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File History is a security feature of the Windows operating system that backs up important files automatically when enabled so that they can be restored at a later point in time.
by Martin Brinkmann on January 05, 2016 in Windows - Last Update: July 05, 2017 - 9 comments
The feature, introduced in Windows 8 and also part of Windows 10, is not enabled by default on Microsoft's newest operating system.
It is unclear why that is the case, but the most likely explanation is that it requires a secondary drive or network location as the backed up data needs to be stored somewhere (actually, it is possible to use File History without a second drive).
File History is a useful feature if no other means of backup are used on the system. While it can be used to restore files, it cannot be used to restore the operating system itself if it stops working.
File History on Windows 10
File History is not enabled on Windows 10 by default, and the first thing that you need to do is set it up in the Settings application.
To enable File History, do the following:
File History will create a FileHistory folder in the root location of the drive automatically and back up all files to it.
Click on the more options link to configure the feature. The default settings are the following: Gas 25 l sfc professional.
You may change the backup interval between 'every 10 minutes' to 'daily', and the backup storage time between 'until space is needed' and forever.
All folders that files are backed up from by default can be removed, and you may add custom folders on top of that. It makes sense to go through the listing since it is very likely that you don't need files backed up in all selected folders, and that it is likely that some folders are not included that you want files backed up from regularly.
The removal process is slow, as the folder listing is updated every time you remove a single folder from the listing.
How to restore files manually
Windows offers several ways to restore files backed up the the file history feature. Probably the easiest of them all is to right-click on a file in File Explorer to select the 'restore previous versions' option displayed in the context menu.
Switch to previous versions in the properties window that opens up, or, and that is another option to get to the menu, right-click on files and select properties manually instead to access the same menu.
Windows lists all saved file versions in the interface, and the two main options to open a previous version of the file or restore it right away.
You may also click on the arrow icons next to the two buttons to 'open the file in File History', or 'restore it to a custom location'.
Closing Words
File History is a file-based backup application that is built-in to new versions of the Windows operating system. While useful in itself, it should not be the only means of backing up data on the system as it won't help you restore Windows if it fails to boot or if you encounter other operating system related errors.
For files though it is useful as it adds file-versionining to the operating system provided that you add the right folders to the list of monitored directories.
File History Vs Full Backup
Now you: Do you use file History or another backup solution? Nokia 9800s satellite receiver manual.
How to use File History on Windows 10
Description
Find out how to use the file backup feature File History on devices running Microsoft's new operating system Windows 10.
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Ghacks Technology News
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Nobody likes to think about it too much, but backing up your data is an essential part of owning any Windows computer. Since Windows 7, Microsoft has offered a relatively easy backup solution called File History that grabs a copy of any recently modified files every hour (or more frequently if you’d like) and stores them on an external drive connected to your PC. It’s an easy way to make sure your essential documents are backed up.
Then if you ever need to recover a file or set of files File History gives you quick access to them. You can even use File History to gain access to a file as it looked at a specific point in time such as two weeks or a month earlier.
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What File History Doesn't Do
File History doesn’t do a complete backup of your PC including system files. Instead, it watches the data in your user accounts, such as your documents, photos, and video folders. Nevertheless, if you have a Windows 10 PC and aren’t backing up yet, I’d highly recommend setting up File History.
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First Steps
Before you do anything make sure you have an external hard drive connected to your PC. How big that external hard drive needs should be depends on how many files you have on your PC. With hard drive prices so cheap these days it’s easiest to use a drive with at least 500GB. That way you can keep several backups of your files and access multiple past versions of items that change frequently.
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Activating File History
Click the Start menu, open the Settings app, and then click Update & Security. On the next screen in the left-hand navigation panel click Backup. Next, in the main viewing area of the Settings app click Add a driveunder the heading “Backup using File History” as pictured here.
Click that and a panel will pop-up showing all the drives connected to your PC. Choose the one you want to use for File History and you’re done. Now under the File History heading you should see an activated slider button labeled Automatically back up my files.
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It's that easy
If all you want to do is create a backup solution and never think about it again, then you’re done. Just keep your external drive connected to your PC, or plug it in every so often, and you’ll get a backup of all your personal files.
For those who want a little more control, however, click More optionsunder the File History heading as pictured here.
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Customizing File History
Glarysoft registry repair crack. On the next screen, you’ll see your various backup options. At the top are options for how frequently (or not) you want File History to save a new copy of your files. The default is every hour, but you can set it to happen every 10 minutes or as infrequently as once a day.
There’s also an option for determining how long you want to keep your File History backups. The default setting is to keep them “Forever,” but if you want to save space in your external hard drive you can have your backups deleted every month, every two years, or when space is needed to make room for new backups. Scroll down further, and you’ll see a list of all the folders File History backs up. If you want to remove any of these folders click once on them and then click Remove.
To add a folder click the Add a folderbutton just below the 'Backup these folders' heading.
Lastly, there’s an option to exclude specific folders in case you want to be sure that File History never saves data from a specific folder on your PC.
Those are the basics for using File History. If you ever want to stop using File History scroll down to the very bottom of the backup options screen and under the heading “Backup to a different drive” click Stop using the drive. Comments are closed.
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