Windows 10: File History only backs up Users Folder. I need to backup the C drive.

How can I use file history to back up my C drive to my D drive? I have two 2tb drives. One, C, is for working, the other, D, is to backup C.


Several people work on this machine. There are various user accounts, some shared, some for a single person.


We created folders on the C drive such as:

Data-experiment-words

Analysis-1

Analysis-2

papers

etc.


and everyone uses them. They need to remain in a single location on the C drive.


I need to simply back up the C drive to the D drive.

I have never used Windows user folders. I have done it my way since before windows existed. Thanks like data are not documents, pictures, etc. It makes no sense to put things that are not documents in documents. And they are shared and used by multiple users. They need to be in a single place. It's as if Bill Gates designed PCs so that only one person will use them.


How can I use file history to back up my C drive to my D drive?


Thanks

:)

 

By default, File History doesn't back up C:\Users\myname\AppsData\?

I just did my first backup with File History and then looked on my external hard drive to see it. I noticed that the C:\Users\myname\AppsData\ folder was not backed up which surprised me. I went back into the app and noticed that that folder is
not included in the default list of backed-up folders.

I know I can add it to the list, and I will, but it's such an important folder as it contains emails, our various app data, etc. Why would this not be included in the default list?

 

File History - my expectations versus reality

I have several observations. Would like a discussion on each, thank you.

1) Managing "Backup these folders"

I assumed I could define the folders to backup at a top level so I wouldn't have to manage new subfolders. I deleted the many entries for c:/users/myname/subfolder in order to add c:/users/myname.

a) I couldn't add a folder after emptying the list. Eventually after repeated attempts I got it to list c:/users and c:/usersmyname.

b) I turned File History on and it suggested it would do a backup. It created the top level folders on my backup drive but did not backup anything.

I had previously turned File History on weeks ago and turned it off. I deleted this on my backup drive before setting the new options today. How can I force File History to backup everything in the list?, and then presumably it will just keep incremental
backups going forward.

2) How does it work?

I assume File History would initiate a backup of everything defined in "Backup these folders" and then perform incremental backups. It kind of suggested it would but it hasnt backed anything. So I created a new file and saved it directly under c:/users/myname and
set file history to backup every 10 minutes. Nothing was backed up.

3) I go to advanced settings and hit Run Now. Nothing happens.

 

Backup These Folders in File History

My Pictures and My Videos folders are inside the My Documents folder. In File History all three folders are listed in the Backup These Folders list. Does this mean that because of this, files in Pictures and Videos are backuped twice? Once when backing up
My Documents and once when backing up My Pictures and My Videos (included in My Documents)