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Problem with windows 11 Backup

Grant Bannakin 0 Reputation points
2026-06-13T22:44:32.2433333+00:00

Running Windows 11 25H2 Backup results in the following Message - Windows Backup skipped E:\ because it is on drive E:, which is not a supported drive type. Then I have an unfinished Backup and cannot find the offending file.

Any help would be great or advice on another Backup App.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Recovery and backup
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  1. Thomas4-N 17,200 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-06-14T08:06:30.7166667+00:00

    Hello Grant Bannakin,

    Just adding to what the existing answer covers. One thing worth flagging is that you don't actually need to move data off E: as it suggests — in the "Let me choose" screen you can simply uncheck E: and let the backup run on the drives you do want, which is the quickest way past this.

    And if E: turns out to be a normal fixed hard drive that still refuses to be excluded, there's a less obvious cause: if a service is installed on E:\ (its program path points there), Windows can wrongly tag E: as a "System" drive and force it into the backup. That's more involved to chase down, so it's only worth looking at if the unchecking route doesn't stick.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-06-13T22:44:41.41+00:00

    Windows Backup in Windows 11 only supports backing up data from fixed, local NTFS volumes. Removable media and some other drive types are not supported as backup sources. When the message says “Windows Backup skipped E:\ because it is on drive E:, which is not a supported drive type,” it indicates that the entire E: volume is being skipped, not a specific file.

    From the support matrix for Microsoft backup agents, removable media and non-fixed drives are explicitly unsupported as backup sources. If E: is a USB drive, SD card, or otherwise detected as removable, Windows Backup will skip it and you will see exactly this kind of behavior (unfinished backup with skipped drive message).

    To resolve this:

    1. Confirm the type of E: drive
      • Open Settings → System → Storage → Advanced storage settings → Disks & volumes.
      • Check whether E: is listed as Removable or a non-NTFS file system. Such drives are not supported as backup sources.
    2. Adjust what is being backed up
      • Move important data from E: to a supported fixed NTFS drive (typically C: or another internal fixed disk) and include that location in the backup instead.
      • Alternatively, stop using Windows Backup for content that lives only on E: and use a different method (for example, manually copying to another drive or using a third-party tool) to protect that data.
    3. Rerun the backup
      • After excluding E: (or moving its data), run Windows Backup again so it can complete without trying to include the unsupported drive.

    If a cloud-based backup is acceptable, Azure Backup with the MARS agent supports only local, fixed NTFS volumes as well and does not support removable media or network shares, so the same limitation applies there.

    For another backup app, choose one that explicitly supports backing up from removable or external drives if that is required; Windows built-in solutions and Azure Backup do not support that scenario.

    References:

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