li>Choose where you want to save the files on your Windows 7 system</li>
<li>Click Restore</li>
<li>Once the process is complete, verify that the files have been restored successfully</li>
</ol>

<h2>More Information</h2>
[partial name="partial_moreinfo" versions="7"]