File History feature replaces Backup and Restore in previous versions of Windows and currently exists in Windows 8, 8.1, and 10. It is an application that continuously backs up the files in your Libraries, on your desktop, in your Favorites folders, and in your Contacts folders. It defaults to doing this on an hourly basis as long as the File History device, typically an external hard drive, is attached. It will not erase files and folders previously saved to the drive, as it stores everything in a top level folder named “FileHistory”. Show
File History will NOT backup anything saved to your SkyDrive (OneDrive) storage, even if they are stored in the libraries File History backs up. You can back up additional files by adding them to the Documents library. How to turn File History on How to turn File History onNOTE: File History ignores files that are
in use when applications are open, such as Outlook .pst files if Outlook is open. To back up all files, shut down all programs, and use the “run now” option in File History to manually update the file history OR do a traditional drag-and-drop backup. We always recommended that you verify your backups. 1. Plug in your external hard drive. 2. In the Start menu or Windows search bar, type "File History" and select the "File History Settings" option.  3. In the left pane, click "Select drive" to bring up available storage spaces. 4. Select the external drive you connected in the first step and click "OK." If a dialog box pops up, select "No." 5. Click "Turn On." If File History is already on, skip this step. 6. To back up files now, click "Run Now." This will do a backup now, regardless of the hourly schedule.
How to restore files1. Plug in your external hard drive. 2. In
the Start menu or Windows search bar, type "File History" and select the "File History Settings" option. 3. In the left pane, click "Restore personal files." 4. Click the left and right navigation buttons at the bottom of the window to select a backup to restore files from. You can see the time and date of the backup and look into the folders from here. 5. Click the green button at the bottom of the window to start the restoration process. 6. You may be prompted if you have copies of the backed up files aready on your computer. You'll have the option to overwrite the files on the hard drive, skip the files, or decide for each individual file. Restoring files onto a new computer or after your computer has been reimaged1. Plug in your external hard drive. 2. In the Start menu or Windows search bar, type "File History" and select the "File History Settings" option. 3. In the left pane,
click "Select drive" to bring up available storage spaces. 4. Select the external with your backups on it. 5. Check "I want to use a previous backup on this File History drive. 6. Select the appropriate backup. 7. Select "Yes" on the
pop-up window. 8. Follow the restore instructions above. Extra FeaturesExcluding Folders from Backup1. Plug in your external hard drive. 2. In the Start menu or Windows search bar, type "File History" and select the "File
History Settings" option. 3. In the left pane, select "Exclude folders." 4. Click "Add" and browse to a folder to exclude. 5. Click "Select Folder." Advanced SettingsIn Advanced Settings you can change some settings such as the frequency of backups, size of offline storage and how long backups are kept. 1. Plug in your external hard drive. 2. In the Start menu or Windows search bar, type "File History" and select the "File History Settings" option. 3. In the left pane, select "Advances settings." Is file history enabled by default?File History is not active by default when you install Windows. You need to enable the feature by accessing the Control Panel or the Settings app. When File History is off, Windows won't automatically back up the data in Documents, Music, Pictures, Downloads, Videos, offline OneDrive files, and Desktop folders.
Should file history be turned on or off?Running File History once every hour should be enough for most people. By default File History keeps saved versions of your files, forever. If you edit, add, or remove files frequently, this setting may leave you out of storage space for backups, relatively quickly.
Where is Windows 10 file History turned on?Open Start menu and type File History. Click File History (control panel) Tap or click Select a drive, and choose the network or external drive you want to use. Turn on File History.
Should I turn on file history in Windows 10?File History is a very useful feature of Windows 10. It allows you to create a backup of the important data stored in your Documents, Pictures, Music, Videos and Desktop folders. You can specify the drive where you plan to store your backup. It will prevent data loss in case something goes wrong.
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