Especially in the case of corporate data, data loss is associated with far-reaching, negative consequences that can include loss of revenue or even company bankruptcy. Data recovery is very expensive and with no guarantee that all data can be salvaged.

The damage can also be high for the private user if, for example, he has saved personal documents and has forgotten to back up Windows 10, his operating system in use. Because then this data is usually irrevocably lost.

In both situations, such situations must be prevented in advance with a Windows system backup by backing up both the data and the operating system.

Due to the current virus threats like WannaCry and other Ransomware that encrypt data so that it is no longer possible to access it, we advise you to resort to a good Windows backup software. Many cases of data loss also occur due to hard drive failure or general hardware or software failures. The risks that can lead to data loss are many.

To perform a data backup on Windows, you can use various methods and a Windows backup tool.

Time Windows data backup intervals due to archiving obligations

It is important that the data backup - for example, the backup of Windows 10 or a data backup of Windows 8 - is done at regular intervals, so that the damage is limited.

It also depends on what amount of data it is and how often it changes or updates. Then there are legal aspects to consider: for example, accounting data must be retained by law for 10 years. In this case, a monthly Windows backup would be the minimum.

To save having to rework lost data, a daily or weekly backup is advised. Companies often back up daily. Create - whether you are a private user or in the company responsible for this - better regularly a backup, for example, with your Windows 10 backup software, so you do not risk too much data loss.

It is annoying if you forget the manual backup and it comes to the loss of important documents. This is where an automatic backup of Windows can help. You can configure the automatic data backup in many ways with Langmeier Backup and the user does not need to worry about the data backup afterwards, apart from regular recovery tests.

With Langmeier Backup, the automatic backup works in such a way that Langmeier Backup as a Windows service backs up the data in the background while the PC is running. No user needs to be logged in.

Create a system image, for example as a data backup for Windows 10 to the external hard drive

A system image is like a snapshot you take of your hard drive. This image, also called an image, is then placed on external storage and can be restored to the original system if needed - for example, with Windows 10 backup software. With Langmeier Backup - as an example of such a backup program - this is very easy to do.

Simply start the wizard „Setup“ and add „Hard disk image“. Then select the drive (usually C:\). Next, press „next“ and they can now give the backup a name. Then select the location - e.g. USB stick or network - where you want to create the image. Then decide if you want to encrypt the image and press „Finish“. The detailed instructions on how to create an image backup with Langmeier Backup can be found herer.

Windows backup can be performed with Langmeier Backup for all Windows operating systems. The software can handle all supported Windows operating systems: Whether it's a Windows 7 backup, Windows 8 backup, or Win 10 backup, it's all no problem!

Where to put the data you back up

Many users back up their backup data to an internal drive. However, this is not enough because then the data is on the same hard drive. If the hard drive fails, for example, due to a disk crash, data loss occurs despite Windows backup. In the event of an attack by ransomware, the backup data is also encrypted and thus also unusable. That is why you should, for example, make your Windows 10 backup on an external hard drive. It is best to only connect this to your computer during the backup. Ideally, you back up firstly to different external backup media and secondly to your personal cloud or NAS.

Which medium you choose depends on what kind of data it is and how high the data volume is. Companies in particular should consider encrypting the data to protect it from outside access. The price is also crucial. This is one of the main reasons why tape backup remains attractive to many companies. These various considerations are important to keep in mind when backing up Windows 10, for example.

Backing up data to USB sticks

An easy way to back up data for private users is to use a USB stick. Here it must be noted that the USB stick is removed from the device after the data backup, which could be a complete Windows 8 or 8.1 backup, for example. Thus, in the event of a virus attack, for example, by ransomware, the data is not also damaged and encrypted with.

Windows backup to CDs, DVDs or BluRays

If you are a home user and you are backing up Windows 10, you can also back up Windows 10 to a CD or a DVD. However, this requires more effort - relative to the system backup for Windows 10 to a USB stick. CDs can also quickly become scratched or unusable due to sunlight. With larger data volumes, the effort of a Win 10 backup can become too great. The time spent inserting and writing to the CD, as well as labeling and archiving, is only worth it for smaller amounts of data.

Network Folders and USB Hard Drives

The advantage is that very large amounts of data can be backed up quickly. Langmeier Backup also allows network folders to be selected as destination folders, for example, to target a specific storage server.

Backing up data to the cloud

For home users, cloud storage such as Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive are a great way to create a Windows 10 backup, for example, as they can be accessed from any computer. However, not all cloud storage is suitable for sensitive data. The biggest problem with these services is that in many cases, the data is stored outside of Europe in the U.S.

Here you can read more about which media will make your backup a success.

Restore data

For example, if a backup was created with Windows 10 and the partitions of the hard drive have changed or a hard drive change was necessary, the key may be requested again. Therefore, you should have it ready. For pre-installed OEM versions of Windows, the Windows key is usually printed on a certificate, which is stuck on the bottom or back of the computer or laptop.

Restore Windows on another PC? Can you do that?

Because one of the things that is backed up with an image is the settings of the old PC, it doesn't work to simply load an old Windows 7 backup onto the newly purchased PC. There are specific drivers and settings that you'd want to apply to the new system. This would result in conflicts with the technical configuration of the new PC and the settings of the old operating system that one wants to transfer. Therefore, only one data transfer is possible. The operating system, on the other hand, has to be set up again.

So if you create a Windows 7 backup and want to transfer it to a computer that has a different operating system there are difficulties. Even if you backup Win 10 and the target device has the same operating system, it will not go without problems. This is due to the corresponding hardware configuration - for example, different graphics cards - because the operating system adapts to the drivers of the corresponding computer model in each case when reconfiguring.

The data and files backed up with a backup software for Windows, such as documents and photos, however, are always playable. So backing up Windows 10 only makes sense if this Windows backup is to be restored to the same computer or device.

Good backup program for Windows

When you consider the damage that lost data can do, Langmeier Backup shows good value for money.

Langmeier Backup for Windows at a Glance

• Creates disk images and also backs up individual files
• Stay independent: restore your files without the software
• Be flexible: Usable with or without administrator permissions
• Automatic backup possible with scheduler
• Support included: One year free support from Switzerland
• Easy backup and restore
• Minimal effort when backing up contact data, emails and internet favorites
• 1:1 file backup - and even active databases are no problem for Langmeier Backup.

Why Langmeier Backup is better at Windows backup than Free Windows Backup

The outsourcing of data to external hard drives and network servers requires corresponding, diverse configuration options. These are not included in the normal Windows backup program

The simple and self-explanatory execution of a Windows backup such as a Windows 7 data backup allows a specific selection of the storage location and the files that one wants to have backed up. The same goes for restoring the files and data with the help of the bootable rescue media.

The free backup features installed with Windows have the disadvantage that the backup is done on the device itself, which means that if the entire device fails, the data is also lost. Backing up to external storage involves more effort and is easier and better handled with Langmeier Backup.

It's easy to create a Windows backup with the award-winning backup software Langmeier Backup 9.1. Back up contact information, bookmarks, and emails quickly and easily, too. Here's how to do it for Outlook and here if you use Thunderbird. This way they are well protected against data loss in case of virus attacks and hardware failures!

About the Author Alexander Vogt, Premium Support

Alexander Vogt is in charge of Premium Support at Langmeier Software, making him the best person to contact about Langmeier backup solutions and the aBusiness Suite.

Phone: 0041435000600 (+41 43 500 06 00)
Email: support@langmeier-software.com

Further lookup: Automatic data backup, Data Security, Data loss, Backing up Windows, Disk image

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