Windows Backup (also known as File History in Windows 8) allows you to create automatic copies of certain files or folders. To simplify the process, most computers can automatically back up certain files or even your entire hard drive. You never know when you might need to access your files, so you'll want to back them up regularly to make sure you always have a copy of the most recent version. While it's easy to copy files and folders to an external hard drive, it's also easy to forget.