3 Ways To Backup User Profile In

Windows 7

Usman Khurshid 11th Jun 2011 Windows If you are a Windows 7 user and have gone through the drive! you"ll have pro#a#ly seen a folder called Users$ This Users folder stores all your user profiles! %hich includes all your settings and user data$ &ince your user profile has all your i'portant docu'ents and settings! it 'akes sense to #ack up a copy so that if your P crashes! you can easily restore #ack the settings$ (o%ever! you can not #ack up the user profile folder #y )ust copying the folder to a safe place #ecause it %ill al%ays #e in use %hen you"re logged in$ There is a risk that files are not copied properly and leads to data loss$ There are several 'ethods #y %hich %e can #ackup the co'plete user profile$

1$ Backup User Profile Using Windo%s Backup

The Windo%s Backup 'ethod is the easiest 'ethod to #ack up a user profile in Windows 7$ *o to Windo%s &tart +enu &earch and type ,#ackup and restore,$ &elect the first search result %hich %ill #e Windo%s Backup and -estore utility$ &elect the destination %here you %ould like to #ack up your user profile$ .ou can either choose a drive in your co'puter or a net%ork share$ There is no option to select a specific folder to #ack up to$ /nce you have selected the drive! it %ill create a folder called Backup and #ack up all your data in the Backup folder$ /n the ne0t screen! you should choose ,1et 'e choose2 radio #utton to select the profile to #ack up$

/n the ne0t screen! you have to choose %hat you %ant to #ack up$ .ou should un3check everything and only select the user profile folder that you

%ant to #ack up$ 4lso 'ake sure that you have unchecked ,Include a syste' i'age of drives5 6 57$2

licking on ,8e0t2 %ill take you to the ne0t screen to check your #ackup settings$ +ake sure everything is correct$ lick ,&ave settings and e0it2$ .ou 'ay also schedule the #ackup to auto'atically #ackup the specified folder at regular intervals$ .ou can also run the #ackup no% fro' Backup and -estore ontrol Panel ite'$

2$ Backup User Profile Using Windo%s User Profile Tool

The second 'ethod is 'uch si'pler to use$ Windo%s provides a User Profile Tool to copy! delete or 'ove a user profile$ *o to Windo%s &tart +enu &earch and search for ,9ie% advanced syste' settings,$ &elect the first result %hich %ill open 4dvanced &yste' Properties$ There are three settings5 perfor'ance! user profiles and startup and recovery$ lick the &ettings #utton under User Profiles$ This %ill open up the User Profiles settings$ The user profiles of all the users are listed here$ .ou can select any user and delete the profile or change its type$ In 'ost cases! you %ill find that the , opy To2 #utton is disa#led$ To ena#le

it! do%nload Enabler and run it 6the :na#ler is porta#le! you )ust need to un;ip and run$ There is no need to install7$ -un :na#ler and click :na#le$ 8ote5 When you run :na#ler! 'ake sure that only the User Profiles settings %indo% is open$ If there is 'ore than one %indo% open! :na#ler %ill try to process each %indo% and %ill hang in the 'iddle if there are 'any %indo%s open$ This %ill! 'ost pro#a#ly! ena#le the , opy To2 #utton$ If it is not ena#led! )ust close the %indo% and open the User Profile settings again$ .ou"ll need to select the user profile fro' the list to ena#le to , opy To2 #utton$ In 'ost cases! the :na#ler %ill %ork #ut there are ti'es %hen it %ill not #e a#le to ena#le the , opy To2 #utton$ .ou"ll need to try again and again until it %orks$

3$ Backup User Profile Using <ata*ra#

<ata*ra# is a porta#le user profile #ackup tool %ith lots of options for #ackup custo'i;ation$ /nce you open <ata*ra#! it %ill auto'atically find the user profile folder in the syste' drive$ .ou can also select other drives if there are user profile data placed in any other drive other than the Windo%s syste' drive$

.ou can select %hich folders in the user profile to #ack up$ <ata*ra# %ill auto'atically list all the folders under the user profile of that user$ It also gives options to #ack up application data of i'portant soft%are like /utlook! =irefo0 etc$ There are several other options that you can configure if you %ant further custo'i;ation$ The last thing to check out #efore hitting the opy #utton is the Backup 1ocation$ .ou should change the #ackup location fro' the default 5>> lient<ata to so'e other drive other than the syste' drive$ This %ill give you 'ore security of the #ackup$ <ata*ra# also allo%s you to append the date to the #ackup folder$ This is #eneficial if you are taking regular #ackups through <ata*ra#$ The #iggest advantage of <ata*ra# is that it can also #e use to #ack up an /ffline Windo%s installation$ If your Windo%s get corrupted! you only need to attach that hard drive to a running Windo%s &yste' and #ackup the user profiles fro' the dead Windo%s$ .ou can even #urn <ata*ra# on a <3-/+ and #oot fro' the <3-/+ to #ack the pro#le'atic syste'$ 4nother feature of <ata*ra# %orth 'entioning is the different copy 'ethods supported$ It supports different 'ethods to copy the data to a safe location$ This ensures that if one 'ethod fails! there"s al%ays another 'ethod to %ork on$ The reco''ended copying 'ethod is using Unstoppa#le opier$ By default! Unstoppa#le opier is not included in <ata*ra# and you need to download it and place it in the <ata*ra# folder$ If <ata*ra# finds Unstoppa#le opier! it"ll %ill auto'atically use this preferred 'ethod$ .ou can do%nload <ata*ra# from the authors site$

What other %ays do you use to #ack up your Windo%s user profile? http://www.maketecheasier.com/3 wa!s to backup user profile in windows 7/"#$$/#%/$$