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

Yes — there is a simple, built-in way, and you don’t need to touch the command line.

The easiest option is Windows’ System Image backup. It backs up Windows, your apps, and your files in one go.

Here’s the simple way to do it:

1. Plug in your external hard drive
2. Open Control Panel
3. Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7)
4. Click Create a system image
5. Choose your external drive and start the backup

That’s basically it. Just let it run.

This creates a full backup of your system, so if something goes wrong later, you can restore everything back exactly as it was.

If you only want to back up personal files (documents, photos, etc.), you can also use Settings → Accounts → Windows Backup, but that doesn’t back up Windows itself.

For a one-time, “set it and forget it” backup, the system image option is the simplest and safest for non-technical users.