New Windows 11 backup and restore process makes everything worse

Una de las características más importantes de cualquier sistema operativo es la capacidad de realizar copias de seguridad y restaurar sus datos en caso de un desastre. Windows ha tenido esta característica durante mucho tiempo, pero nunca ha sido muy confiable o fácil de usar. Windows 11, la última versión del sistema operativo de Microsoft, promete mejorar el proceso de copia de seguridad y restauración con un nuevo diseño y funcionalidad. Sin embargo, después de probarlo, debo decir que el nuevo proceso de copia de seguridad y restauración de Windows 11 empeora todo.

First of all, the new Backup and Restore process is hidden in the Settings application, instead of being easily accessible from the Control Panel or Start menu. You have to go to Settings > System > Recovery > Advanced Options > Backup and Restore (Windows 7) to find it. Yes, you read that right: Windows 11 still uses the old Windows 7 Backup and Restore tool, which was discontinued in Windows 8 and 10. This means you can’t use the modern File History feature to back up your files, nor does it use the built-in OneDrive integration to sync your data to the cloud. You’re stuck with an outdated and unsupported tool that doesn’t work well with the new Windows 11 features and interface.

Secondly, the new Backup and Restore process is slow and buggy. It takes a long time to scan your drives and folders for backups and often fails to complete the backup or restore operation. I tried to back up my Documents folder to an external hard drive and it took over an hour to finish. When I tried to restore it, it gave me an error message that some files were damaged or missing. I checked the backup folder on the hard drive and it was empty. All my files were gone. I don’t know if this was a one-time problem or a common problem, but I wouldn’t trust my important data to the new Windows 11 backup and restore process.

Third, the new Backup and Restore process is confusing and inconsistent. It does not follow the same logic or terminology as other Windows 11 features. For example, when you create a backup, you must choose a destination for your backup files. However, when you restore a backup, you must choose a source for your backup files. This is contradictory and misleading. You might think you are restoring from the destination you chose earlier, but you are actually restoring from the source you chose earlier. This can lead to errors and data loss if you are not careful.

Another example of confusion and inconsistency is the way Windows 11 handles system images. A system image is a complete copy of your entire system, including your operating system, programs, settings and files. It can be used to restore your system to a previous state in the event of a major problem. However, the new Windows 11 backup and restore process does not allow you to create and restore system images directly. You have to go to another hidden option under Settings > System > Recovery > Advanced Options > System Image Backup (Windows 7) to do so. Again, this option uses the old Windows 7 tool which is incompatible with the new Windows 11 features and interface.

To make matters worse, the new Windows 11 Backup and Restore process does not even recognize system images created by other tools or methods. For example, if you use the Recovery Drive feature to create a bootable USB drive with a system image, you cannot use the new Windows 11 Backup and Restore process to restore it. You must boot from the USB drive and use the old Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) to do so. This is inconvenient and frustrating.

In conclusion, the new Windows 11 backup and restore process makes everything worse. It is hidden, outdated, unreliable, buggy, confusing and inconsistent. It does not work well with the new Windows 11 features and interface, nor does it support other backup and restore tools or methods. It’s a step backwards from Windows 10’s backup and restore options, which were already mediocre at best. If you value your data and the stability of your system, I suggest you avoid using the new Windows 11 backup and restore process at all costs.

The latest Windows 11 update introduces a new Windows backup application that aims to simplify the process of backing up and restoring your files to the cloud. However, this app falls short of the expectations of many users who rely on a variety of apps and services that are not part of the Microsoft ecosystem.

The new Windows Backup app can be found in the Start menu and allows you to select which folders, apps, settings and credentials you want to back up to OneDrive. You must have enough storage space on OneDrive to accommodate your backup, which may require upgrading your subscription.

The idea is that if you switch to a new PC, you can use the backup to restore your previous environment and continue working or playing without any problems. This sounds convenient in theory, but in practice it has several limitations and flaws.

