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Windows comes with a Backup and Restore tool that lets you back up your files to your hard drive, another hard drive, a USB thumb drive, CD, DVD, and across a network. In keeping with this week’s theme, this guide will show you how to use Backup and Restore to back up your files from any Vista or 7 PC across your home network.
This guide is part of the Home Network Setup, Sharing, Streaming, and Backup Series. Learn more about setting up a home network, configuring file sharing and streaming, and performing network backups on the series homepage.
Note: Networked backup does not work on “Home” editions of XP, Vista, and 7 (thanks Chris.)
Backup Your Data Across Your Home Network
To back up your data across your home network:
1. Click the Start button, type Backup and click Backup and Restore.
2. Click Set up backup.
3. Click Save on a network…
4. Click Browse and Choose your networked PC and pick a shared location (how to set up networked PCs and shared locations.)
5. Type in the username and password of the PC that will store the backup (if one is not set, go to the PC and set an account password.) Click OK.
6. Click Next.
7. I recommend choosing the files you want to backup by selecting Let me choose and clicking Next.
8. Choose the files you’d like to backup (be sure to uncheck Include a system image of drives if you are already making a system image backup or if space is limited on the backup location.)
9. Verify your settings and click Save settings and run backup.
10. Set a schedule so backup is automatic. Click OK.
11. Your backup will now take place (be sure to not turn off your PC or the PC the data is being backed up to during the backup.)
12. Now go to the PC where the data was backed up and verify the data is there (it doesn’t hurt to look.)
That’s it; you’re done. Your data is now backed up, automatically according to your schedule.
What else can you do with your home network? Find out here.
About Rich
Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix them.
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The “home” versions of windows produce an error saying that backups across the network are not supported – you cant even use a mapped drive, you need to be running pro’ or ultimate for this to work
The “home” versions of windows produce an error saying that backups across the network are not supported – you cant even use a mapped drive, you need to be running pro’ or ultimate for this to work
Thank you for informing me of this. I’ll update the guide.
On Feb 19, 2010, at 10:11, “JS-Kit.com Comments” <js-kit-m2c-4BJR1H7IIACKSUB6TI0TDG0P9IIJ2SR1PIM97EMO9VKTBD7V7H30@reply.js-kit.com
Thank you for informing me of this. I’ll update the guide.
On Feb 19, 2010, at 10:11, “JS-Kit.com Comments” <js-kit-m2c-4BJR1H7IIACKSUB6TI0TDG0P9IIJ2SR1PIM97EMO9VKTBD7V7H30@reply.js-kit.com
Does every computer on the network need more than Win 7 Home for the backup, or can it be on just one computer and do the job?
For the computers with data you want to backup, you’ll need >= W7HP.
In response to Chris’ comment, we amended the guide at the time:
“Note: Networked backup does not work on “Home” editions of XP, Vista, and 7 (thanks Chris.)”