Losing important data when a system crashes or a smartphone crashes is a stress that can be avoided if you take care of information in a timely manner. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices often rely only on cloud services, forgetting that a physical copy on a PC hard drive is the most reliable way to protect against any network threats. Creating a local backup ensures that your contacts, photos and correspondence remain available even if you have no Internet or an account is blocked.
The process of backing up data on devices with a MIUI shell or a new HyperOS may seem complicated due to the lack of a pre-installed driver in some versions of Windows, but it is solvable. There are several proven methods, from using specialized software from the manufacturer to advanced commands through ADB. The choice of the particular method depends on how deep you want to penetrate the file system and what data you plan to save.
In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to transfer information from phone to PC, paying special attention to the nuances of working with modern versions of Android. You will learn how to bypass security limitations, what programs really work in 2026-2026 and how to automate the process so as not to lose a single megabyte of valuable data when updating your firmware.
Preparing the device and computer for synchronization
Before you start directly copying files, you need to ensure a stable connection between the gadget and the computer. USB-The cable plays a critical role: cheap wires often only support charging, but not data transmission, which will lead to connection errors.
On the smartphone side, you need to activate debugging mode if you plan to use developer tools. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on the build number seven times (MIUI Version) After the notification "You became a developer" appears, a new item will appear in the menu.
- 🔌 Connect the device to the PC through USB-Port 3.0 (blue) for maximum speed.
- 📱 Unlock the smartphone screen and select the mode of operation USB (usually "Charging" by changing it to "File Transfer" or MTP.
- 💻 Install current drivers ADB, If they are not built into your Windows operating system.
⚠️ Note: At the first connection with enabled debugging USB On the screen of the smartphone will be a request for confirmation RSA-Make sure to press "Allow" or the computer won't get access to the file system.
☑️ Backup readiness
It is also important to free up enough space on your computer’s hard drive. A full system backup can take anywhere from 20 to 60 GB depending on the amount of memory the phone has installed. It is not recommended to save a backup to the C: system drive if it has a small volume, as this can slow down Windows.
Use the Mi PC Suite for full redundancy
The official, though not always stable, tool for working with Xiaomi devices on PC is the Mi PC Suite. Although the global version is rarely updated, it still allows you to create complete system images. However, for new models (starting with Xiaomi 13 and later), this method may not work due to changes in Android security protocols.
Once you install the program and connect the phone, the interface will prompt you to log in to Mi Account, which is a requirement for access to the backup function. The copy creation process takes a long time, since the program archives not only media files, but also the structure of the applications.
The main challenge is finding a working version of the software, as the official site often redirects to the web version. Users often use modified versions from the community that support new devices. If the program sees the phone but does not start syncing, try disabling the antivirus for the duration of the procedure.
| Method | Difficulty | Type of data | Speed. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi PC Suite | Medium | The full image | Low. |
| Windows Explorer | Low. | Photo/Video | Tall. |
| ADB Backup | Tall. | System + Data | Medium |
| Mi Cloud | Low. | Contact/SMS | Depends on the network. |
Why can't the Mi PC Suite see the phone?
Manual copying of files through the Explorer
The easiest and most reliable way to save media files is to copy directly through standard Windows Explorer. This method does not require installing additional software and works on any version of the OS. It is ideal for saving photos, videos, documents and downloaded files from instant messengers.
Once you have your phone connected, select File Transfer mode from the USB menu. On your computer, open My Computer, find your device, and go to internal memory. You are interested in DCIM (camera), Pictures (screenshots and images), Download, and Android/media (application data).
- 📂 Copy the folder. DCIM To save all photos and videos from the camera.
- 💬 To save WhatsApp correspondence, find a folder Android/media/com.whatsapp.
- 🎵 Music and voice recorder are usually stored in the folders Music and MIUI/sound_recorder respectively.
When copying large amounts of data (more than 50 GB), you may experience a file too large error if the disk file system is formatted in FAT32, in which case you need to reformat the disk to NTFS or exFAT, which will allow you to write files of any size.
