How to Backup Computer to External Hard Drive in Windows 7 [2024]

Backing up Windows 7 computers to an external hard drive is an excellent way to protect your data. This tutorial will guide you through the process of how to back up your Windows 7 computer to an external hard drive using EaseUS Todo Backup.

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Larissa

Updated on Jan 12, 2024

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I want to backup my entire computer on an external hard drive but I’m truly confused about what is meant by backing it up. If I put it on a hard drive and transfer it to a new computer, will it replicate everything from the original? In other words, will it be like iCloud when changing phones and everything appears on its own on the new phone?

Do you have the same doubts as the above post from Reddit? Computer backup to an external hard drive is an essential step to prevent PC problems like blue screen of death, accidental deletion, physical damages, malware, viruses, etc. Having a computer backup will save your data and ensure all your important information is protected.

If you haven't done the backup task previously, you must have the question: What contents should I back up, Is there an easy way to perform the task? What is the best tool? How often should I perform the backup work?

Don't worry if you are in the same shoes. This comprehensive post from EaseUS walks through two effective methods to backup computer to external hard drive on Windows 7/8/10/11. Keep reading and find the way you like.

Why You Need to Backup Windows 7 Computer to External Hard Drive

Backing up your computer is one of the most important things you can do to protect your data and keep it secure. Whether due to a hardware crash, malicious software such as computer viruses or malware, accidental user error, or natural disasters like flooding or fires - if you fail to back up your system regularly, the consequences may be disastrous.

Fortunately, for those using Windows 7 systems, backup entire PC to an external hard drive is relatively easy. In this blog post, we'll dive into how you can backup computer data - from music files and photos to applications to systems and more - from Windows 7 onto an external hard drive in no time!

backup computer to external hard drive in windows 7

There are a few different ways to back up Windows data onto an external hard drive, but in this guide, we will focus on how to back up a computer to an external hard drive with two of the most popular methods: using free backup software, EaseUS Todo Backup, and Windows 7 Backup and Restore. Both methods are easy to use and have detailed step-by-step guides that you can follow.

Use Freeware to Backup Windows 7/8/10/11 to an External Hard Drive

EaseUS Todo Backup is a reliable, easy-to-use, and powerful backup software for Windows 11/10/8/7 that can help you quickly and easily back up your computer data to an external hard drive.

EaseUS Todo Backup

  • Backup files, folders, partitions, and App data to various locations, including cloud, internal & external hard drive, and NAS.
  • Create a Windows 11/10/8/7 system image with simple clicks.
  • Create WinPE bootable disk to restore and boot the computer
  • Incremental & differential & full backup types
  • Offer 250 GB of free cloud storage

Now download and follow the stepwise guide below to create a Windows system image to back up your important data.

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Todo Backup and choose "Create Backup" on the home page, click "Select backup contents".

create system backup step1

Step 2. Among the four available categories, click "OS" to start back up.

create system backup step2

Step 3. The system partition will be automatically selected, you only need to select the location.

create system backup step3

Step 4. Local Drive, Cloud, and NAS are available for you to save the backup file. You can also connect an external hard drive to preserve the system backup files.

create system backup step5

Step 5. You can customize the settings in "Options" at the left bottom. After that, click "Backup Now", and the process will begin.

create system backup step 5

*After finishing the backup process, you can check the backup status, recover, open, or delete the backup by right-clicking the backup task on the left.

Use Windows Backup and Restore to Backup Files & System

If you don't want to download third-party software, Windows 7 system also provides a built-in Backup and Restore feature, which allows you to create a system image or back up specific files and folders. It is a basic and cost-free backup tool for Windows 7 users. Although lacking many useful features, it can still help you quickly back up your computer data to an external hard drive.

But according to some users' feedback, they have encountered some issues like Windows 7 backup stuck at 97, Windows 7 backup stuck on reading data, or some of the data will be lost during the process. What's more, it will take a long time if you have a large number of files. If you don't mind and have enough time, you can use this method.

Follow the steps below to back up Windows 7 computer to an external hard drive.

#️⃣Back up files/folder

Step 1. Open Backup and Restore with the path: Control Panel > System and Security > Backup and Restore.

open backup and restore

Step 2. Click the "Set up backup" button.

set up backup

Step 3. Enter a destination to save the backup file, select the external hard drive, and then click Next.

select a plcae

Step 4. Select what type of files you want to back up, and then click Next.

select what to back up

Step 5. Preview the settings and click "Save settings and run backup" to begin backing up your files/folders.

#️⃣Create a system image

Step 1. Open Backup and Restore with the path: Control Panel > System and Security > Backup and Restore.

open backup and restore

Step 2. Click the "Create a system image" link on the left side of the window.

choose create a system image link

Step 3. Select where you want to save your backup, select your external hard drive, and then click Next.

Step 4. Preview the settings and click "Start backup" to create a system image for Windows 7 computer onto an external hard drive.

EaseUS Todo Backup vs Backup and Restore: An Ultimate Comparison

You must be wondering which one to choose. Well, don't hesitate; we made a comprehensive comparison between the two tools. You can refer to their respective functions when making your decision.

Comparison EaseUS Todo Backup Windows 7 Backup and Restore
File backup
System backup
Disk/partition backup
Scheduled backup
Differential backup
Incremental backup
Backup data to hard drive
Backup data to the cloud
Backup Windows to NAS
System/disk/partition cloning
Hot backup
Intelligent backup
Create WinPE bootable disk
Compress/encrypt backup
Security zone backup
🎨Editor's Recommendation
EaseUS Todo Backup takes advantage in many aspects compared with Windows 7 Backup and Restore. It is a robust backup tool that combines the most intuitive user experience and sophisticated backup technologies to bring the ultimate solution for data protection.

The Final Verdict

Backing up your computer data is essential for safeguarding against system crashes or malware infection, and backing up to an external hard drive helps ensure that no important files are lost in a computer disaster.

This blog post provides two ways to back up Windows 7 computers to an external hard drive: free backup software and Windows 7 Backup and Restore. Both methods are easy to follow, but we recommend EaseUS Todo Backup for its robust features, intuitive user experience, and data protection capabilities.

FAQ on Backup Computer to External Hard Drive in Windows 7

1. How do I back up my entire computer to an external hard drive?

You can create a system image if you need to back up an entire computer to an external hard drive. To do it, open Backup and Restore > Create a System Image, select the external hard drive as the destination to store the image, and then click Start backup.

2. Does Windows 7 have an auto backup?

Yes. Windows 7 Backup and Restore allows you to set a scheduled backup daily, weekly, monthly, etc., to save your data. With this feature, you don't need to back up your system manually every time.

3. Can I back up multiple computers to the same external hard drive? 

Yes, you can. But you'd better create a separate backup task for each computer and ensure the connected device is large enough to store all the backups.

EaseUS Todo Backup

EaseUS Todo Backup is a dependable and professional data backup solution capable of backing up files, folders, drives, APP data and creating a system image. It also makes it easy to clone HDD/SSD, transfer the system to different hardware, and create bootable WinPE bootable disks.

  • Updated by

    Larissa

    Larissa has rich experience in writing technical articles and is now a professional editor at EaseUS. She is good at writing articles about data recovery, disk cloning, disk partitioning, data backup, and other related knowledge. Her detailed and ultimate guides help users find effective solutions to their problems. She is fond of traveling, reading, and riding in her spare time.…
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