Back up your Windows PC or Mac—and check the files come back

By Device Basics

Start with an automatic backup to an external drive: File History on Windows or Time Machine on Mac. Let the first backup finish, then restore a sample file and open it. For irreplaceable files, add another copy stored away from the computer.

This guide covers personal Windows PCs and Macs, not workplace-managed computers. It focuses on protecting your files; don’t assume a file backup can recreate an entire computer exactly as it was.

Before you connect a backup drive

• List what matters. Check Documents, Desktop, Pictures and Downloads, plus folders elsewhere, other user accounts, and files kept on additional drives. For apps with an export or backup feature, check the developer’s instructions too.
• Use a separate physical drive. Another folder—or another partition on the same drive—doesn’t protect against that drive failing. Apple explicitly warns that a partition backup can be lost along with the originals if the disk is damaged. Apple’s backup guidance
• Check the backup drive’s contents first. Don’t approve an erase or format prompt if it contains the only copy of something you need. A new or dedicated backup drive avoids this conflict.
• Allow room for older versions. For Windows, choose capacity beyond the current size of the folders you’ll protect. For Time Machine, Apple recommends a drive with at least twice your Mac’s storage capacity—for example, 2 TB for a 1 TB Mac—and using that backup disk only for Time Machine backups. Time Machine requirements

Windows: set up File History

File History saves versions of personal files to an external drive or network location. It covers libraries and essential folders, but you should explicitly include folders stored elsewhere. Microsoft’s File History instructions

1. Connect your external backup drive.
2. Open Control Panel → System and Security → Save backup copies of your files with File History.
3. Check the destination. If necessary, choose Select drive, select your external drive, then OK.
4. Select Turn on.
5. For an additional folder, right-click it in File Explorer, choose Show more options if shown, then Include in library, and select a library.

Check Downloads and any folders on a second internal drive rather than assuming they’re included. Leave the backup drive connected for the initial backup, then perform the restore check below.

File History is not a full-system image. Its job is to recover personal files and previous versions. Likewise, a Windows Recovery Drive does not include your personal files; Microsoft says to back those up separately. Windows Recovery Drive limits

If you also want Windows Backup and OneDrive

The Windows Backup app provides a separate cloud-based route for selected folders and settings:

1. Sign in to Windows with a personal Microsoft account. Work or school accounts don’t work with this consumer backup app.
2. Search Start for Windows Backup and open it.
3. Expand Folders and enable the folders you want: Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Videos or Music.
4. Select the settings you want to save, then choose Back up.
5. Reopen the app to check its status and resolve any errors.

The folder portion syncs to OneDrive. A free Microsoft account includes 5 GB of OneDrive storage, so check whether your files fit before relying on it. Downloads and custom folders aren’t among the listed folder switches. Windows Backup setup and limits

Windows Backup also helps restore settings and app pins during setup of a replacement PC. It does not mean every installed program is copied intact: Microsoft describes reinstalling Store apps through their pins and downloading installers for other apps.

Mac: set up Time Machine

Time Machine automatically backs up files stored on your Mac, including apps, photos, email and documents. These steps apply to macOS Ventura 13 or later. Apple’s Time Machine instructions

1. Connect your external backup drive.
2. Open Apple menu → System Settings → General → Time Machine.
3. Choose Add Backup Disk, select the drive, then Set Up Disk.
4. If asked to erase the drive, stop unless you’ve confirmed its contents are expendable or safely copied elsewhere.
5. Consider enabling Encrypt Backup. Store its password somewhere secure that you can access without this Mac: Apple says you’ll need it to restore an encrypted backup.
6. Let the first backup finish. You can choose Back Up Now from the Time Machine menu in the menu bar and use that menu to check progress or the latest completed backup. If the menu is missing, enable Time Machine status in your menu bar settings.

The first backup can take longer than later ones. Time Machine deletes its oldest backups when the disk fills, so it isn’t permanent storage for every past version. If you disconnect the drive, backups resume when you reconnect it; eject it before unplugging.

Don’t confuse cloud sync with an independent copy

Cloud storage is useful, but deletion can spread. Microsoft says deleting an online-only OneDrive file deletes it from OneDrive across devices and online. Apple similarly warns that deleting an iCloud Photos item removes it from other devices using the same account. OneDrive deletion behavior · iCloud Photos deletion behavior

Also, seeing a filename doesn’t prove its contents are stored locally:

• OneDrive: A blue cloud icon means online-only. For files you want available locally, right-click and choose Always keep on this device, then allow the download to finish. Verify those files appear in your external backup rather than assuming they do. OneDrive Files On-Demand
• iCloud: For an independent archive, copy—not move—important iCloud Drive files to a location outside iCloud Drive and other synced folders, then back up that location. Apple says optimized files download before being copied. For photos, select the items you want to copy in Photos, choose File → Export, and back up the exported files. Apple’s iCloud archive instructions

Test a restore before trusting the backup

Use a disposable document first. Save it in a covered folder before the backup runs, then confirm you can retrieve it.

On Windows: Right-click its actual folder in File Explorer, choose Restore previous versions, and select a backed-up version. You can preview it with Open → Open in File History. For a safe test, expand Restore → Restore to… and choose a separate test folder. Open the restored document and check its contents. A normal Restore can replace current content, and Microsoft warns that replacement cannot be undone. File History restore steps

On Mac: After the backup completes, rename the disposable original. Open its folder in Finder, open Time Machine using Spotlight, navigate to the completed backup, select the file under its old name, and click Restore. Apple says restored items return to their original location. Open the restored file and check its contents. Time Machine restore steps

Then check representative important files and folders—not just the disposable document. One successful restore proves that example is recoverable, not that everything is included.

Keep it usable

Choose a backup routine based on how much recent work you could tolerate losing. Reconnect a portable backup drive regularly, check the latest completed backup, and repeat a restore test after changing drives or backup settings.

For irreplaceable files, keep another copy away from the computer—for example, on a second drive stored elsewhere or in a backup service whose restore process you’ve checked. Keep any backup password and necessary account access available independently of the computer.

Stop before deleting originals, erasing the computer or sending it for repair if the backup reports errors, important folders are missing, or restored files won’t open. Resolve the problem with the backup provider’s support first. A connected drive or an enabled switch is not the same as a verified backup.