How to back up and wipe your Windows PC

May 30, 2024 10:02 PM - 5 months ago 57969

If you’re trading your Windows machine aliases passing it connected to personification else, you’re going to want to first swipe everything. Or you whitethorn want to free yourself of respective years of information bloat and commencement again pinch a cleanable slate. 

The bully news is that wiping and reinstalling Windows is simply a batch easier than it utilized to be. I’m aged capable to retrieve erstwhile it progressive hours of record swapping, installation discs, and hours spent putting programs, emails, and files backmost successful place. Thanks to nan unreality and online apps, it tin now beryllium done successful little than an hour.

Backing everything up beforehand is vital, though, moreover if you’re readying to time off your individual files successful spot (which Windows lets you do). When you’re readying a backup, too your individual files, deliberation astir different information specified arsenic your section media libraries and saved games (if you’re a gamer). And while astir applications tin beryllium simply downloaded again from nan web, it’s worthy double-checking what you’ve sewage installed to make judge they’re still available.

How to backmost up Windows

You’ve sewage a wealthiness of options for backing up information from Windows. In fact, nan safest action is to person not 1 backup but two: otherwise, arsenic soon arsenic thing happens to nan original data, you’re past successful nan precarious position of only having 1 transcript of your important files again.

A operation of unreality retention and section retention is usually a bully bet. Whether you want to usage Microsoft’s ain OneDrive aliases third-party options specified arsenic Google Drive aliases Dropbox, you tin group up important folders to beryllium perpetually synced pinch nan web. As soon arsenic you make changes connected your PC, nan synced files are updated online.

Syncing pinch OneDrive

Windows will propose you usage OneDrive for backup erstwhile you group up your PC.

Screenshot: Microsoft

You will person been asked if you want to sync your files pinch OneDrive erstwhile you first group nan Windows operating strategy up. If you person opted to do that and want to make changes afterward:

  • Search for “OneDrive” from nan Start menu, past prime nan apical OneDrive consequence to spot your OneDrive files successful File Explorer. You tin besides click connected nan OneDrive icon connected nan correct broadside of your taskbar and prime Open folder.
  • Right-click nan OneDrive files successful nan navigation pane connected nan left, past take OneDrive > Settings.
  • Under Sync and backup, you tin take which parts of your strategy (such arsenic nan Desktop files and saved screenshots) are managed by OneDrive.
  • If you don’t want to usage OneDrive for your backups, click Account > Unlink this PC.

You tin besides spell to nan wide Windows Settings page and click Accounts > Windows backup to take which folders to backmost up and to see various Windows settings (such arsenic nan wallpaper you’ve group and your Wi-FI passwords) arsenic good arsenic files.

Syncing pinch Google Drive

Google Drive is different backup option.

Screenshot: Google

If you’d alternatively spell pinch a third-party unreality retention backup option, nan process will alteration depending connected your pick. In nan lawsuit of Google Drive, for example, you tin download nan Windows customer from here. Once you’ve signed successful to your Google account, you tin specify wherever connected your strategy you want your Google Drive files to beryllium located and which files you’d for illustration synced.

To configure your Google Drive backup, find nan icon successful nan little correct of nan Windows strategy tray. Right-click connected nan icon, past click nan cogwheel icon and Preferences.

  • Open My computer and click Add folder to prime folders connected your system, extracurricular of your designated Google Drive folder, to backmost up (such arsenic nan Windows desktop).
  • Open Google Drive to get to nan Google Drive files connected your PC and to determine whether files are mirrored (always saved locally) aliases streamed (only downloaded arsenic and erstwhile needed).
  • Click nan cogwheel icon (top right) to alteration nan location of nan Google Drive files connected your strategy and to negociate settings specified arsenic screenshot backups.

Using section storage

Windows does still person a section retention backup action of its own, but it’s good hidden: hunt for “file history” from nan Start paper to find it. The instrumentality will thief you move files from selected folders from your PC to an outer thrust connected a regular ground — and if you bargain an outer difficult thrust aliases NAS drive, it’ll travel pinch backup package included, too, giving you different option.

How to reset Windows

You tin support your files during a reset, if you want to.

Screenshot: Microsoft

There are 2 paths you tin return erstwhile you’re resetting Windows: you tin either take to swipe everything and commencement again from scratch aliases reset nan halfway operating strategy files and applications while leaving your individual files untouched.

The erstwhile is intelligibly much comprehensive, but nan second (assuming you’re keeping nan computer) saves you nan problem of having to move backmost each your information afterward. If you’re troubleshooting an rumor pinch your PC, effort nan “soft” reset first to spot if it fixes your problem earlier going for nan afloat reset.

Whichever way you take, there’s besides different prime further on: download nan latest type of Windows from Microsoft’s servers aliases usage nan installation files already connected your PC. The unreality action typically takes longer because you’re waiting for 4GB of information to download, but it does mean you’ve sewage nan latest type of Windows — you won’t request to past use immoderate further updates.

Here’s really to get started:

  • Open up Settings from nan Start menu, past caput to System.
  • Scroll down to and prime Recovery > Reset PC.
  • This is wherever you take betwixt Keep my files aliases Remove everything.
  • After that, you get nan surface for picking either Cloud download aliases Local reinstall.

Before you get to nan last Reset option, which really starts nan reset proper, you’ll beryllium capable to reappraisal your choices: click Change settings if you want to do it differently. Note that if you’ve opted for Remove everything, selecting Change settings besides lets you take to Clean data, which isn’t done by default — if you want to alteration this, flip nan toggle from No to Yes.

A cloud-based reinstall gives you nan latest type of Windows but takes longer.

Screenshot: Microsoft

This “cleaning” process intends each existing information is overwritten, alternatively than conscionable marked arsenic deleted. It’s a information feature. With a normal reset, it’s very difficult moreover for experts to retrieve immoderate erased data, but erstwhile nan thrust is cleaned, it’s conscionable astir impossible. It takes longer (up to a mates of hours), but it’s worthy doing if you’re trading aliases different disposing of your computer. 

With each that taken attraction of, nan Windows reset process gets underway. How agelong it’ll return depends connected really overmuch retention your strategy has and really overmuch of it needs wiping, truthful you mightiness want to spell and do thing other for a while. When it’s done, you’ll beryllium invited to log successful to Windows aliases group up nan operating strategy again.

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