Beginner's Guide: How to Use File History Windows 10

To begin with, I'd like to share a story with you.

Just as I was nearing the end of the semester, disaster struck - I lost my final copy of my research paper, which I had spent weeks working on. But, I didn't panic. I headed to File History and typed in 'research paper', and to my surprise, it popped up. I was able to click on it, open it up, and even though it looked damaged, I was able to edit it and finish my paper on time.

Restoring a backup file from File History is a lifesaver when it comes to accidentally deleting files or files being infected with computer viruses. File History in Windows 10 makes copies of files and folders to a backup drive, serving as a reliable backup system. It's easy to overlook the importance of having a file backup system until you need it, but by the end of this guide, you'll be able to choose your preferred way to back up Windows 10 files and other important contents.

Ⅰ. How Windows 10 File History Works

File History is a free backup feature in Windows 8.1, 10, and 11 that automatically backs up files and keeps a record of all changes. It only backs up copies of files in the Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos, and Desktop folders, as well as OneDrive files available offline on your PC. Essentially, File History creates snapshots of files and folders associated with user accounts, providing a complete history of your files over time.

A tip: Libraries are a feature in Windows that allows you to organize and collect files from various folders into a single, easy-to-access location. In the past, Libraries were used to group folders like Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos, and Desktop, making it simpler to find and manage files. However, with the introduction of the "Quick Access" feature in Windows 10, the need for Libraries has decreased, and they are no longer the default location for these folders.Libraries File History is a Windows feature that helps you organize your files together in one place, and it can back up the files found in Libraries folders, which are a reference to one or more folders on your computer.

When you make changes to files in their original location, File History creates a copy of the files in a separate backup location, allowing you to easily restore previous versions if needed.

Ⅱ. How to Enable File History in Windows 10

To set up and configure File History in Windows 10, start by connecting a USB external hard drive or a network drive to your computer. Next, go to Settings > Update & Security > Backup, and toggle the switch to turn on File History. Then, select the drive you want to use for backups and choose how often you want to back up your files. You can also choose to back up files from specific folders or drives.

Step 1.

Users can access File History via the Control Panel or Windows Settings, where they can follow a clear visual guide to locate the entry on both platforms.

Figure 1. Access File History in Windows 10 via Control Panel

Figure 2. Access File History in Windows 10 via the Settings app

* To get more control of the setup and configuration of the whole backup thing, go to Control Panel > File History, where the top part of the window displays the last time that File History was run, as well as the location of the backup files.

Step 2.

To enable File History, click on the "Turn On" button if you haven't already set up a backup drive, then select a location for storing your backup files, such as an external hard drive or network drive, and click "OK" to start backing up your personal files.

If you want to change the location of your backup files, simply click the "Select drive" link in the File History window. This allows you to change the location of your backups at any time, and we'll cover more setup options for backup locations later on.

Ⅲ. How to Configure File History Settings

To configure File History settings, go to Control Panel > File History, click the "Advanced settings" link, and adjust the backup frequency and retention strategy to suit your needs.

Here's a one-paragraph summary: The Advanced settings window offers various options that can be customized. Let's proceed with exploring these settings step by step.

Step 1.

You can change the frequency of File History backups from every hour to any interval between 10 minutes and daily, but we recommend choosing every 6 or 12 hours for a good balance between backup frequency and disk space consumption.

Step 2.

The default file backup retention period is forever, but you can change it to any desired time period, such as keeping backups until space is needed.

Step 3.

File History automatically backs up files from the Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos, and Desktop folders, but you can choose to exclude specific folders, such as those containing temporary files like .tmp or .log files.

Another tip: I would exclude items from the backup list that are not essential or can be easily replaced, such as gift receipts, expired coupons, and unnecessary documents. This is because these items take up space on the backup drive and may not be needed in the future.

• Downloads: A folder that saves downloaded programs from browsers, allowing you to redownload them from the source if needed, saving disk space.
• Music, videos, and pictures are among the most valuable multimedia files, making them a priority for advanced protection measures. While File History provides some backup, a cloud backup solution offers more comprehensive protection, making it a more persuasive option.
• OneDrive is a backup and sync service, but it's not necessary to spend extra time and space on it, as it's already integrated into Microsoft products, such as Office. Its primary function is to back up and sync files across devices, which can be done automatically.

After opening the new window, you can add specific folders or libraries you don't want to save copies of by clicking "Add", selecting the unwanted folder, and clicking "Select folder". You can also choose to exclude sub-folders by double clicking on the folder. Repeat this process for each folder you want to exclude. I excluded the folders of Pictures, Music, and Videos. Finally, click "Save changes" to apply the changes.

Step 4.

To add a network drive to save File History backups, click "Select drive" and then the "Add network location" button.

To add a network drive as a backup location, enter the path of the network drive and click "OK".

With all configuration setup, your File History program should run smoothly on your PC, monitoring changes to primary folders and saving history versions for future use.

Ⅳ. How to Restore Previous Versions of Files from File History

To restore a previous version of a file using File History, you can follow these steps: Go to the File Explorer, right-click on the file you want to restore, and select 'Restore previous versions.' If the file has been backed up, you will see a list of available versions. Choose the one you want to restore and click 'Restore' to get the older version back.

Step 1.

To restore personal files, open File History and click the "Restore personal files" tab on the left menu.

To access File History, type "File History" in the search bar, click the result "Restore your files with File History," and this will open the restore window directly.

Step 2.

The file history window allows you to browse through all versions of each file that have been backed up, and view a specific file by clicking on it.

To restore a file, click the "Restore" button at the bottom of the window, which will return the file to its original location.

