Best 2 Free WD Backup Software (Windows Tutorial) | 2023

Is WD Backup Still Available in Windows?

You may find there is a backup software coming along with the WD hard drive, it's called WD backup and works well in Windows 11. Also, you can also download it from the official website. With it, you can backup files, photos or documents automatically to HDD/SSD or Dropbox. It supports schedule backup like daily/weekly/monthly backup as well as incremental backup. 

But you may find that the support for WD backup has ended on the download page of WD. In this case, it suggests users backup with Acronis True Image for Western Digital. It requires one of the Western Digital branded storage (WD, SanDisk, G-Technology) connected when you use this software.

2 Popular & Free WD Backup Alternative on Windows

Actually, there is plenty of Western Digital backup software available online. Besides Acronis True Image for Western Digital, I find AOMEI Backupper Standard is also a good choice. I'll introduce them one by one below.

1. AOMEI Backupper Standard

AOMEI Backupper Standard is a reliable and easy-to-use WD backup tool. It allows you to backup files, system, disk or partition in Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10/11 and applies to all branded hard disks, such as WD, SanDisk, Seagate, Samsung, etc. You can enable Schedule Backup to backup data in daily, weekly, or monthly mode, so as to keep files and all the changes made to them.

It allows you to backup only changed files with Incremental Backup, which saves much backup time and disk space. It also allows you to create a bootable USB to boot your computer and restore image without booting into Windows. Besides, you still can enjoy email notification, intelligent sector backup, VSS backup service, normal compression, etc.

Pros	Cons
+ Backup all kinds of data on your PC + Backup to local disk, external drive, NAS device and cloud drive + Daily/weekly/monthly backup + Compress and split backup images + Create bootable rescue media	- Some features are locked in the free edition

WD backup software free download:

2. Acronis True Image for Western Digital

Acronis True Image for Western Digital backs up everything from operating systems and applications to settings and individual files. It offers different editions for Windows and macOS. With a Western Digital storage device (either a hard drive or a NAS), you’ll receive a free 5-year license to use the software.

Pros	Cons
+ Backup all kinds of data on your PC + Daily/weekly/monthly backup + Create bootable rescue media + Anti-ransomware and cryptojacking protection	- Not a lifetime free license - Only support WD external drive or NAS device as the destination

Download Acronis True Image for Western Digital (Windows edition) here.

How to Backup Windows to WD Hard Drive Step by Step

In this part, I'll show you how to use AOMEI Backupper and Acronis True Image to backup your computer to WD hard drive in detail. Before you start, please connect the WD hard drive to your computer properly.

1. Backup Your PC with AOMEI Backupper

Step 1. Launch the best free WD backup software - AOMEI Backupper Standard. Then, select "Disk Backup" under the "Backup" tab. 

Step 2. Change the "Task Name" to a different one for clear distinction. Then, click "Add Disk" to select the computer hard drive you want to backup. 

Step 3. Then, select the WD hard drive as the backup destination.

Step 4. To make this task run automatically, click "Schedule Backup" and select a backup frequency. Then, click "Start Backup" to backup your computer to WD hard drive automatically.

✍ Tips:

• You can set more backup settings in Options, such as email notification, comments, compression, splitting, etc.
• To solve the backup disk full issue in a long-term backup task, you may upgrade to higher editions like AOMEI Backupper Professional and enable automatic backup cleanup. It can delete old backup images automatically with different rules - By quantity, By time, By daily/weekly/monthly and By space.

• Besides bootable rescue media, you can create recovery environment with AOMEI Backupper to restore an image file without booting Windows. This feature is available in advanced editions.

2. Entire PC Backup with Acronis True Image

Step 1. Run Acronis True Image for Western Digital. Click BACKUP Column and create a Backup Name.

Step 2. Click Select source and then Entire PC.

Step 3. Click Select destination and then Your external drive. Choose the WD hard drive you connected before.

Step 4. Configure more for your backup task with Options. Finally, click Back up now to backup your PC to WD hard drive immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions about WD Backup

1. What happened to WD backup software?

WD Backup, the software provided by Western Digital, has reached its end of support life cycle. This means that the software is no longer being updated or supported by Western Digital. However, you can still use the software if it is already installed on your computer.

As alternatives, you can also use other WD backup options such as Acronis True Image for Western Digital, AOMEI Backupper, or Windows Backup and Restore.

2. What is the lifespan of a WD hard drive?

The lifespan of a WD hard drive can vary depending on several factors such as usage, environment, and maintenance. However, most hard drives are designed to last for several years. Western Digital offers a limited warranty for its hard drives that ranges from 2 to 5 years depending on the model.

Anyway, it's best to make a backup and leave copies of important data before your hard drive shows signs of crashing.

3. How do I restore files from WD backup?

Connect your WD drive to your computer, and launch the WD backup software you pick. Normally you can easily access the Restore wizard and recover your desired data back to Windows comptuer.

And with software such as AOMEI Backupper, you can even use explore image to mount a system/disk backup, and then access individual files from it.

4. WD backup software not working, why?

If you are using a previously downloaded copy of WD Backup and are experiencing some problems using it, the following advices are available.

• Stop or quit all running software and applications when you perform a file system backup.
• Make sure this backup tool is installed and started as Windows “Administrator”.
• The Windows Administrator user must have Full Permissions to all directories and files.
• Modify the backup policy to stop the backup of in use or open files.
• Remove everything related to the WD backup and then reinstall it.

For more details, please refer to WD backup not working.

Note that if you are using professional backup software and have confirmed that the disk is recognised by the computer, then there is usually no such problem. 

The Way Forward

WD backup has reached its lifespan. To backup your computer to WD hard drive, you may choose the best free WD backup software - AOMEI Backupper Standard or Acronis True Image for Western Digital. If you need a WD backup tool integrated with anti-malware features, you may pick Acronis True Image for Western Digital. However, it only offers a free 5-year license, and users find Acronis True Image not responding sometimes. 

If you want a piece of Western Digital backup software that is always free, you may choose AOMEI Backupper Standard. It allows you to backup file, system, disk, partition to not only WD hard drive but also SanDisk, Seagate, Samsung hard drive, etc. And you can easily restore them to bring your computer back when something bad happens.

In addition, it is able to clone Seagate HDD to SSD, sync files between computer and drive, and more. Just download it to explore yourself.