You can follow along on your own system, if you’d like — assuming you’ve made at least one backup using Win7′s built-in system. (See items 3 and 4 from the list above.) You can choose any file for your test restore.
There are several ways to start a restore operation. Using the Windows Control Panel, look for System and Security, then back up your computer. But the easiest is to enter either backup or restore into the Win7 Start menu’s search box. Either word will invoke the Backup and Restore applet. (See Figure 1.)
The easiest way to invoke the Backup and Restore applet is to type backup into the Start menu’s search box.
The Backup and Restore applet will open, showing you something like what you see in Figure 2. Of course, the details will be different on your system, but the general layout will be about the same.
Win7′s Backup and Restore functions share a common interface, which makes for a busy dialog box. But the restoration steps are relatively simple.
When you’re restoring data, start by looking for Last backup and Contents, highlighted in Figure 3.
The Last backup date and the Contents description (upper red box) tell you when the selected backup was made and what it contains.
If the file you’re trying to recover isn’t likely to be in the currently selected backup set, click Select another backup to restore files from, highlighted by the lower red box in Figure 3.
You can also use this dialog later if the backup you select doesn’t turn out to contain the file you’re seeking. Just return to this dialog box, click Select another backup to restore files from again, and try a different backup.
Once you’ve selected a particular backup, click one of the two options shown within the red boxes in Figure 4. Most of the time, you’ll simply click Restore my files to go on to the next restoration step. But if you’re a system administrator and you wish to restore user files for other accounts, you can choose Restore all users’ files instead.
The Restore my files button starts the process of selecting your own files for recovery from the backups. The Restore all users’ files option lets administrators restore files for other user accounts as well.
Both restoration options work exactly the same way and bring up exactly the same dialog, as shown in Figure 5. The only difference is whether you’ll be shown just your own backed-up files or (if you’re an admin) everyone’s files. But either way, the next step is to drill down into the backup to locate the specific item(s) you need to recover.
If you’re trying to restore a specific file or files, click on Browse for files. If you seek to restore entire folders or folder trees, select Browse for folders. If you’re not sure where your target file is or what it’s named, use the Search option to locate the file within the selected backup’s contents.
Drill down to the file or folder you’re looking for by clicking one of these three options.
Feel free to explore all three search and browse buttons. Poking around inside your backups does no harm and is a great way to learn what’s in there. Nothing will get restored until you explicitly command it later on. If you get lost while exploring your backups, just Cancel your way out until you’re back on familiar turf and start over.
Because I was seeking my test file, I clicked Browse for files, which generated the dialog shown in Figure 6.
Using normal Windows file navigation, just click your way to your target file or files!
I knew my target Wordpad file, Windows Secrets Test File.rtf, used to reside on my Windows desktop. In other words, its full name and location was:
C: Users Fred Desktop Windows Secrets Test File.rtf
So, starting with Backup of C: (shown in Figure 6), I navigated down through the backup to Users, then Fred, and then Desktop. Figure 7 is the result. Of course, if I hadn’t remembered the file’s name or location, I could have used the Search option (shown in Figure 5) to find it.
Success! The file is in the backup, right where I thought it should be.
Once you’ve located the file(s) you wish to restore, click the Add files button, and you’ll see a dialog box similar to that shown in Figure 8.
Whether you’re restoring one file or many, this dialog lets you see what’s been selected for restoration (my “Windows Secrets Test File.rtf” for example).
When you’re done selecting files for restoration, click Next.
You can choose to restore files to their original location or to any other location you wish. (See Figure 9.)
In this case, I wanted to restore the file to its original place, so I just clicked the Restore button.
And with that, my test file was fully recovered and back in its original location on the Windows desktop, just as if it had never been deleted. When I clicked on the recovered file, it opened normally.
Note: If you try to restore a file that has the same name as a file that’s already in the selected location, Windows will alert you to the conflict and offer to rename the restored file to a non-conflicting variant of the name. In this way, you’re protected from accidentally overwriting a newer file with an older copy.
Other recovery and restoration options
The basic process you’ve just seen works to restore any of your data files and folders — or data files and folders for any user account on the PC. But you also can restore system files and settings or even restore your entire PC to an earlier condition. Those functions are accessed via the same dialog box shown in Figure 2. Note the Recover system settings or your computer option shown at the bottom of Figure 3, and highlighted in red in Figure 10.
Recover system settings or your computer lets you restore system settings or the entire PC.
The Recovery dialog, shown in Figure 11, offers the option of running System Restore or Advanced recovery methods.
Pressing Open System Restore lets you undo recent system changes.
You’re probably already familiar with System Restore, so I won’t describe it here. But if you need a quick refresher, consult Microsoft’s System Restore Help & How-to guide.
Choosing Advanced recovery methods will open the dialog shown in Figure 12.
Advanced recovery methods let you restore your system using a previously created Win7 system image. Or you can completely reinstall Windows from scratch.
Strangely, Microsoft doesn’t tell you about a better way to fully restore Windows 7 — a fast, nondestructive, in-place, total reinstall of Windows 7 that leaves intact your user accounts, data, installed programs, and system drivers.
Microsoft won’t tell you, but I did in my July 14 Top Story, “Win7′s no-reformat, nondestructive reinstall.”
And with that, you’ve now seen all the major elements of Win7′s backup and recovery subsystems. If you’ve followed along through all the referenced articles, you now have a rock-solid, highly automated backup system in operation. You now also know how to recover your files and folders — even your complete system setup — with minimal effort and hassle.
Relax! Your data is now superbly protected!
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