Workshop
What you need:Windows 10 or 11
Time required:30 minutes
Windows 11’s Moment 4 update, which arrived in late September, introduced a backup tool called Windows Backup, which was simultaneously added to Windows 10. It copies your data and settings to OneDrive, from where you can recover them should disaster strike or if you’re setting up a new PC. This will ensure your settings are reinstated, your folders restored, and any apps you’ve pinned to your taskbar are returned to their original positions. You’ll need a Microsoft account. Here’s what you need to do.
1 STEP Steps 1 and 2 are for both Windows 10 and 11. Make sure you’re signed into your Microsoft account so that Windows Backup knows where to save your data. If you’re using a local account, open Settings (by pressing Windows key+I), then click Accounts 1followed by ‘Your info’. Click ‘Sign in with a Microsoft account instead’, then enter your login name and password. If you instead see the option to ‘Sign in with a local account instead’ 2 , don’t click it. It means you’re already using a Microsoft account, so you can skip to Step 2.
2 STEP Next, check that Windows Backup is set to copy your files to OneDrive by opening the Start menu, typing windows backup and clicking the top result. Click through the four sections – Folders, Apps, Settings, and Credentials 1– and make sure that each of the categories you want to back up to OneDrive is selected, with its slider to the right 2 . Keep an eye on the ‘Storage estimate’ 3to make sure your selections will fit in your available OneDrive space.
3 STEP This step is just for Windows 11. If you don’t see the options mentioned in Step 2, but instead see just a green tick with ‘Backed up’ beside each category, that means your settings have been carried over from a sync operation you’ve previously set up. To make changes in Windows 11, go to Settings and click Accounts 1 , followed by ‘Windows backup’. Turn off ‘Remember my apps’ 2and ‘Remember my preferences’ 3to clear these options. For more precise control, click the arrow beside the preferences option 4to reveal individual tick boxes. Now log into your Microsoft account at www.snipca.com/48085, scroll down to ‘Cloud synced settings’ and click ‘Clear synced settings’, followed by Clear.
4 STEP If you’re using Windows 10, the process is slightly different. Open Settings and click Accounts, followed by ‘Sync your s
