Windows 10: File History doesn't even try to backup anything

Hello,

I'm trying to backup my files using File History onto an external hard drive. The problem is, it claims "Windows is backing up your files for the first time," but it doesn't copy anything at all!

In the "New" settings panel, when I click "More Options," it always closes without an error message, which I assume is a crash. The one time it actually opened, it just showed "Size of backup: 0 bytes." In the "Old" control panel, clicking "Run Now" just gives me a message that File History is backing up my files, although on the actual hard drive there's absolutely nothing there.

Is there any way to get this to work even half decently or should I just invest in a third party backup application? I'm not sure if File History can even be trusted seeing as it automatically crashes when I open it in the new settings panel.

:)

 

File History Backup starts but doesn't do anything

My File History completed a backup to my external HD once before, but now it won't. I formatted the ext HD and set it to Autoplay settings for Backup File History. I can open File History, I can click on "Back up now", it says my files are backing up and
30 seconds later it stops and says your files are not backed up. Re-tried it several times with the same result. I deleted the File History folder so as to start fresh, but no luck with that change either. Suggestions, please and thanks.

 

File History Backup starts but doesn't do anything

More info:

When I open Backup and then click on "More options" , it then takes me to the Backup options page. At the top it shows the size of the Backup and say 0 bytes. Checked Services and Search is running, Volume Shadow Copy is running and File History is running.

 

I too had difficulty getting File History to start. Like you, I found that the Backup settings page kept crashing when specifying a drive to use, and I wondered if it was worthwhile continuing.
However, persistence paid off, eventually. A few days later, and a few reboots in between (I always shut down at the end of a day), when I revisited this, it started to behave, and backup to an external drive kicked off. I don't know even now what changed meanwhile to sort it out, but something clearly did, and FileHistory has kept going ever since, and I now have over 800Gb of history to dig through, if ever I need it. I'll bet I still won't be able to find what I need, though.
Be aware, when you sort this, and get it going, that the backup service will work flat-out for a considerable time, building the first backup version of the selected folders. Expect a dip in disk response!
Good Luck, sorry I couldn't be more helpful, except to offer encouragement.

 

I don't get it. What New settings panel ? What More Options ?

If you do files backup to an external drive as you said, then when it is finished, the backup files are stored inside folder File History in your external hard drive.
Have you checked there.
Perhaps I am missing something ?

 

This is the screen he is referring to. Clicking on More Options should not crash the PC so there is something not working correctly with his File History configuration.





One explanation as provided by Samrick is that his first file history backup has not yet completed.

 

I do it the old-fashioned way...................

Plug in the ext. hdd > right click at Start button > Control Panel > top right, click View by > click either large or small > File History ...............