How do I backup computer to a thumb drive

vikki teeman 0 Reputation points
2026-08-14T22:49:02.7866667+00:00

I am having my computer replaced. How do I backup the computer to thumb drive first?

Surface | Surface Pro | Install and update
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  1. AI answer

    2026-08-14T22:49:15.62+00:00

    Use a USB thumb drive or other external storage device to copy personal files before the replacement.

    1. Connect the thumb drive to the current PC.
    2. Open File Explorer from the taskbar.
    3. Find the files or folders to keep.
    4. To select multiple items, hold CTRL while selecting files or folders.
    5. In Windows 11, right-click the selected items, choose Show more options > Send to, and select the USB drive.
    6. Repeat for files stored in other locations. Important folders to check include Documents, Desktop, Downloads, Favorites, Music, Pictures, and Videos.
    7. After copying, open the USB drive in File Explorer and verify the files are there.
    8. Select Eject before unplugging the drive to avoid file loss or corruption.

    If the device is a Surface, Windows Backup and OneDrive are also available backup options. For a simple thumb-drive backup before replacement, manually copying files to the USB drive is the direct method.

    If a full recovery USB is needed, note that Recovery Drive is for restoring Windows and does not include personal files. To create one, use an empty USB drive because the process erases existing data on it.

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  2. Marcin Policht 106.8K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-08-15T00:04:44.21+00:00

    Connect a USB flash drive with enough storage space. Open File Explorer, select This PC, and open your usual folders such as Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Videos, and Music. Copy the files you want to keep and paste them into a folder on the thumb drive. If you use other folders where you store work or personal files, copy those as well.

    If you use OneDrive, first check whether your files are actually stored locally or only in OneDrive. In File Explorer, look under OneDrive and make sure important files have been downloaded to the Surface before copying them. A cloud icon can indicate that a file is online-only. Right-click important OneDrive folders or files and choose Always keep on this device, let them finish downloading, and then copy them to the thumb drive.

    Also back up things that may not be obvious from Documents and Pictures, such as files on the Desktop, browser bookmarks if they are not synchronized, downloaded installers or personal files, and any application-specific data you need. If you use Outlook with locally stored PST files, make sure those are backed up too. You can search the Surface for *.pst using File Explorer if applicable.

    I would not rely on the thumb drive as the only copy. After copying everything, open several files directly from the thumb drive to verify that they work. If you have enough space, keeping a second copy on an external drive or cloud storage is even safer.

    For the cloud based option, refer to https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/backup-recovery/back-up-and-restore-with-windows-backup

    If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

    hth

    Marcin

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