How to Set Up Auto Backup From One Hard Drive to Another (10 Steps)
By Matthew Burley
Backing up a computer is a common preventative measure that is often neglected by most computer users. There are many reasons why you may find it necessary to have a backup of your data. A virus or harmful piece of software could find its way onto a computer and start destroying data, damage from a disaster could destroy a hard drive, or you may run into a problem while installing a new operating system and corrupt the hard drive. Whatever the reason may be, backing up your hard drive to another hard drive is a good practice, and it is made easier when it can be done automatically.
Step 1
Connect the secondary hard drive to the original hard drive: You can connect the original drive to a hard drive over a network, through a cable to an external hard drive or to a secondary hard drive installed on the computer.
Step 2
Click the "Windows" or "Start" button in the lower-left section of the screen.
Step 3
Select the "Control Panel" option. If you are using Windows Vista, skip to step 5.
Step 4
Select the "System and Maintenance" icon.
Step 5
Choose the "Backup and Restore" option.
Step 6
Select the "Backup Files" option.
Step 7
Configure the options to schedule when your automatic backup will occur.
Step 8
Choose the secondary hard drive from the list of connected drives or specify the network location, and then click "Next."
Step 9
Select the types of files that you would like to back up, and then click "Next."
Step 10
Click the "Save Settings and Start Backup" button.
Tips
- Back up your hard drive as often as is convenient or necessary. While users with a lot of sensitive data may want to back up their computer daily or weekly, most normal users will be fine backing up on a monthly basis.
- Set your backup to occur at a time when you would not normally be using your computer.
- If you are using a version of Windows that does not support automatic backup, you will need to download third-party software to accomplish this task. (See Resources for a link to one such option.)
Warnings
- Backing up to a second hard drive on the same machine is not recommended. If some kind of physical disaster occurs, both hard drives will likely be lost.
- Not all versions of Windows Vista offer this function. However, all versions of Windows 7 do.
Writer Bio
Matthew Burley has been a writer of online content since 2005. You can view many of his articles on associatedcontent.com. Burley holds a Bachelor of Science in political science from Arizona State and a Master of Science in computer information systems from the University of Phoenix.