Create a full backup of a Copilot+ PC on Windows 11

To create a full backup of a Copilot+ PC, 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’ll need to connect a USB external hard drive. You can’t use a USB flash drive.

If you have a Copilot+ PC running Windows 11, you can create a full backup to an external USB hard drive, as you would on a traditional computer, to protect the entire setup and personal files from critical system problems, malware attacks like ransomware, hardware failure, or when upgrading the primary storage drive.

While your Copilot+ PC 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 on Windows 11, 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, programs, settings, and files.

The “Backup and Restore (Windows 7)” is no longer being maintained by Microsoft, and may be removed in future updates. Also, the company 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 the operating system, and other scenarios.

In this guide, I’ll outline the steps to create a full backup of your Copilot+ PC to an external drive.

Create a full Copilot+ PC backup on Windows 11
Restore a full Copilot+ PC backup on Windows 11
FAQs about a full backup of a Copilot+ PC

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 a full Copilot+ PC backup on Windows 11

To create a full backup of a Windows 11 Copilot+ PC to an external USB hard 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.

Restore a full Copilot+ PC backup on Windows 11

Once you complete the backup process, you have at least two ways to restore a Copilot+ PC to its working state.

Same drive backup restore

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 Copilot+ PC 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.

New drive backup restore

If you have to restore a full backup to a new drive on the same Copilot+ PC 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.

To restore a Copilot+ PC 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 Copilot+ PC.
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 hard 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.

FAQs about a full backup of a Copilot+ PC

Here’s a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) and answers regarding backup and restore on an AI-powered computer.

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 Copilot+ PC to a working state after problems such as system crashes, malware attacks, or drive failures.

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 Copilot+ PC 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 Copilot+ PC 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 my Copilot+ PC 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.

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.

Why can’t I use my external hard drive for a system image?

When selecting the external hard drive, you receive the “This drive cannot be used to store a system image because it is not formatted with NTFS” message, it’s because the drive you’re trying to use has been formatted using another file system (such as FAT32, exFAT, Ext4, etc.). If this is the case, you have to erase and reformat the drive using the NTFS file system.

What about backing up the Recall-specific data (snapshots)?

Copilot+ PCs use the Recall feature, which takes local snapshots of your activity. These snapshots are encrypted and stored locally, and they will become part of the backup. You cannot exclude them or back them up separately.

Update November 10, 2025: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect the drive requirements.