Microsoft still recommends using Windows 7’s Backup and Recovery tool on Windows 11

Windows 11 is supposed to move away from legacy features and UI as Microsoft continues to bet big on “modernization.” But is that the case for all things in Windows? Well, not really. According to an updated support document, Microsoft still recommends using Windows 7’s Backup and Restore if the newer solutions do not meet your needs.

Windows 11 has a new Backup app called “Windows Backup”, which is really nice and gets the job done, but is only available for those with a OneDrive subscription. I’m going to talk about this in detail a bit later in the article, but first, let’s talk about the updated support documentation on “Backup and recovery tools in Windows.”

This documentation is about Windows 11 and Windows 10 backup/recovery solutions, and it surprisingly recommends Windows 7’s tool.

Interestingly, Windows 7’s tool was not recommended until last week, but earlier this week, Microsoft quietly updated the support document where we noticed the change. We noticed it because we subscribed to Microsoft’s RSS feed. While Microsoft’s documentation getting updated is not news, what caught our attention was a note on the Windows 7 tool.

According to Microsoft, you may want to use the Backup and Restore (Windows 7) edition to create local backups of your files. You can also go to the Control Panel and schedule a backup. You can restore files and even the entire system image.

It goes without saying that Microsoft also understands that Windows 7’s backup tool is more advanced and has several features. It even allows you to backup your system image, including generating a complete backup image of your system OS.

The backup includes Windows 11 installation, apps, and personal files. When you create it using Windows 7’s backup tool, you can restore the backup image to bring your Windows 11 system back to life when it fails to boot.

This is one reason the company is still recommending Windows 7’s backup tool over the new Windows Backup app, which can only backup apps and files to OneDrive storage.

It’s not yet possible to back up the entire Windows 11 installation image to OneDrive using new Windows Backup app, but could that change in future? Maybe.

In our tests, Windows Latest noticed that Windows Backup has certain limitations. For example, it cannot create a backup of Windows images in OneDrive.

Instead, it can back up folders like Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Videos, and Music directly to OneDrive. Additionally, it saves your wallpaper, language preferences, and Wi-Fi passwords. Windows Backup also remembers your installed apps.

Unlike the classic Windows Backup tool, the modern solution makes restoring data super easy because you get to restore the content as soon as you sign in with your Microsoft account when setting up a new PC or reinstalling Windows.

It looks like the legacy tool is here to stay. What about you? Do you prefer Windows 7’s Backup tool over Windows 11’s OneDrive Backup app? Let us know in the comments below.

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