Any simple way to backup Windows 11 to external hard drive?

It is best to backup Windows 11 to an external drive instead of File History, Since File History primarily sticks to external drives and network locations. If you're hoping to back up directly to cloud services like OneDrive, you're out of luck. In my experience, that kind of limits your backup redundancy. Just think about it: if your external drive fails or gets lost, you've pretty much lost everything. I mean, why stop at one backup when you could have both local and cloud options?

When you back up with File History, you can restore files, but it's not super elegant. You can't pick and choose specific system components or settings to restore. So, if you need to revert only a few files or settings, you might end up restoring a whole thing you didn't want to touch. I've been there, and it feels like throwing a wrench in your entire setup because you just wanted to recover that one embarrassing video you accidentally deleted!

File History is very much a "set it and forget it" kind of tool. For users who want a more sophisticated backup solution—like being able to do a full system image backup, or selectively backup applications, you're kinda left feeling like you're still vulnerable. I know a few folks who rely heavily on their PCs for work, and they've found themselves searching for third-party software just to cover their bases more thoroughly.