How to keep a backup of all your programs on windows 10?

Built-in windows backup tool. It will creates a full snapshot including OS, programs, settings, and files.

Backup and Restore (Windows 7) is a legacy backup utility carried forward from Windows 7 into Windows 10 and 11, preserved primarily for backward compatibility and users familiar with the older system. Despite its "Windows 7" label, this tool remains functional in newer Windows versions, offering two core functions: file backup and system image creation (creating a complete snapshot of the operating system, programs, and files).

How to keep a backup of all your programs for windows 10

1. Go to Settings → Update & Security → Backup

2. Click "Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7)"

3. Select "Create a system image"

4. Choose backup destination (external drive, network location, or DVDs).

It represents Microsoft's previous generation backup philosophy, less frequent, monolithic backups, contrasting with the continuous, file-level protection of modern solutions like File History. You can use this free utility for making a full backup of Windows 10 programs.

Pros

Complete System Imaging: Creates full disk images that include the OS, all installed programs, settings, and personal files for bare-metal recovery.

Familiar Interface: Long-time Windows users already know how to use it, with straightforward wizard-based steps.

Integrated with Windows: No additional software to download, install, or purchase.

Cons

Deprecated Technology: Microsoft no longer develops or improves it, having replaced it with newer solutions

No Incremental Backups: Creates entirely new full backups each time, wasting storage space and time

Poor Scheduling: Backup schedules often fail silently without notifications or detailed error logs

Limited Customization: Cannot exclude specific files or folders from system images

Restoration Inflexibility: Can only restore to identical or larger drives with similar hardware configurations