Windows 10: File History Restoral on New Laptop

I backed up most of my files using File History to a USB drive because sending my laptop off for repairs. After getting it back, I reinstalled windows 11, but File History does not show my backup from Jan 7th.Could someone point me in the right direction on getting my files restored?Thanks!

:)

 

can't restore files to a new laptop using file history.

Hi John,

The path of the drive may differ from the new laptop to the old laptop. It depends on where you plugged in the external hard drive. At this point, we'd like to ask the following to assist you better:

• Was the hard drive before a storage drive only or a main hard drive of a computer?
• What type of files were you trying to restore?
• Can you please send screenshots of how you restore your files? Blur any personal information for your security.
  
• To avoid repetition, can you provide us with all the troubleshooting steps that you've done so far?

 

File History restore

Hi Green

My name is Andre Da Costa; an Independent Consultant, Windows Insider MVP and Windows & Devices for IT MVP. I'm here to help you with your problem.

You can restore your File History backup on the interim laptop you are using, then create a separate File History backup of the interim laptop, which you can then restore on the regular laptop.

See steps how to restore the backup:

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-cor...

Because the interim laptop will have a unique machine name, it will create a separate backup for it:

How to Set Up and Configure File History on Windows 10 - groovyPost

https://www.groovypost.com/howto/configure-wind...

You can then follow the steps in the techrepublic article for restoring the changes since.

Note: This is a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised
on the site before you decide to download and install it.

 

file history- problem restoring file history onto new laptop

Does the drive have the same drive letter as it previously had on your old PC?

Have you run a backup on the new PC? Some suggestions say you have to do that but I would’ve thought that would be incorrect. The general feeling is that you run a backup then use the back button within the file history to see previous (old) backups.

Try this:

Just plugin your external drive, or copy your FileHistory folder onto your new PC. Then go to Control Panel -> System and Security -> File History and choose Select Drive. Choose the drive that has your old data on it, and you'll see a checkbox appear entitled
`I want to use a previous back-up on this File History drive'. Select it, and you'll be able to adopt the existing backup

https://superuser.com/questions/659953/how-do-y...

Or this:

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Search (or if you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and then click Search), enter restore your files in the search box, and then select Restore your
files with File History.

Enter the name of file you're looking for in the search box, or use the left and right arrows to browse through different versions of your folders and files.

Select what you want to restore to its original location, and then select the Restore button.

If you want to restore your files to a different location than the original, press and hold or right-click the Restore button, select Restore To, and then choose a new location.

There’s this:

In the Start menu, type "Control Panel" to bring up the old Control Panel app - open it.

Click the "System and Security" section.

Click the "File History" section.

In the File History control panel, on the left-hand column, click "Select drive."

Select the drive that had your prior File History backups.

Once you have selected the drive, the bottom pane will show your existing backups. You should see the prior backup there (and possibly a backup from today if File History already tried to create a new backup). Select the past backup that you want. A message
may pop up informing you that this is a past backup.

Once you're back at the File History control panel, on the left-hand column, click "Restore personal files." You should be able to use the File History navigation tool to navigate your prior backup and restore it.

I hope one of these works.