Forum Discussion

FinchleyKnight's avatar
FinchleyKnight
Iron Contributor
Jan 12, 2026

How to keep a backup of all your programs windows 11

Hello! Could someone kindly point me towards a straightforward way to backup all my installed programs on Windows 11? I'm feeling a bit lost and would really appreciate some friendly advice from the ...
device management
Features
Nathanelp's avatar
Nathanelp
Iron Contributor
Jan 13, 2026

Using Backup and Restore features in Windows 11 can help you keep a backup of all your programs Windows 11. However, there are some important points to consider:

1. Built-in Backup Tools: Windows 11 offers built-in tools like Backup and Restore (Windows 7) for creating system images and backups of your files and programs.

2. Backup of Programs: Windows Backup and Restore can create a system image that includes installed programs, but restoring this image on a different system or after hardware changes may not always work perfectly.

3. Free Usage: The built-in backup features are free to use as part of Windows 11.

4. Limitations:
Restoring a system image can overwrite current data.
Not all programs can be easily backed up and restored through these tools; some may require reinstallation.
For more flexible or incremental backups, third-party backup solutions might be more effective.

How to Keep a backup of all your programs windows 11:

    Go to Settings > System > Storage > Backup.
    Or search for "Create a system image" in the Control Panel.
    Save the image on an external drive or network location.

Resources