Windows 10: File history not backing things up and How to get windows to 'find' an external drive again...

Situation - I was having trouble running a backup in file history. It just wasn't actually backing up anything. I would click on folders to backup - and nothing would actually show up on the file history screen. I tried to back up anyway - as my pictures folder had been bakcing up - but nothing was being backed up. Nothing.In trying to solve that problem, I clicked on 'stop using this drive' hoping I could restart things and get it going again. However, now it does not recognize that drive as being a usable drive. I can't select it to try and use.How can I fix this?

:)

 

File back up to bitlockered external drive

Thanks John.

By trial and error the solution is,

• Set the file back up to the desired external USB drive, Back up using file history.
• Run backup to completion.
• Dismount, (Remove) the drive used.
• Remount (Plug in) the drive used for the file back up (Steps 1&2) and encrypt using Bitlocker.

Note you can only encrypt drives using some versions of Windows (Pro for eg not Home)

• Once the external drive has been encrypted dismount.
• Remount the drive, go to the file back up option, Open, Settings, Backup,
  Back up using file history.
• The drive should now still be visible and has been encrypted.
• Accessing the drive will be dependant on how it was set up in Bitlocker,
  Open with this PC, password, pin code etc.
• Repeat file back up as in the first two steps.

Hope this helps someone else.

 

File History does not recognize external hard drive since reformat

File History stopped backing up at some point (was a single file name too long for it?). I reformatted my external hard disk, a WD My Book. Now File History will not back up to it, despite it showing up in a list of possible external drives to back up to. I've tried using a free trial version of Backblaze too but it simply isn't backing up. Any suggestions?

 

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.