Windows 10: File History

Hi everyone. I have been using file history on Windows 10. It is very unpredictable. File history is backing up to external drive, but it has coupled the entire "C" drive. In file explorer I have two "G" drives. I thought it only backup recent files not duplicate the drive. Am I doing something wrong? Any assistance will be appreciated. *Sad

:)

 

File History Browser- no usable file history browser was found

Hi,

Thank you for posting your query in Microsoft Community.

I understand the frustration when things doesn’t work well.

I suggest you to Perform System Restore
and check if it works.

System restore will take your computer to pervious state when it was not facing such problem, this can be done by selecting the proper restore point.

To restore the operating system to an earlier point in time, follow these steps:

a) Press Windows key + R.

b) Type rstrui.exe and click OK.

c) Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the System restore process.



Disclaimer: When you use System Restore to restore the computer to a previous state, programs and updates that you installed after that date are removed.

Please refer the link below for more information.

What if something goes wrong in File History?


http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/what-something-goes-wrong-file-history

Note: It also applies for windows 10.

Reference:

Restore from a system restore point

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/windows-10-recovery-options

Create a system restore point

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/create-a-system-restore-point

Hope this information helps. Please let me know if you need further assistance.

 

File History - Could not enable File History

Method 1 results: Safe mode with network: As before, it found the drive,

but this time when I clicked the button "Turn on" I got the message: Could

not enable File History; This service cannot be started in Safe Mode.

Method 2 results: I did not do a clean boot because my computer did not

run fine. I still couldn't use the external hard drive in File History.

 

I run File History. When it initially runs it will copy ALL your Documents, Music and Pictures over to the chosen location unless you deliberately use the advanced options to exclude them. From that point on only files that see any changes are copied again, or new additions of course.

When you view File History you will see these changes in easy to assimilate date and time form.

 

Mooly, thank you for your answer. I use file history also. It has never made a duplicate drive. *Sad

 

I wonder if your File History is getting confused with your removable ? (I'm assuming they are removable) drives and somehow either not recognising the intended drive (and its contents) and running a complete cycle from the start.

Hard to say without actually seeing what it is doing. I actually use a separate partition on the main drive for File History and have the History folder configured as a network location which fools File History into believing its a separate location.

 

Mooly, this is what I am talking about:

 

I honestly don't know what is going there. My File History is on D as shown here, and that contains just the one folder containing all the history, no duplicates anywhere. I'm purely guessing but I suspect your problem could be the external drive not always being recognised, or being recognised as something different on occasions and that is why FH has duplicated.

One of those things you need to be sat in front of really.

 

Hi. I really do not understand what you are saying. How did you get file history to use that drive? It only see the external hdd.

 

You can get it to use the local drive by manually creating a folder called File History and then right clicking the folder and setting it to be shared as a network location. Then you copy the file path from the folder window and paste that into the file history options screen (the main setting up screen for File History). If the pasted file path has brackets around it then you need to remove them from the pasted link.
So something like (file://DESKTOP-630CGVU/File%20History) needs to become file://DESKTOP-630CGVU/File%20History