Back up a computer to an external drive
An external drive is the quickest way to start. You do not need a NAS or cloud account.
1. Prepare the drive
Use a drive with enough free space for the files you want to protect. It must be writable by your computer. If the drive already holds important files, do not erase or reformat it just for this guide.
2. Choose it in MomentBackup
Plug in the drive before opening setup. Choose the folders you care about, then choose External drive as the destination. Use Choose… and select the drive or the folder you want to use. MomentBackup creates its own repository folder there.
Encryption is optional. Leave it on if the drive could be lost or taken. Save the recovery key somewhere that is not on the computer or this drive.
Start the first File History backup and leave the drive connected until it finishes. This guide protects files on Windows, macOS, and Linux; it does not make a bootable copy of the computer.
3. Check a restore
Open History, choose Restore files…, pick one small file, and restore it to a new folder. Open the restored copy. This catches a bad drive choice or missing key while the original file is still close by.
Scheduled backups run when the drive is connected. If it is unplugged, MomentBackup waits. Do not unplug it while a backup, check, repair, or restore is running; eject it normally when the work is done.
An external drive beside the computer is not an off-site copy. When you are ready for another location, compare it with a NAS or S3 Object Lock destination.
Need a hand? Email [email protected]. Ready to start? Download MomentBackup.