How to Backup Computer to External Hard Drive in Windows 7 [2023 New]

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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Support Windows 11/10/8/7

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Updated by Jean on Jul 20, 2023
Written by Larissa

Workable Solutions Step-by-step Troubleshooting
Tip 1. Use free backup software

Launch EaseUS Todo Backup and choose "Create Backup" on the...Full step

Tip 2. Use Windows 7 Backup and Restore Open Backup and Restore with the path: Control Panel > System ...Full steps

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

[2 Tips] Stepwise Guide to Back Up Windows 7 Computer

There are a few different ways to back up Windows 7 data onto an external hard drive, but in this guide, we will focus on how to back up a Windows 7 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.

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

Yes

Yes
System backup

Yes

Yes
Disk/partition backup

Yes

No
Scheduled backup

Yes

Yes
Differential backup

Yes

No
Incremental backup

Yes

No
Backup data to hard drive

Yes

Yes
Backup data to cloud

Yes

No
Backup Windows to NAS

Yes

Yes
System/disk/partition cloning

Yes

No
Hot backup

Yes

No
Intelligent backup

Yes

No
Create WinPE bootable disk

Yes

No
Compress/encrypt backup

Yes

No
Security zone backup

Yes

No
 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.

Tip 1: Use EaseUS Todo Backup to Backup Windows 7 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.

 Free Download

Support Windows 11/10/8/7

Step tutorial:

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.

Tip 2: Use Windows 7 Backup and Restore to Backup Windows 7 to an External Hard Drive

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.

Conclusion

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.

 Free Download

Support Windows 11/10/8/7

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.

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Updated by Jean

Jean has been working as a professional website editor for quite a long time. Her articles focus on topics of computer backup, data security tips, data recovery, and disk partitioning. Also, she writes many guides and tutorials on PC hardware & software troubleshooting. She keeps two lovely parrots and likes making vlogs of pets. With experience in video recording and video editing, she starts writing blogs on multimedia topics now.

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Written by Larissa

Larissa has rich experience in writing technical articles. After joining EaseUS, she frantically learned about data recovery, disk partitioning, data backup, and other related knowledge. Now she is able to master the relevant content proficiently and write effective step-by-step guides on computer issues.

Read full bio

Product Reviews

TrustScore 4.7 | 47 reviews
  • Taking everything into consideration, we can say that EaseUS Todo Backup Home can offer you a little extra sense of security with a set of advanced tools. The interface provides quick adaptation, every process guiding you all the way through so you don't get stuck or further damage your system rather than keeping it safe.

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  • EaseUS Todo Backup Free lets you create backups of your important files or your entire computer through its streamlined interface. Just choose the backup type you'd like to get started, and let the program do the reset.

    Read More
  • EaseUS includes all the features I expect from backup software like versioning, incremental backups, and scheduling. For more advanced users, EaseUS allows you to install a pre-boot environment onto your hard drive so you can use it to restore files without burning a CD or putting it on an external USB drive.

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EaseUS Todo Backup

Smart backup tool for your files and entire computer in Windows 10/8/7.

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