It’s Important to Automatically Back up Files or OS!
As is well known, computer backup is fairly important since data loss and system breakdown always happen on Windows 10/8/7 because of many factors including virus infection, ransomware attack, hard disk failure, power outage, Windows updates, mistaken operations and more.
If you have a habit of backing up your files and OS, you can easily get your PC restore to a normal state and avoid data loss in case of computer accidents.
Besides, files may change at any time and you need to back up them once again after they are updated. This is a little troublesome. Thus, setting up an automatic backup is worth recommending even though you have forgotten to back up your PC.
Automatic backup can relieve you from the routine backup activity so as to turn your time and resources for more creative jobs than daily or emergency-based backup actions.
Then, you may ask: how can I automatically back up files or operating system? Normally, the scheduled backup can be done with Windows built-in Backup and Restore tool and some of you may choose it for automatic backup. But sometimes, Windows automatic backup not working.
Is there any auto backup software to help? Of course, you can ask a third-party program, MiniTool ShadowMaker, for help. Just read the following part to learn this tool, as well as how to create an automatic backup Windows 10/8/7.
Automatic Backup Software for PC: MiniTool ShadowMaker
As a piece of professional, reliable and safe backup software for Windows 10/8/7, MiniTool ShadowMaker can help you to easily and effectively back up files & folders, partitions, the entire hard disk and Windows operating system to an image file. Besides, it can sync files for backup within simple clicks.
As to automatic backup, this backup software offers you four different options to set up a specific time point or intervals to run the backup.
As mentioned above, files always change at every moment. If you set up scheduled backup, these files will be backed up automatically with incremental backup mode by default, saving much disk space of the target drive. In addition, the differential backup is also supported by this backup program, and you can choose one for the only changed or newly added data.
Meanwhile, MiniTool ShadowMaker can delete certain old backup file versions as long as you set up the value with Scheme feature.
What’s more, as the best backup software 2018, MiniTool ShadowMaker also enables you to perform a recovery easily in case of system breakdown. Its Bootable Media can help create a bootable DVD/CD, USB hard disk or flash drive to boot the non-working PC and start system restore.
Right now, what are you still waiting for? Just do a backup software free download from the following button and install it on your PC. Note that its Trial Edition only gives you 30-day free trial. To use the automatic backup software all the time, just upgrade it to Pro Edition or an advanced one.
MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
How to Create Automatic Backup to External Hard Drive Windows 7/8/10
After learning this automatic backup software, you may want to know how to automatically back up files or Windows operating system with MiniTool ShadowMaker. And here, we will show you the steps in two cases: imaging backup and synchronization.
Automatic Backup Windows 7/8/10 via Imaging Mode
For Windows automatic backup, this automatic backup software gives you two choices: perform a scheduled backup in Backup page and Manage interface.
① Windows 10/8/7 Automatic Backup in Backup Page
Step 1: Run MiniTool ShadowMaker Trial Edition that you have free downloaded and installed on your PC.
Step 2: Click the Backup feature in the above toolbar, then you can see there are two modules: Source and Destination. Namely, you are required to choose the backup source and storage path.
By default, all the system related partitions for Windows to run have been chosen by this MiniTool automatic backup software. Besides, a default destination folder may also be selected. Here, if you need to create an automatic backup for Windows 10/8/7 operating system, you can directly go to Step 3.
Select Backup Source
If you want to automatically back up files, partitions or the entire hard drive, you need to enter the Source section to select the backup type.
To back up data partition or disk, go to Disk and Partitions section to choose. If you haven’t saved important data on system partitions, here you can check all the data partitions for data backup. Besides, the entire hard drive can also be selected. Here, we take partition backup as an example.
In addition, if you need to use the automatic backup software to back up certain files or folders regularly, you can go to Folders and Files section and then choose them to continue. This post – Create Automatic File Backup in Windows 10 Easily shows you more information.
Choose Backup Destination
If you don’t want to back up your PC to the default destination folder, you can manually choose one based on your actual needs. Here, an external hard drive, USB flash drive, Network, and NAS are available.
Step 3: After completing the selection of backup source and storage path, now you will go back to the Backup page. Here, you can see one feature called Schedule in the bottom left-hand corner. Just make a schedule setting based on your needs and go on automatic backup Windows 7/8/10.
Just click the Schedule feature and then you will get the following interface. By default, it is disabled, so switch it from OFF to ON. Here, you see four schedule settings:
Daily: This option enables you to automatically back up your PC at a fixed time point or back up the PC every X hour(s) every day. For example, you set the automatic backup Windows 10/8/7 at 12:00 on February 19, then this automatic backup software will create backups at 12:00 every day.
Weekly: This option requires you to set up a fixed time point and a certain day like Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc. Then, this auto backup software will start to automatically back up your computer at this time point every week.
Monthly: When clicking this option, you can specify a time point on at least one day in a month to back up your computer by itself.
On Event: You can make a schedule setting via this option to let MiniTool ShadowMaker start to back up PC when logging on or off the operating system.
Step 4: After finishing the schedule setting, you will return to the Backup interface where you need to click the Back up Now button to start the full backup. At the time point that you have set, automatic backups will be created.
② Windows 10/8/7 Automatic Backup in Manage Page
Additionally, you can create an automatic backup to external hard drive, USB drive, etc. in the Manage interface.
MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
How to do this job with the automatic backup software? Follow the guide.
Step 1: Run MiniTool ShadowMaker in Windows 10/8/7, click Keep Trial and choose local backup to continue.
Step 2: In the Backup window, select the backup source (files, disk, partition, OS) and destination path, as shown above.
Step 3: Run the backup in Manage page by clicking the Back up Now button.
Step 4: Ater a few minutes, the full backup is created. Just click Edit Schedule feature, as shown below. And then, make a setting in the pop-up window. At the specified time point, MiniTool ShadowMaker will run the automatic backups.
Automatic File Backup Windows 7/8/10 via Sync Method
When running MiniTool ShadowMaker, you can find this auto backup software offers a feature called Sync in the toolbar. With it, you can easily sync files to another location for data backup. After sync, you can go to the Restore page, find the sync task and directly locate to the target destination to see the files that you have synchronized.
How to use this feature to automatically back up files? Just free download this backup software and then start the work.
MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Related help document: How to Sync Files with MiniTool ShadowMaker
Step 1: Run this automatic backup software and start a local backup.
Step 2: Go to the Sync interface, you also need to choose the sync source and storage path. As photo backup software, you can choose photos to sync to an external hard drive, USB flash drive, Network, and NAS.
Step 3: After returning to the Sync interface, you can take full advantages of the Schedule feature, enabling you to make an advanced setting so that automatic file backups can be created at a time point.
Step 4: At last, click the Sync Now button to start to sync files to your specified location.
Related article: How to Back up Data without Booting Windows? Easy Ways Are Here!
Bottom Line
Right now, all the information about MiniTool ShadowMaker, as well as how to back up your PC automatically are told to you. If you want to create an automatic backup in Windows 10/8/7, free download the Trial Edition of this automatic backup software for 30-day free trial.
MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
On the other hand, if you have any suggestion or any question that is related to MiniTool ShadowMaker, don’t hesitate to tell us by two ways: leaving a comment below or sending an email to [email protected].
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Vera is an editor of the MiniTool Team since 2016 who has more than 7 years’ writing experiences in the field of technical articles. Her articles mainly focus on disk & partition management, PC data recovery, video conversion, as well as PC backup & restore, helping users to solve some errors and issues when using their computers. In her spare times, she likes shopping, playing games and reading some articles.