The main problem is that the Windows Backup application only works with Microsoft applications that you download from the Microsoft Store. This means that if you use third-party apps or web-based services, they won’t be backed up and restored to the new PC. You will have to manually reinstall and reconfigure them from scratch.

In addition, even Microsoft applications that are supposed to be backed up and restored may not work properly. Some users reported that their applications were missing or corrupted after restoring from a backup, or that their settings and credentials did not transfer correctly.

This is unacceptable for a backup solution that claims to offer a seamless experience. Microsoft needs to improve the Windows Backup application to support more applications and services, and to ensure that the backup and restore process is reliable and consistent. Otherwise, users will have to look for alternative solutions that can meet their needs.

If you want to protect your data and settings against unexpected loss or damage, you may want to use the Windows Backup application in Windows 11. This application allows you to create a backup copy of your files, applications, settings and credentials on another PC or on an external drive. You can then use this backup to restore your PC to a previous state or to set up a new PC with the same settings. In this blog post, I will show you how to use the Windows Backup application in Windows 11 step by step.

First, you must prepare a backup PC and one or more target PCs. The backup PC is the one you want to back up and the target PCs are the ones you want to restore or clone. Make sure that all PCs are running the latest version of Windows 11 and have enough free space for the backup. You can check for updates by going to Settings > Update and security > Windows Update and clicking Check for updates.

Next, you must wipe the target PCs. This will erase all your personal files, applications and settings, so make sure you have backed up everything important before doing this. To wipe a target PC, go to Settings > System > Recovery and click Reset this PC. Choose Delete all and then choose Reinstall local. This will use the local copy of Windows 11 on your PC to reinstall it.

You are now ready to create a backup on the backup PC. Start the Windows Backup application from the Start menu by typing «backup» and clicking on the application icon. You will see a small box with the name of your PC and the date of the last backup, if applicable. Below that, you will see four drop-down menus: Folders, Applications, Settings and Credentials.

Folders: this menu allows you to choose which folders you want to back up. You can select all or specific folders. You can also add or delete folders by clicking the + or – buttons.

Applications: this menu allows you to choose the applications you want to back up. You can select all applications or specific ones. You can also add or remove applications by clicking on the + or – buttons.

Configuration: this menu allows you to choose which configurations you want to back up. You can select all or specific configurations. You can also add or remove configurations by clicking on the + or – buttons.

Credentials: this menu allows you to choose which credentials you want to back up. Credentials are things like passwords, PINs, certificates and keys that are used to access your accounts and services. You can select all credentials or specific ones. You can also add or remove credentials by clicking the + or – buttons.

After selecting what you want to back up, click Next at the bottom of the box. You will be prompted to choose a destination for your backup. You can choose another PC on your network or an external drive that is connected to your backup PC. Click Browse and select the destination you want. Then click Start Backup.

The backup process will start and may take some time depending on the size of your backup and the speed of your connection. You can view the progress and status of your backup in the box. You can also pause or cancel the backup at any time by clicking the corresponding buttons.

When the backup is complete, you will see a message saying «Backup completed successfully». You can now close the Windows Backup application.

To restore or clone a target PC using your backup, connect it to the same network or external drive as your backup PC. Start the Windows Backup application on the target PC and click Restore from another PC at the bottom of the box. You will see a list of available backups on your network or external drive. Select the one you want and click Next.

You will be prompted to choose what you want to restore from your backup: Folders, Applications, Settings, Credentials or Everything. Select what you want and click Next.

You will be prompted to confirm your choices and warned that the restore will overwrite any existing data on your target PC. Click Restore to start the process.

The restore process will start and may take some time depending on the size of your backup and the speed of your connection. You can view the progress and status of your restore in the chart. You can also pause or cancel the restore at any time by clicking the corresponding buttons.

When the restore is complete, you will see a message saying «Restore completed successfully». You can now close the Windows Backup application.

Congratulations! You have successfully used the Windows Backup application in Windows 11 to backup and restore your PCs.