How to Backup Your Windows 11 to an External Hard Drive #windows11

How do you backup your Windows 11 computer to an external hard drive? Windows 11 is our new operating system and it's really important that you know how to backup your computer. The easiest way to backup your Windows 11 computer is to use an external hard drive. You can buy one of these easily from Amazon. Try and get the biggest one you can.
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00:00 Introduction
00:54 External Hard Drive
02:33 How to Backup Windows 11
03:20 Option to Save to Network
04:09 Choose your Own Backup Options
04:38 How to Schedule Regular Backups
05:50 Advice on Where to Store External Hard Drive

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If you have any video ideas, or if you'd like me to make a video on anything specific make sure to let me know in the comments below!

[writehse]

The fact that I'm an IT and need to look this up is crazy, I miss windows 10.

[johndalton]

As an 83 year-old engineer who learned DOS in the 1980s and loved Word Perfect, Lotus 1.2.3 and Netscape Navigator, I absolutely hate Windows 11. I spent several hours trying to figure out how to backup my new Dell laptop (that came with Windows 11 already installed) until I found your illuminating video that showed me the back door into backing it up.

[buggyduggy]

You are the first person out of 40 or 50 people (talking heads) to show a very simple way of doing this. Thanks

[dougscott]

Excellent instructions. So frustrating that Microsoft has chosen to conflate "syncing" with "backing up". Your tutorial completely cleared things up for me. Also frustrationg the Microsoft chose to bury the backup utility in the old Control Panel.

[BelindaMJBrown]

Truly helpful. I was getting frustrated with the fact that Windows had hidden this functionality in profit of their cloud.

[barrywilson]

YOU ARE THE MAN! THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I watched this other bozo for 45 minutes. Having to rewind and play it several times to try to follow his method. It was madness so I just gave up. Then I found you and was able to back up my entire computer in the few minutes that you explained it. YOU ROCK! THANK YOU!

[georgebogdewiecz]

I've been a PC user since their inception. Yes - I'm old, but very tech savvy. The biggest issue I had with something that should be so simple during 3 decades of computer usage?: The backup of windows 11 to an external drive. Searched online All Over and found the best answer how to do that: Mr. Jonathan Edwards and this video. If you're searching for an answer how to backup WIN 11 to an external drive, go no further. Best process explanation on the internet. Thx Jonathan!

[stevebesson]

buddy you are a live saver. I have been a mac man for 20 years and this windows 11 is horrible. Microsoft wants full control of every ones data. There is no reason they need to force my data on their servers unless its for devious reasons. Seriously rethinking my purchase. Thanks for the help!

[davidstuart]

Thank you so much! I was getting so frustrated with Windows 11 not letting me to do a backup to my external HD and could not find the option to do it. You made it so easy.

[biffo]

Thank you Jonathan. After spending all day trying to work this problem out, your video solved my problem in a matter of minutes.

[gordonmacgregor]

Hi Jonathon. As someone who recently experienced a catastrophic computer crash and lost a lot of data, I found your video very clear and helpful. Having learnt my lesson I intend to set the backup for my new computer as you illustrated. I noticed however, that during the process there was an item to restore a failed computer using this backup. Have you, or are you able to demonstrate this next critical step? Many Thanks

[suz]

I am a 76 year old woman that has used computers since the later 1980s and I looked at half dozen videoes of how to backup my Windows 11 to my new WD Elements External Hard Drive (as nothing comes with instructions any more) and your video was the only one that was clear, concise and easy to use. None of the other videoes mentioned the backdoor to the download. I not only understood everything you said but I thoroughly enjoyed watching it. Thank you for your brillant video!!!

[jonathanobrien]

This video is 2 years old and still helpful, thankyou

[dinarazi]

Thank you so much! I spent an embarrassingly long time trying (and failing) to figure this out until I found your video. You made the process so quick and simple, what a lifesaver.

[wjfucoj]

Jonathan - thank you so much for preparing this video. Microsoft 11 is driving me crazy! Regarding the backup, the only issue was that when selecting to allow the system to decide what to backup, it did not backup ANY of my documents. So, I did the backup as recommended by the system and then did a second pass with my selected files. Finally, I got everything I need.

[GasStationKnivesEver]

Thank you so much. Spent way too much time trying to find the answer on my own. Shame on you Microsoft for burying this feature. Must be because they want you to increase your OneDrive storage plan.

[billfrey]

Thank you Jonathan. I searched U tube for this and after many tutorials, found yours. Yours is the most comprehensive as well as easy to follow. You got a new subscriber now. Thanks again!

[AUM_]

Thank you for your effort. I was thinking for nearly 2 months about which backup software I should find to do this backup job. I admit this video well help me a lot. My windows 11 hard drive is about 👉250 GBs👈 ..Imagine how big is my data. It takes me around 2-3 days to setup windows and other applications. All I can say is THANK YOU very very much.

[carolallen]

Thank you so much. I was losing my mind trying to figure out how to set this up without defaulting to OneDrive. So helpful.

[WyattOShea]

Thanks for the video man. I had done back ups before on windows 11 but it had been a long time since and recently bought a new hdd as my old one was failing so figuring out how to get to the correct backup (kept taking me to the one drive syncing bit) was frustrating as hell whereas your video was quick and concise on the issue and allowed me to actually do a proper system backup without issue.