What should you back up on a Windows PC?
Back up the files you could not recreate: your documents, photos, work and project folders, and any email archives kept on the PC. You do not need to back up Windows itself or the programs you installed, because those can be reinstalled. Start with a small, important Backup Set, check that it works, then add more.
A simple rule: back up what cannot be replaced
Ask one question about each folder: if this disappeared tonight, could I get it back without a backup? Windows can be reinstalled. Microsoft Office can be downloaded again. A family photo from 2019, a half-finished report or a client's project folder cannot. Those are your backup priorities.
Being selective has practical benefits. A smaller set backs up faster, uses less storage and is easier to check. With cloud backup, the first backup is the slowest part, so protecting the most important folders first means you are covered sooner.
Your user folders: the best starting point
Windows keeps most of your personal files inside your user profile, in the folder named after your account under Users. The usual places are:
- Documents: letters, spreadsheets, PDFs, scanned papers and anything saved by default.
- Desktop: many people keep working files here without thinking of it as storage.
- Pictures and Videos: photos, screenshots and home videos, often the largest and most precious files.
- Music: worth backing up if it is ripped or purchased files that are not available to download again.
- Downloads: only the items you want to keep. It often fills with installers that can be downloaded again.
Check where your folders really are If you use OneDrive folder backup, your Desktop, Documents and Pictures may sit inside the OneDrive folder, and some files may be stored online only. A backup of the PC can read only what is actually on the PC, so check which files are present locally and decide how you want each location protected.
Work files and project folders
If you use the PC for work, the folders that hold your projects are usually the most valuable data on it. That includes client files, accounts and bookkeeping data, design and video projects, source code, databases you keep locally and anything you would have to rebuild by hand.
Back up the folders that contain the work itself. For code, keep the repository history in a hosted repository as well; a PC backup is a second protection, not a replacement. For software that stores data in its own location, such as bookkeeping or design tools, check where it saves files and add that folder, or use the program's own export or save-a-copy function into a folder you back up.
Large working files change often. Tools that send only new and changed data, as Tornova does after the first backup, make repeated backups of big project folders manageable.
Email archives and other personal data
If your email lives on a server (a webmail account, or a mailbox your employer manages), the messages are already stored somewhere else. If you keep local archives, such as Outlook data files (.pst) or exported mailboxes, those files exist only on your PC and deserve a backup. Cached mailbox files that simply mirror a server can be rebuilt, so they are usually not a priority.
Programs can hold your data in different places, and some keep it in the hidden AppData folder. You do not need to back up all of AppData, which holds a lot of temporary and rebuildable material. Look for specific programs that have no export option and whose documentation says where data is stored. Also keep a copy of things you cannot download again: licence keys, purchase receipts, and installers for paid software that the vendor no longer offers.
Open files can be a problem. If a program is using a file at the moment of backup, it may be locked. Tornova records locked or permission-denied files as skipped or unavailable and continues with the rest, and it lists them in the result, so close programs such as email clients before a manual backup, or check the result afterwards.
What you can safely skip
- Windows itself and the Program Files folders. Reinstall them. A file backup is not designed to bring back a working system, and for that you need a system image, which is a different type of tool.
- Temporary files and caches. Browser caches, the Temp folder and thumbnail caches are rebuilt automatically.
- Downloaded installers and ISO images that you can download again.
- Build output and dependency folders, such as compiled results or downloaded package folders, if your tooling regenerates them.
- The Recycle Bin. Items there are already deleted from your point of view.
- Duplicates. If the same photo library exists in three places, protect one well.
When in doubt, include rather than exclude. Storage is cheaper than regret. But if your Backup Set is the entire drive, you are paying to protect a lot that could be reinstalled.
How to pick your Backup Set
- List folders by value
- Check their size
- Add the most important first
- Run the first backup
- Review the result
- Add more later
Right-click a folder in File Explorer and choose Properties to see its size. Add up the folders you want to protect. That total, plus growth over the next year, tells you how much storage you need; How much cloud backup storage do I need? shows how to estimate it.
Keep the first set small. Documents, Desktop, Pictures and your main work folder cover most people. After the first backup finishes and you have tested a restore, add the next folder. This keeps the first upload short and makes problems easy to spot.
How Tornova handles this
In Tornova Backup, the Backup Set is the list of files, folders or drives you choose. You can add or remove items at any time, in Tornova App or on the Backup page of the website. Removing an item stops future backups of it, and nothing already in the cloud is deleted. Deleting a file on the PC does not delete its cloud copy either.
A few related controls matter when you choose what to protect. Versioning is optional and off by default; when you turn it on you can keep 3, 10 or 50 versions, and stored versions use storage. Smart Cleanup lists files you deleted from the PC that still have a cloud copy, and nothing is removed until you select files and confirm. See the features page for the full list.
Once your set is chosen, turn on automatic backup so it stays current. For first-time setup, follow Getting started with Tornova Backup.
Windows only Tornova Backup protects files on Windows PCs. It does not back up a Mac or a phone, and it does not create a system image. Pair it with a tool made for those cases if you need them.
Frequently asked questions
Should I back up my entire C: drive?
You can, but it is rarely necessary. Most of the drive is Windows and programs that can be reinstalled. Backing up your user folders and work folders protects what you cannot replace, usually with much less storage.
Do I need to back up Windows and my installed programs?
A file backup does not bring back a working system. To recover Windows and programs you reinstall them, or use a system image tool. Keep the installers and licence keys for paid programs so reinstalling is possible.
Is my email backed up if I use webmail?
Messages in a webmail account are stored by the email provider, not on your PC. Local archives or exported mailboxes are only on your PC and are worth including in your Backup Set.
How big should my first Backup Set be?
Small enough to finish in a reasonable time and important enough to matter. Documents, Desktop, Pictures and your main work folder are a sensible start. You can add more once the first backup is complete.
What if some files are skipped during backup?
Files locked by another program or protected by permissions are recorded as skipped or unavailable, and the rest of the backup continues. The result shows as Partially Completed and lists the files, so you can close the program or fix the permission and run again.
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