Ask a Question

file history on Windows 10 - here's how

+4 votes
63 views
in Enable Windows by (242k points)
reopened
file history on Windows 10 - here's how

1 Answer

+5 votes
by (1.6m points)
 
Best answer

What is File History?
Windows 10: Set up file history
1st step:
2nd step:
3rd step:
4th step:
5th step:
Quick guide: Windows 10: Set up file history

Do you want to use File History to back up and restore files in Windows 10? We'll show you how..

image image

The File History was set up by Microsoft to create backup copies of a file in the processing history over and over again. In this way, you can access and edit an older version afterwards. We'll show you how it all works on Windows 10.

What is File History?

With File History you can easily back up your libraries, favorites, contacts and your desktop to an external storage medium. You have to back up these files yourself the first time. A backup is then automatically created for each new version of a file. It does not matter whether the file name or the actual content of the file has been changed.

After the one-time setup, you can automatically back up your files and restore older file versions. We'll show you how to set up file history in the next step.

Windows 10: Set up file history

Follow our step-by-step instructions or take a look at the brief instructions ..

1st step:

image
From the Windows Start menu, find " File History " and select the " Recovers files using File History " option .

2nd step:

image
In the next window click on the underlined text " Configure file history settings ".

3rd step:

image
Now click " Turn On " to activate the automatic backup. You may receive a message that there is no media. Then you have to connect an external storage medium such as a USB stick or an external hard drive. The backup copies are then saved on this, although the medium should then be permanently connected to the computer . It can also be removed for a short time. Windows then temporarily stores the backup data on the C hard drive and synchronizes it with the storage medium as soon as it is connected again.

4th step:

image
Now the file history of your Windows 10 is activated. You can still adjust the settings for this. You can change the drive via " Select drive ". With " Exclude Folders " you can specify that certain folders and their contents should not be backed up. Clicking on " Advanced Settings " gives you even more options.

5th step:

image
In the advanced settings you can, for example, specify how often the files should be backed up and how long they should be kept (for example " Forever " or " Until space is required ").

Quick guide: Windows 10: Set up file history

  1. From the Start menu, find " File History " and select the " Recovers files using File History " option .
  2. If no file history was found, click on " Configure file history settings ".
  3. The next window gives you an overview of the File History options. If no medium was found, you have to connect an external medium . This can be an external hard drive, but also a USB stick.
  4. Then click " switched " to view images and other files are automatically stored on the selected media.
  5. Using the settings on the left, you can change the drive for the saved data (" Select drive "), exclude certain folders from this backup process or " Restore personal files " ( if a backup is already available for these).
  6. Under " Advanced Settings " you can adjust further factors, such as the frequency of the backup and until when the backups should be saved.
...