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

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!

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.

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".

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

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

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.

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

*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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.