How to Back Up Windows 10 to USB on Your Own [3 Ways]

If you want to back up your Windows 10 computer to a USB drive for a system restore, data recovery, or factory reset, there are three methods you can use. This page will guide you through the process of backing up your computer to a USB drive, allowing you to restore your system to a previous healthy state or recover important data.

3 Ways to Back Up Windows 10 to USB External Drive

Here, we collected and listed the reasons that can explain why Windows users want to back up their computer to an external USB drive: to prevent data loss, protect against hardware failure, safeguard against software corruption, ensure business continuity, and provide peace of mind.

1. In the event of a system failure due to a virus, hard drive failure, or human error, it's crucial to back up your operating system and restore it to a previous state. This ensures that your computer is returned to a stable and functional state, minimizing downtime and data loss.

2. Back up computer data to prevent file loss.

3. Create a system image to perform a factory reset anytime.

To back up Windows 10 or your entire computer to a USB drive, you have three options. You can use the built-in Backup and Restore (Windows Backup) feature, which allows you to create a system image that includes all your files, programs, and settings. Alternatively, you can use the File History feature, which backs up your files to a USB drive or external hard drive. If you want a more comprehensive backup, you can use a third-party backup software like Acronis or EaseUS, which can create a full image of your computer, including your operating system, programs, and files.

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Method 1. Backup Windows 10 to USB with Software - Protect OS & Data
Method 2. Backup Windows 10 System Image to USB - Protect OS
Method 3. Create a Windows 10 Recovery Drive to USB - Reset System

To back up your Windows 10 computer to an external USB drive, follow these steps: Connect the external drive to your computer, go to Settings > Update & Security > Backup, and select the external drive as the backup location. You can also use the built-in File History feature to back up your files to the external drive. To do this, go to Settings > Update & Security > Backup, and toggle on the switch under Back up using File History.

Method 1. Backup Windows 10 to USB with Qiling Software

For reliable data protection, consider using Qiling file backup software, designed for Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, Vista, and XP, to create a backup of your Windows 10 data. This software offers a smart choice for system and file backup, ensuring your important files are safe and secure.

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To fully back up Windows 10 to an external USB drive, including the OS and data, you can use the built-in Backup and Restore (Windows Backup) tool. This tool allows you to create a system image, which is a backup of the entire OS, as well as individual file backups.

#1. Backup Windows 10 to USB

Notice:

To backup your Windows 10 system to an external hard drive or USB, start by saving important data to a safe location. Ensure your external device has a capacity equal to or larger than your OS drive, and then proceed with the backup process.

Step 1. Connect an empty external hard drive or USB drive to your PC.

Step 2. Launch and run Qiling Backup on your Windows 10 PC and choose "System backup".

Step 3. Click the browse icon to select your external hard drive or USB as the destination for saving your Windows 10 system image.

Step 4. Click Proceed to start backing up your Windows 10 system now.

#2. Backup Windows 10 Data to USB

Step 1. Connect the external hard drive or USB flash drive to your PC.

Step 2. Run Qiling Backup and click "File backup" on the main window.

Step 3. Select the files you want to backup, then click the browse icon to choose the external hard drive or USB as the backup destination.

Step 4. Click "Proceed" to execute the file to external hard drive/USB backup operation.

Note Qilig Backup features a schedule backup option, allowing you to automatically back up files to an external USB drive.

#3. Restore Windows 10 System from USB Backup

After a successful backup, you may also need to know how to restore Windows 10 backup from the USB drive. If you can boot into Windows, open Qiling Backup and proceed to Step 2 below to restore the system image.

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If Windows won't boot, follow the details below:

Step 1. Connect USB with Windows 10 OS backup to PC and restart it.

When you see a Windows boot menu, select Qiling Disk Master.

Step 2. Select the image file you want to recover and click "Recovery".

Step 3. Select the destination location which you will recover the system and click "Next" to continue.

Step 4. Then click Proceed to restore Windows 10 backup.

Method 2. Backup Windows 10 System Image to USB

To create a system image backup of Windows 10 to USB, you can follow an alternative method provided by Microsoft. This method allows you to back up your system without using software, making it a convenient and efficient option.

It's based on Windows built-To back up your Windows 10 system to a USB drive using the Backup and Restore tool, follow these steps. First, insert the USB drive into your computer and make sure it has enough free space to hold the backup. Next, go to the Control Panel, click on System and Security, and then select Backup and Restore (Windows 7).

Step 1. Connect the USB drive (bigger than the C drive) to your PC and format it to NTFS.

Step 2. Right-click on the Windows icon, select "Search" and type: Control Panel. Open it and click "Backup and Restore (Windows 7).

Step 3. Click "Create a system image".

Step 4. Under the On a hard disk section, select the external USB drive as destination, and click "Next" to continue.

Step 5. Check the System and System Reserved partitions, click "Next" to continue.

Step 6. Click "Start backup" to begin creating your current system image to the USB drive.

The process of creating a system image of Windows 10 to a USB drive has been completed. The system image is now stored on the USB drive, which can be used to restore the operating system in the future.

When you encounter an OS boot issue or system failure error, you can restore a system image backup of Windows 10 on your USB drive at any time.

Method 3. Create a Windows 10 Recovery Drive to USB

To troubleshoot Windows 10 issues, you can try creating a Windows 10 recovery drive to USB, which allows you to restore Windows 10 by performing a factory reset on your computer anytime it malfunctions or the OS becomes corrupted.

The Windows built-The tool supports creating a Windows 10 recovery drive, but this process may take a significant amount of time. Let's proceed.

Step 1. Insert the USB drive into your computer. In Windows 10 Control Panel, click "Recovery".

Step 2. Click "Create a recovery drive".

Step 3. Check "Back up system files to the recovery drive" to use the drive to reinstall or restore a previous version of Windows, then click "Next".

Step 4. Wait until the wizard prepares to copy files to your flash drive.

Step 5. Select your USB flash drive as the recovery drive and click "Next".

Step 6. To confirm the warning, click "Create" after acknowledging that everything on the drive will be deleted and ensuring that any personal files have been backed up.

Step 7. When the message "The recovery drive is ready" appears, click "Finish".

The backup process may take a few hours, so be patient. Once completed, you can use the Windows 10 recovery drive to troubleshoot OS failure or PC boot issues on your computer. For more information, visit the link to download the Windows 10 recovery tool for 32/64-bit systems.

Pick a Right Way and Backup Your Windows 10 to USB Now

This page covers three effective Windows 10 backup to USB solutions to safeguard your OS and data from unexpected issues. These solutions provide a reliable way to protect your Windows 10 installation and valuable data by creating a bootable backup on a USB drive.

You can choose Qiling Backup software to back up your entire computer, including Windows 10, and all your data in a simple and convenient way.

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If you only want to back up your Windows 10 OS to a USB drive, either Method 2 or Method 3 can be helpful options. While they may be a bit more complex, they're still worth trying. Don't wait any longer - take action now to back up your Windows 10 OS and data to a safe and portable USB drive.