Windows 10: Clearing File History Drive

I use File History, Windows 10 2004. Over time, the File History drive gets full. Often that's because some folders have got very large and I no longer need them in the backup. I want to remove these folders from the backup drive (not just stop them being backed up to the drive in the future). I cannot find anything in the many tutorials in TenForums that allows me to do this.

There is a tutorial explaining how to remove folders from being backed up (in the future). There's a tutorial that explains how how to purge backed up versions of files down to the latest versions. Neither of these gets rid of existing unwanted large backed up folders on the backup drive.

Essentially I want File History to start afresh by making a new baseline of all the folders I've selected for backup (before I do this I make a full backup of the File History drive in case I need to restore earlier file versions in the future).

The only way I've found to make a completely fresh backup is to ask File History to change to a new drive, saying I don't want to copy existing files to the new drive. I then format the original File History backup drive. Then I tell File History to use the original (now empty) backup drive, saying I don't want to copy any existing backup files. This forces File History to make a new backup of all the folders I've selected for backup.

This works. The size of the File History drive is now much smaller. But it seems a convoluted way to do something that should be provided from within File History.

Am I missing something?

:)

 

File explorer search history is not clearing


Hi

I have gone through all the steps in the following thread, but my file search history is not clearing or updating. Search terms clear, but the old search reappears with deleted files on it.

Search History in File Explorer - Clear in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

Any help would be appreciated.

 

How to stop File History on the old drive and start File History on a new drive?

I use the external drive
for File History and have a lot of information there. I want to restart the File History process on a new drive and place the previous File History drive off-site.

Please suggest the steps to stop File History on the old drive and start File History on a new drive.

 

File History drive

Hi Joseph,

Thank you for contacting Microsoft Community.

I would like to inform you that if your File History drive has been disconnected for too long, or it doesn't have enough space to save temporary versions of your files. To continue saving copies of your files, you'll need to reconnect your File History drive.
Plug in your external File History drive or reselect your network. You can start a backup manually or wait for the next scheduled backup or reselect the drive. Here is the steps:

To manually start a backup

• 
  Open File History by pressing Windows key> type File History
  > Click on File History.
  
• 
  Tap or click Back up now.
  

To reselect your drive

• 
  Open File History by pressing Windows key> type File History
  > Click on File History.
  
• 
  Tap or click Select drive.
  
• 
  On the Select a File History drive page, tap or click your current drive or network location, and then tap or click
  OK.
  

Hope it helps. Let us know if you need more help and we'll be glad to assist.