Users can restore a file to a different location by right-clicking the green arrow button and selecting the "Restore to" option, allowing them to preserve the current version of the file.

Ⅴ. File History Any Good? Pros & Cons

If you're looking for a way to back up your files, you may be wondering if File History is a good option. To decide if it's right for you, consider various factors, such as your specific needs and preferences.

The Goods:

✔ File History is easy to use, even for beginners, due to its user-friendly interface.

✔ File History is a feature in Windows 10 that provides a seamless backup solution, allowing users to access their backups directly from within the operating system without needing additional software.

✔ File History in Windows allows for flexible backup options, with the default being to create a new backup every hour. However, users can adjust this frequency to suit their needs.

The Shortcomings:

✘ The main drawback of File History is that it only backs up individual files from the user account by default, making it insufficient for backing up the entire Windows installation.

✘ The inbuilt backup tool cannot back up open files, resulting in files being left out of backups if they are being actively edited.

✘ File History can consume a lot of hard drive space due to saving multiple file versions, and it lacks the ability to perform differential or incremental backups, leading to a significant accumulation of backups over time.  

File History is a good backup solution for users seeking a simple and easy-to-use option, but it has limitations that may make it unsuitable for more advanced users.

If you're looking for a more comprehensive backup solution, consider using third-party free backup software like Qiling Backup, which has been rated as the superior alternative to Windows File History. This software allows you to backup your entire system, a whole hard disk, including open files, and offers features like file compression and encryption to enhance backup security, something basic tools like File History can't do.

• Free Download
• Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

According to a top 5 free Windows backup software list on YouTube, Qiling Backup is rated as the best option.

Ⅵ. Common Windows 10 File History Problems & Troubleshooting

File History in Windows 10 can be plagued by various problems, including issues with its functionality and excessive storage usage on the hard drive. Users often experience difficulties with File History, such as it not working properly, and it consuming too much space, leading to storage concerns. In this context, we will examine the most common File History problems and provide solutions to address them.

Problem 1: File History Not Working Properly

If file history is not working properly, first check that it is turned on by going to Settings > Update & Security > Backup and verifying the "Turn On" option.

Step 1. If file history is turned on but still not working, you may need to restart the File History service, which can be done by opening the Start Menu and typing "services.msc" into the search box.

Step 2. To resolve the issue, locate the "File History Service" in the list of services, right-click on it, and select the "Restart" option.

Problem 2: File History Taking Up Too Much Space

File history can take up a lot of space on your hard drive due to saving multiple versions of each file, but you can manage it by implementing measures such as.

Step 1. To increase the amount of space that file history uses, replace a small backup drive with a bigger one, go to Settings > Update & Security > Backup, click on "More options", and under "Back up to a different drive", click on the "Stop using drive" button.

To add a backup location, go to the Backup window and click "Add a drive". Select a larger drive to use as the backup location.

You'll need to stop using your current backup drive before adding a new one, but this won't delete any files from your current drive.

Step 2. Consider deleting older versions of historical backups, especially if you're a permanent user of File History, to free up disk space. However, if you've been using File History for less than a year, deleting backup versions earlier than 1 year may not be possible.

Problem 3: File History Not Backing Up All Files

Users are reporting that File History is not backing up all files they added in Libraries, resulting in no backup versions being found.

To resolve the issue with File History not working, you can try restarting it by turning it off and on again, or remove and re-add the affected folder(s) to the included list.

Ⅶ. Windows 10 vs. Windows 11 File History: What's Different?

Microsoft has not removed File History from Windows 11. The feature is still available, but it may not be enabled by default. To access File History, go to Settings > Update & Security > Backup. If you don't see the File History option, you may need to toggle the "Backup" setting on.

Difference 1: In Windows 11, File History is still available, but its access has been removed from the Windows Settings, and can be accessed only through the Control Panel.

Difference 2: In Windows 11, File History has undergone a change that may be frustrating for many users. Unlike in previous versions, we can no longer add any folder outside of the primary folders selected by File History by default, limiting the folders that can be backed up.

File History has been losing its effectiveness in saving personal files in Windows 11, but users must still protect their data, as a scammer will take advantage of unprotected data.

I recommend Qiling Backup, a free Windows 11 backup software that offers advanced features beyond File History, making it a great choice for protecting your data. It's a great option for Windows 11 users who value data security. You can download it now and try it out.

• Free Download
• Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

• Full system backup: Backup your operating system, settings, applications, and files.
• Files backup without limit: Backup unlimited types of personal files on your computer, external hard drive, USB drive, or SD card.
• Entire hard drive/partition backup: By choosing to back up an entire drive, you can easily safeguard your operating system, files, applications, settings, and everything else on that drive.
• Incremental and differential backups: Back up only the files that have changed since the last backup, which saves time and storage space.
• Bootable rescue media: To create a bootable rescue disk, you can use a tool like the Windows 10 Recovery Environment or a third-party software like EaseUS Todo Backup. This disk will allow you to restore your system, even if Windows won't start, by booting from it and accessing your system's files.

Ⅷ. Conclusion

To use File History in Windows 10, set it up by connecting an external drive, select or exclude backup contents, and restore a previous backup. You can also manage backup hard drive space by deleting old backups. We compared File History to third-party backup software, such as Qiling, and found that both have their strengths and weaknesses, making it essential to consider your needs before choosing a backup solution. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of using File History, including setup, selection, and restoration, as well as considerations for choosing a backup solution.

At any time you want to switch File History to a complete backup solution for not only the user account's associated files but also the entire system on your computer, feel free to download Qiling Backup for a happy journey to safeguard data.

• Free Download
• Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

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