⚠️ Note: Do not copy system folders with incomprehensible names (such as those starting with a dot or having strange characters) and this can lead to file conflict when you restore them to another device.
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Use FastCopy or TeraCopy instead of standard Windows copying, which can bypass bad sectors and speed up the transfer of thousands of small files.
Backup through ADB (for Advanced)
For users who need a full copy of the system along with application data (logins, game progress, settings), the best solution is to use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which allows you to create backups that can not be made by standard means, but it requires work with the command line.
First, download the SDK Platform Tools from Google’s official website and unpack them on the C: drive. Then open the command prompt (cmd) in the tool folder. Make sure that USB debugging is enabled and the computer is authorized.
The main command to create a backup is as follows:
adb backup -apk -shared -all -system -f backup.abOnce you type in the command, you'll have a request on your smartphone screen to create a password to encrypt the backup. You'll have a complex password and remember it, without it, you won't be able to recover data. It can take anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours.
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The ADB team creates a universal file.ab that can be restored on any Android device, but it will require additional converters, such as Android Backup Extractor, to open it on a PC.
There are nuances with applications that prohibit backup of their data (bank applications, some messengers), in which case, in the backup file, they will only be presented with installation files without user data.
Alternative solutions and cloud services
If you don't want to mess with cables and command line, you can use alternative methods that are often ignored. The built-in "Mi Cloud" app (or Xiaomi Cloud) allows you to synchronize contacts, notes, voice recorder and gallery. However, free storage is limited to 5 GB, which is critically low for modern standards.
A more flexible solution is to use Google One or third-party utilities like Syncthing. Syncthing allows you to organize direct synchronization between your phone and your computer over a local Wi-Fi network without limiting the scope and without using third-party cloud servers.
- ☁️ Google Photos: unlimited (with compression) image storage.
- 🔄 Syncthing: Full privacy and real-time folder sync.
- 💾 Outside SSD: connection OTG-fast-drive.
Downloading 100 GB of data can take a few days at a limited rate, and local copy on a PC can be dozens of times faster.
How to recover data from the file.ab on your computer?
Where are the MIUI backups stored on the phone itself?
Frequent mistakes and ways to solve them
When you create a backup, you often experience a connection interruption, which can be caused by energy saving. USB-In Windows Device Manager, find your phone, go to properties, and in Power Management tab, uncheck the box on "Allow this device to be disabled".
Another common problem is the lack of space that the system reports too late. Always check the free space before starting the procedure. If the process is interrupted by 90%, the backup file is likely damaged and cannot be restored, so the procedure will have to be repeated.
Don’t ignore the updates to the chipset drivers on the motherboard. Outdated USB 3.0 controllers can malfunction with modern smartphones, causing data packets to be lost when large files are transferred.
⚠️ Attention: Never take out USB-Do not turn off your phone during the process of writing or reading data, this can lead to logical errors of the file system and loss of not only backed up, but also current data.
Data recovery after resetting or buying a new phone
The recovery process depends on the method you choose: If you have copied files manually, just move them back to the appropriate internal memory directories, DCIM photos, music to Music, etc. The gallery will automatically index the new files.
The following command is used to recover from ADB:
adb restore backup.abThe system will request a password and start unpacking the data, so it's important that the phone doesn't have a lock on the screen during recovery, or you have to be ready to unlock the device whenever the system needs to.
When switching to a new phone, Xiaomi is convenient to use the "Mi Mover" feature, which allows you to transfer data from the old device to the new one over Wi-Fi, but for this, both phones must be turned on. If the old phone is already out of hand (it is reset), then a pre-created copy on a PC becomes the only salvation.
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Regularity of backups is a guarantee of security. Do a full backup on your PC at least once a month, and save important documents immediately after you create.
The use of a combination of techniques (manually copying heavy files + cloud for contacts + periodic full backup through ADB) ensures the maximum protection of your digital life.