If your laptop died, was stolen or got hit by ransomware tomorrow, would you lose your photos and documents? Backing up takes about 15 minutes to set up, then runs on its own. Here’s how to back up a Windows laptop or Mac properly.
Quick fixes to try first
- Windows: open the Windows Backup app and turn on folder backup to OneDrive.
- Plus a local copy: back up to an external drive with File History (Windows) or Time Machine (Mac).
- Check once a month that your backup is still running.
In this article
The 3-2-1 rule (in plain English)
Keep 3 copies of important files, on 2 different kinds of storage (your laptop plus an external drive), with 1 copy off-site (the cloud). That way no single failure, theft or fire wipes out everything.
Windows: cloud backup with Windows Backup and OneDrive
- Open Windows Backup from Start.
- Under Folders, turn on backup for Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Videos and Music. They sync to OneDrive.
- Turn on backup for apps, settings and credentials. This makes setting up a new laptop much faster.
The free OneDrive plan includes 5GB. Microsoft 365 subscriptions include 1TB. Google Drive (15GB free) and iCloud for Windows work similarly if you prefer them.
Windows: local backup to an external drive (File History)
- Plug in an external drive or portable SSD.
- Search Start for File History (it opens in Control Panel) and click Turn on.
- Under Advanced settings, choose how often to save copies (every hour is fine) and how long to keep them.
File History keeps older versions of your files, so you can recover a document as it was last week. A fast, rugged portable SSD makes this painless.
Mac: Time Machine
- Plug in an external drive.
- System Settings → General → Time Machine → Add Backup Disk.
- Time Machine backs up hourly whenever the drive is connected.
Pair it with iCloud Drive (turn on Desktop & Documents folders in Apple Account → iCloud) for an off-site copy.
What to back up
- Documents, photos and videos (the irreplaceable stuff).
- Browser bookmarks and passwords (sync them with your browser account or a password manager).
- Game saves, if not cloud-synced.
- Your BitLocker recovery key: it’s in your Microsoft account. See BitLocker recovery.
You don’t need to back up Windows itself or apps. They can be reinstalled.
Test your backup
Once in a while, try restoring a single file from OneDrive or your external drive. A backup you’ve never tested is a hope, not a backup.
FAQ
Is OneDrive a backup?
Mostly. It keeps copies in the cloud and version history, but if you delete a file, the deletion syncs too (it sits in the recycle bin for a while). Keeping a separate external-drive backup covers that gap.
How do I back up a laptop to move to a new one?
See how to transfer files from laptop to laptop, which covers the Windows transfer tool and Migration Assistant.
