Microsoft still recommends 15-year-old backup solution for Windows 11 and 10 users

Modern Windows versions still pack plenty of legacy code, and most of the time, Microsoft tries to hide old parts, such as the Control Panel, in favor of more modern (not necessarily better) components. However, there are some interesting exceptions.

In a newly published support document spotted by Deskmodder, Microsoft describes backup and restore options that are available to Windows 10 and 11 users. In addition to recently introduced tools, like the Windows Backup app, Microsoft oddly recommends "Backup and Restore (Windows 7)," which was introduced over 15 years ago as part of Windows 7.

It is strange to see Microsoft still recommending this utility without any warning. The company deprecated "Backup and Restore (Windows 7)" in Windows 10 version 1709 over seven years ago, and the official documentation states it plain and simple: "For full-disk backup solutions, look for a third-party product from another software publisher." Microsoft has kept it ever since so that users coming from older Windows versions can restore their systems to newer versions.

If you need a backup solution for your computer, it is better to stay away from the old Backup and Restore feature. Microsoft stopped developing it a long time ago, and its reliability and effectiveness on modern Windows versions are questionable. You know something is not very good at its job when even Microsoft itself says to look for other solutions.

Also, keep in mind that other options listed in the support document do not allow you to create a backup of your entire system. Windows Backup can only safeguard some of your files, settings, and installed apps. File History stores files on external or network drives, and System Protection can only create restore points, not full disk backups, despite having a similar name and sitting in the Control Panel.

At this point, a third-party solution is a must. As for the support document, Microsoft probably should tweak it so that it at least warns users that the "Backup and Restore" feature is deprecated and is not the best option to consider.