This article on MiniTool mainly teaches you how to configure your Windows system to automatically backup user data (every night at midnight) as well as take advantage of the professional MiniTool ShadowMaker to set up schedule backups.
The Background
There are few questions on Quizlet, a website to learn all subjects of knowledge, related to Windows automatic backup. Below is one of them.
Question: You have configured your Windows systems to automatically backup user data every night at midnight. You also take a system image back up once a month. What else should you do to ensure that you are protected against data loss?
Answer: Regularly test restoration procedures and store a copy of all backups off-site.
How to Configure Windows System to Automatically Back Up User Data Every Night at Midnight?
To complete this task, you have to rely on the Windows built-in Backup and Restore feature. The detailed guidance is below. Just follow it to set up a schedule to automatically back up user data every night at midnight.
Step 1. Click on the Start icon (the Windows logo usually on the bottom left corner, on the taskbar) and select Settings (the gear icon).
Step 2. In the pop-up Windows Settings window, choose the last Update and Security.
Step 3. Click Backup on the left panel.
Step 4. In the Backup tab, click Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7).
Step 5. In the Backup and Restore (Windows 7) window, select Set up backup under the Backup column.
Step 6. Choose where you want to save your backup, local hard drive, or network location. It is recommended that you save your backup file on an external hard drive.
Step 7. Specify what items you want to back up. Windows gives you two choices:
Choice 1. Let Windows choose (recommended)
This method will back up digital data stored on the desktop, in libraries, and in default Windows folders. It will also create a backup of the operating system (OS) that can be used to restore your computer into the previous healthy state if it crashes due to virus attacks, software error, wrong operation, etc.
Choice 2. Let me choose
This method will allow you to choose which to back up on your machine. You are able to select libraries and folders. Also, you can decide whether to create a system image or not.
- Both choices will automatically back up the items you select on a regular schedule.
- A system image is a copy of the drives required for Windows to run. You can rely on it to restore your computer if it stops working.
Step 8. If you select “Let me choose” in Step 7, then, you will be shown the items you can choose, user data files and volumes on the system hard disk. You can also “include a system image of drives”. If you select “Let Windows choose” in the above step, it will just skip this step.
Step 9. On the “Review your backup settings” page, click on Change schedule.
Step 10. In the next window, set up how often you want to back up the above items you have chosen. Changed and newly created files since your last backup will be added to your backup according to the schedule you set.
If you plan to configure your Windows system to automatically backup user data every night at midnight, you should choose Daily behind “How often” and 12:00 PM (midnight) behind “What time”.
Step 11. Then, you will be redirected back to the Review your backup settings page. There, just click Save settings and run backup.
It will start to back up target items for the first time. During the backup process, there is a View Details button that enables you to see the backup condition. You can also interrupt the procedure if necessary.
When the initial backup completes, you can see the size of this backup, backup destination and its available space, next backup time, last backup time, backup contents, and backup schedule. It will carry out incremental backups in the future at the time you set.
Until now, you have configured your Windows systems to automatically backup user data.
How to Change User Data Backup Schedule in Windows 10/11 or Windows 7?
Even if you have already carried out the initial backup of your schedule scheme, or you have done several schedule backup processes, you can still change your backup schedule.
Step 1. Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7) from Windows 10/11 Backup Settings.
Step 2. Click Change settings.
Step 3. Change your backup target disk if you want in the “Select where you want to save your backup” screen.
Step 4. Change your backup method if you would like to in the “What do you want to back up” window.
Step 5. Select Change schedule in “Review your backup”.
Step 6. Change your backup frequency and time point. Or, you can uncheck “Run backup on a schedule (recommended)” to disable automatic backup of user data.
Step 7. Click Save settings and exit in the “Review your backup” window.
Of course, you can turn on your schedule backup (last version) anytime you’d like to. Just click Turn on schedule in the Backup and Restore (Windows 7) window and you are scheduled.
Finally, you have configured your Windows systems to automatically backup user data in a new schedule.
Besides the self-contained backup and recovery function of Windows, there are a great many third-party programs that enable you to set up a schedule to automatically back up your user data. Among those backup programs, MiniTool ShadowMaker is recommended for its powerful features and reliable technology, which will protect your data from loss.
How to Set up User Data Automatic Backup with MiniTool ShadowMaker?
To make use of MiniTool ShadowMaker, first of all, you need to download and install it on your computer.
MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Step 1. Launch the tool and click Keep Trial on the first screen. Yes, you are free to use this program for 30 days.
Step 2. Click on the right module to select the source items to back up in the pop-up window.
Step 3. Click on the left module to select the backup destination path (local hard drive or online shared NAS) in the pop-up window.
Step 4. Click on Schedule in the lower left, switch on Schedule Settings, and set up your user data automatic backup in the pop-up window.
If you want to set a schedule to an already done backup task or change the schedule you have set to a backup, just move to the Manage tab, click on the Settings icon (three slashes) of the target backup task and select Edit Schedule. Then, just make your changes in the pop-up Schedule Settings window.
Automatic User Data Backup: Windows Backup and Restore vs MiniTool ShadowMaker
As you can see from the above content, both MiniTool ShadowMaker and Windows Backup and Restore can configure automatic user data backup. Then, what’s the difference between them focusing on the automatic backup?
Daily Backup
Both programs support automatic daily backup. Yet, the detailed settings are different. as you can see from the above screenshot, MiniTool ShadowMaker lets you choose backup start time in the day, or you can select to run the backup process every 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, or 8 hours each day. If you choose the latter, it means that you will back up your user data several times within a single day.
As for Windows Backup and Restore, you can only back up once a day on the hour (select from 12:00 AM to 11:00 PM).
Weekly Backup
Both of the two programs support weekly backup. The difference is that MiniTool ShadowMaker allows you to choose which day(s) in a week and what specific time of the chosen day to carry out backup(s). You can back up several times a week.
While Windows Backup and Restore only allows you to select one day to back up user data on the hour. You can only back up once a week.
Monthly Backup
Similarly, MiniTool ShadowMaker enables you to choose several days within a month to back up your files at a specific time (accurate to the minute) of each day. Thus, you will create several images within a month.
Whereas Windows Backup and Restore only enables you to select a single day in a month to back up on the hour. You are able to back up only once a month.
Event Backup
Besides the above three kinds of schedule backup based on the calendar, MiniTool ShadowMaker also offers backup based on special events, system log on and system log off. If you set “log on” event schedule backup on, when you power on your computer and log into your OS, it will automatically start to back up your user data. Or, if you choose the “log off” event schedule, when you shut down your machine and log out of your system, it will begin to back up your files automatically offline.
MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
You Have Configured Your Windows Systems to Automatically Backup User Data FAQ
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Helen Graduated from university in 2014 and started working as a tech editor in the same year. Her articles focus on video creation, editing, and conversion. She also has a good knowledge of disk management and data backup & recovery. Through an in-depth exploration of computer technology, Helen has successfully helped thousands of users solve their annoying problems.