How to create a full backup on Windows 11 to external USB drive

To create a full backup of Windows 11, open the “System Image Backup” settings in the Control Panel, click “Create a system image,” select the external storage destination, and start the backup.
You can also use the “wbAdmin” command to create a Windows 11 backup with Command Prompt.

UPDATED 11/4/2025: On Windows 11, creating a full backup to an external USB drive ensures you have a security copy of the entire system (including from secondary hard drives), which allows you to restore your computer in case of critical system problems, malware attacks like ransomware, hardware failure, or when upgrading the primary storage drive.

In addition, a backup can help you roll back to a previous installation after upgrading to a new feature update or an entirely new version, such as Windows 10 to Windows 11.

While Windows 11 includes the “Windows Backup” tool, which focuses on safeguarding files and settings in the cloud, it does not offer a full system image backup. However, the legacy “System Image Backup” tool, accessible through the “Backup and Restore (Windows 7)” feature, remains available for creating backups to external drives that capture the entire system, including the operating system, applications, settings, and personal data.

It is important to note that “Backup and Restore (Windows 7)” is a deprecated feature, meaning it is no longer under active development and may be removed in future updates. Microsoft advises considering third-party full backup solutions as alternatives. However, you can still use it to create temporary full backups to upgrade the system drive, protect your previous installation before updating to a new version of Windows, and other scenarios.

In this guide, I’ll outline the steps to create a full Windows 11 backup to an external drive. You can also save a full backup to a network location with these instructions.

Create full Windows 11 backup to external drive from System Image Backup
Create full Windows 11 backup to external drive from wbAdmin command
Restore full backup to same drive on Windows 11
Restore full backup to new drive on Windows 11

Important: You must connect a “USB hard drive” (big drive with the cable) or use a secondary internal hard drive. You cannot use a “USB flash drive” (also called a thumb drive) since they’re slow and incompatible with the feature.

Create full Windows 11 backup to external drive from System Image Backup

To create a full backup of Windows 11 to an external USB drive, follow these steps:

Open Start on Windows 11.
Search for Control Panel and click the top result to open the app.
Click on System and Security.
Click on File History.
Click the “System Image Backup” option from the left pane.
Click the “Create a system image” option from the left pane.
Select the external drive to save the Windows 11 backup.
Click the Next button.
Click the Start backup button.
Click the No button.
Click the Close button.

Once you complete the steps, a full backup of the entire computer will be created on the external storage, including the installation files, settings, applications, and personal files.

You will also be prompted to create a repair disk, but you can ignore this option since you can use the Windows 11 bootable media to access the recovery settings to restore the backup.

Create full Windows 11 backup to external drive from wbAdmin command

To create a backup on Windows 11 with the Command Prompt wbAdmin utility, follow these steps:

Open Start.
Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
Type the following command to create a full backup with wbAdmin on Windows 11 and press Enter:
```
wbAdmin start backup -backupTarget:E: -include:C: -allCritical -quiet
```
In the command, replace “E” in the “-backupTarget” option with the drive letter of the external drive to use for the backup.
(Optional) Type the following command to create a full backup that includes all the drives connected to the device, and press Enter:
```
wbAdmin start backup -backupTarget:E: -include:C:,D:,F: -allCritical -quiet
```
In the command, replace the drive letters in the option “-include:C:,E:,F:” with letters reflecting the device’s drives.

After you complete the steps, the backup will be saved to the external drive you specified in the command.

Restore full backup to same drive on Windows 11

Since both methods process the backup identically, you can use the same instructions to recover a device using a previous backup. If you don’t have access to the desktop, follow these steps to boot the computer in the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) to use the System Image Recovery tool.

To restore Windows 11 from backup, follow these steps:

Open Settings.
Click on System.
Click the Recovery page on the left side.
Click the Restart now button under the “Recovery options” section for the “Advanced startup” setting.
Click the Restart now button again.
Click on Troubleshoot.
Click on Advanced options.
Click on See more recovery options.
Click the “System Image Recovery” option.
Select the “Use the latest available system image” option to restore the Windows 11 backup.

Quick tip: If you didn’t disable BitLocker encryption, you’ll have to enter your recovery key to complete the recovery. Use these instructions to find the BitLocker recovery key to unlock the drive.
Click the Next button.
Click the Next button again.
Click the Finish button.

After you complete the steps, the tool will restore the computer’s full backup, including the operating system, settings, apps, and files since the last backup.

Restore full backup to new drive on Windows 11

If you have to restore a full backup to a new drive on the same computer after a hardware failure or to increase storage capacity, you will have to replace the drive, then use a Windows 11 USB bootable media to access the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) to recover your system.

