It's probably easier to let some dedicated backup software handle automated backups, then you can never forget.
In an ideal world, you should follow the 3-2-1 backup plan as described here:
Backup Strategies: Why the 3-2-1 Backup Strategy is the Best. However, one copy of the files is much better than no copies of the file. So yes, you should copy! The idea of a backup is not that you use the documents in the backup, but they are there in case your main drive fails. However, if you move the files to your backup drive and the backup drive fails, you're no better off since you've lost your only copy of the files.
In terms of software, Windows 10's built in File History is OK, but I've personally seen some issues with it not backing some things up and I therefore I don't trust it.
I
highly recommend Veeam Endpoint Backup (
Free Desktop and Laptop backup - Veeam Endpoint Backup). It's based on the outstanding Veeam platform that is used in thousands of enterprises, but is completely free. Only takes a few minutes to set up, and can backup anything from one folder to a whole drive image. Personally, I use this software to backup my server to an external drive once a week.
The other option that is a good shout is Bvckup2 (
Bvckup 2 | Simple fast backup). Very fast, very lightweight simple backup - just backs up folders from your computer to another location in real time. I use this on my main machine and my parent's computer. It's another set and forget system.
Hope this helps.
Stephen