Windows 10: File History Restore is Missing Many Files!!!

I am running Windows 10 on a Surface Pro 5 2017 in a strictly controlled corporate environment.


We've had many problems with these Surface Pro machines dying on us, and so a few months ago, I decided I wanted to protect my many important files from a hardware malfunction. I'm very limited in what I can do on this computer as it is controlled by my workplace administrator, and thus I don't have administrative rights on it. We also have strict corporate policies that all business files must remain on our corporate computer or our network folder. With that in mind, my options were limited to only the software that is built into the computer.


So what I decided to was to turn on the Backup/File History feature in Win10. I configured it to backup all the folders in my User directory. The destination was set to my personal corporate network folder. That way I would have an offsite backup but I'm also still respecting the corporate policies about keeping all files within our network. For months this backup has been running and there have been no complaints from the software. The File History control panel shows green and lists a recent date/time for the latest backup when checked.


This week one of my colleagues had their Surface Pro hard drive die on them and they lost their files. Initially, I patted myself on the back for having my offsite backup setup. But then it occurred to me that I've never checked the integrity of that backup nor even tested the restore function so I know how to use it in an emergency. So, I went into Control Panel -> File History -> Restore Personal Files and went browsing to see if the backup set looked complete and if I could restore a file I recently changed. Much to my horror, I found there were many, many files and folders completely missing from the backup!


How do I find those files? Are they even there? Has Windows' own built-in backup software been lying to me for all these months? Is there something I can do to get this backup to kick into gear?


Thanks!


"A sitting duck"

:)

 

File History - restore

Hello godfaher,

The tutorial below can help show step by step on how to restore a file backed up by File History in Windows 10.

Restore Files or Folders from File History in Windows 10

 

File History on/off status issues

Hi,

Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.

1. Are you able to access your missing Email files on Web mail?
   
2. Which drive was selected to set up your back up on file history?
   
   
   

Probably the files might have been deleted when you perform the cleanup operation.

However, you may try the suggested steps to recover files from file History.



Restore files from File History

You may also refer this

Video link for more information regarding restoring files.



Hope it helps.

Muralidhar

Microsoft Community Moderator

 

File History - Files missing from backup

Thanks for your reply but that article outlines the steps I have already taken.

I have performed a restore from my File History drive and many files are missing.