Although you can restore your previous installation to a new drive, this is only possible on the same computer. You cannot restore a full backup on a different device because the hardware will be different.

To restore a Windows 11 setup from a backup on a new hard drive, connect the USB bootable media and the storage device with the full backup, and follow these steps:

Power on the computer.
Press any key on the startup prompt.

Quick tip: To start a device with a bootable USB flash drive, you must change the BIOS settings. This process usually requires pressing one of the function keys (F1, F2, F3, F10, or F12), the ESC, or the Delete key. For more accurate instructions, visit your computer manufacturer’s support website. Also, this process will delete everything on the hard drive. As a result, it’s recommended to back up any files before proceeding.
Click the Next button on the “Windows Setup” page.
Click the Next button again.
Select the “Repair my PC” option.
Click the Next button.
Select your setup language.
Click on Troubleshoot.
Click the “System Image Recovery” option.
Click on the Windows 11 operating system option.
Select the “Use the latest available system image” option to restore the backup on a new hard drive.
Click the Next button.
Click the Next button again.
Click the Finish button.
Click Yes to confirm deleting the new drive.
Click the OK button to confirm that BitLocker has been disabled on the new drive (if applicable).
Click the Restart now button.

Once you complete the steps, Windows 11, along with your programs, settings, and files, will be restored to the new hard drive.

You can now re-enable BitLocker from the Settings app on Windows 11 Home or from the Control Panel for devices running Windows 11 Pro.

If the new drive has a larger capacity, then you will have to either extend the Windows 11 installation partition or create a new partition with the unallocated space. The easiest approach would be to create a new partition with the remaining space to store your data. However, if you want to allocate the unallocated space on the “C” drive, you will have to move the recovery partition using a third-party tool before you can use the space.

While a full backup is essential to any recovery plan, remember to be proactive because a backup can only restore data from the last time you created it. Also, you should use File History or a cloud storage service like OneDrive to keep your files backed up.

Alternatively, you can use third-party tools to back up Windows 11, including Macrium Reflect and Veeam. Macrium Reflect is a popular paid software for creating and restoring backups. This option used to be free, but a trial option has replaced it. Veeam is also a paid backup software, but there’s a free option with basic features that anyone can use.

FAQs about creating and restoring a full backup on Windows 11

Here’s a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) and answers regarding backup and restore on Windows 11.

What is a full backup on Windows 11?

A full backup on Windows 11 is a complete copy of your system, including Windows 11 files, installed applications, settings, and personal data. It lets you restore your computer to a working state after problems such as system crashes, malware attacks, or drive failures.

What tool should I use to create a full backup on Windows 11?

You can use the legacy System Image Backup tool available under “Backup and Restore (Windows 7)” in the Control Panel, or you can use the wbAdmin command in Command Prompt to create a full system image manually.

Can I use the new Windows Backup app to create a full system image?

No. The Windows Backup app on Windows 11 only backs up files, settings, and preferences to the cloud. It doesn’t create a complete system image. You must use System Image Backup or third-party tools like Macrium Reflect or Veeam.

Can I save a Windows 11 system image to a USB flash drive?

No. You cannot use a USB flash drive because it’s too slow and incompatible with the System Image Backup feature. You must use an external USB hard drive or a secondary internal drive with enough capacity to store the entire image.

How often should I create a full backup of Windows 11?

It’s recommended to create a full backup at least once a week or before major updates or hardware changes. This ensures you have a recent image to restore from if something goes wrong. However, critical data should be backed up daily.

Can I restore a full backup to a new hard drive?

Yes. You can restore your full backup to a new drive on the same computer after replacing a failed or upgraded drive. However, you cannot restore a system image to a different computer because of hardware differences.

How do I restore my backup if Windows 11 won’t start?

If Windows 11 won’t boot, start your computer from a Windows 11 USB installation media, select Repair My PC > Troubleshoot > System Image Recovery, and follow the prompts to restore your last full backup.

Does the System Image Backup include secondary drives?

Yes. When creating the backup, you can include other drives by selecting them in the wizard or adding them to the -include parameter in the wbAdmin command (for example, -include:C:,D:,F:).

Is System Image Backup still supported on Windows 11?

It’s deprecated, meaning Microsoft no longer develops it and may remove it in future versions. However, it still works on Windows 11 and is useful for creating temporary full backups before upgrades or major system changes.

Can I use File History instead of System Image Backup?

No. File History only backs up personal files, such as documents, pictures, and videos—not the entire system installation. You should use it alongside a full system image backup for complete protection.

Update November 4, 2025: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect the drive requirements.