Backing up Computer Files

 

 

 

 

 

• Click the Microsoft Start button 
  
  
• Click File Explorer located in the taskbar (Windows 10) or Computer
  
  
  
• Click "This PC" on the left-hand side
• Double Click the (C:) drive

          

• Double Click on Users
  
  
• Double Click the folder with your username (You may see two different folders- one could be your username the other could be your usernameDENTONISD You will need to go into the folder to see which folder contains your files that need to be backed up)
  
  

The most important folders to back up are listed in red type (You can double click any of these folders to see what is inside them): DO NOT just drag your whole user folder to your backup location. This folder contains many items that do not need to be backed up such as Google Drive, One Drive, and Dropbox. This will only use up space that is not needed. 

• Contacts - This folder has your contact information
• Desktop - This folder contains any files or folders that you saved to your desktop
• Documents - Contains all the files and folders you have saved locally on your computer
• Downloads - Files that you have downloaded from the internet
• Favorites - Internet Explorer saved websites
• Links - Shortcuts to different locations such as your desktop, Google Drive, Etc. **see note below
• Music - iTunes stores information in this folder as well as any music files you may have saved
• Pictures - Photos you have saved
• Videos - Videos you have saved

 

***Very Important - As you are backing up files/folders if you see a small square with an arrow in the bottom left corner of the icon this means that it is a shortcut to the original file/folder. Shortcuts will not work from your backup file. You need to be sure you have a copy of the original file/folder. If you do not know where the original is located right-click on the shortcut file/folder and select properties. You will see the file/folder location in the target line.  

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• Outlook E-mail - No need to back up your email unless you have exported or created Archives for your Outlook e-mail. If so, you will want to be sure to back up those files. By default, Outlook creates a folder inside your Documents folder on your computer called Outlook Files. Inside that folder, you will find these files unless you changed the save location to a different location. In that case, you would need to locate those files and back them up. You can search your computer for these files by: 
  • Double click on your Computer Icon
  • Double click on the (C:) Drive
  • In the search box type: *.pst
  • Press Enter
  • If you have any .pst files located on the hard drive of your computer they will show in the list

• You will also see the size of the file and the date it was created
• Make sure you have these files backed up if you wish to keep them. 

• If you use Google Chrome bookmarks follow these directions to back up your Chrome bookmarks:
  • In the top-right corner of the browser window, click the Chrome menu (the 3 small black dots)
  • Select Bookmarks>Bookmark Manager
  • Click the menu button in the top right corner of the Bookmarks page(the 3 small white dots)
  • Select Export bookmarks to HTML file
  • Save the Google bookmarks file in the same location as your other backup files
        

• If you use Mozilla Firefox bookmarks follow these directions to back up your Firefox bookmarks:
• Click the Library button on the toolbar (If you don't see it there, click the menu button then click Library.) Click Bookmarks and then click the Show All Bookmarks bar at the bottom.
• From the toolbar on the Library window, click Import and Backup and choose Export Bookmarks to HTML

 

• In the Export Bookmarks File window that opens, save the file bookmarks.HTML, to your backup location. 
• Click the Save button. The Export Bookmarks File window will close. Close the Library window. 

***VERY IMPORTANT - If you have specialized software that backs up to a database such as QuickBooks you must run a final backup BEFORE having your computer imaged and save that file to a backup location ****