How to manage disk space for Windows Backup in Windows 10

While you can use Backup and Restore (Windows 7) to restore every backup of Windows 7 on a Windows 10 PC, you can also use it to backup and restore files on your own Windows 10 PC.

The Backup and Restore feature (Windows 7) (also called Windows Backup ) was originally included in Windows 7. This feature was not supported in Windows 8 and was removed in Windows 8.1, but was brought back to Windows 10 .

What is Windows Backup?

While you can use Backup and Restore (Windows 7) to restore every backup of Windows 7 on a Windows 10 PC, you can also use it to backup and restore files on your own Windows 10 PC.

Windows Backup will back up all files in the library, folder and drive you choose or let Windows choose. You will have an option to include the system image in the backup. You can also choose to have these items backed up on a regular schedule.

After setting up Windows Backup, you can manage the usage of Windows Backup drive space as needed. You can free up disk space by deleting backups of data files and system images created earlier.

How to manage disk space for Windows Backup in Windows 10

This guide will show you how to manage Windows Backup's disk space usage to back up data files and system images on Windows 10 PCs.

Here's how:

1. Open Settings , click on the Update & security icon, click Backup on the left and select Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7) under Looking for and older backup on the right.

Note : You can also open Backup and Restore (Windows 7) by opening Control Panel (icon view) and clicking the Backup and Restore icon (Windows 7).

How to manage disk space for Windows Backup in Windows 10 Picture 1 — Open Settings

2. Click the Manage space link .

How to manage disk space for Windows Backup in Windows 10 Picture 2 — Click the Manage space link

3. Follow step 4 (for backing up data files) and / or step 5 (for system images) below, depending on what space you want to manage. When done, go to step 6 below.

4. To manage the backup file data space

A) Click the View backups button .

How to manage disk space for Windows Backup in Windows 10 Picture 3 — Click the View backups button

If the View backups button is grayed out, that means you don't have any backups.

B) Select the backup time you want to delete and click the Delete button .

How to manage disk space for Windows Backup in Windows 10 Picture 4 — Select the backup time you want to delete

C) Click Delete to confirm.

If you delete the only data file backup for your computer, you'll also have the option Delete and run backup now .

How to manage disk space for Windows Backup in Windows 10 Picture 5 — Options Delete and run backup now

D) Click Close and go to step 3 above.

5. To manage space for system images:

A) Click the Change settings button .

If the Change settings button is gray, that means you don't have any system images available.

How to manage disk space for Windows Backup in Windows 10 Picture 6 — Click the Change settings button

B) Choose how you want Windows to retain the old system image and click OK.

How to manage disk space for Windows Backup in Windows 10 Picture 7 — Choose how you want Windows to retain the old system image

If auto-backup is turned off, you will see the screenshot on the left above.

If you enable the automatic backup schedule that includes system images, you'll see the screenshot on the right. You can change the maximum amount of space used by Windows to store a system image on a drive by adjusting the Max Usage slider for the drive (for example, "E" ) in the System Protection settings .