Windows 10: How can I separate my personal files from Windows system and operating files so easier backups?

Using Windows 10 and have lots of personal data files, photos, videos, etc. so it takes a long time to back up the whole hard drive. I would like to know if backing up the Users folder in the tree would save all my personal files or do I have to create a separate partition???

:)

 

Microsoft Windows Home Server Corrupts Files

Microsoft has warned Windows Home Server users not to edit files stored on their backup systems with several of its programs, including Vista Photo Gallery and Office's OneNote and Outlook, as well as files generated by popular finance software such as Quicken and QuickBooks. "When you use certain programs to edit files on a home computer that uses Windows Home Server, the files may become corrupted when you save them to the home server," Microsoft said in a support document posted last week. The document went on to list the software, which includes Windows Vista Photo Gallery, Windows Live Photo Gallery, OneNote 2003, OneNote 2007, Outlook 2007, Microsoft Money 2007 and SyncToy 2.0 Beta. Others programs, however, may also corrupt files stored on a home server powered by Microsoft's operating system. "Additionally, there have been customer reports of issues with Torrent applications, with Intuit Quicken and with QuickBooks program files," the document said. "Until an update for Windows Home Server is available, we recommend that [you] do not use the programs that are listed to save or to edit program-specific files that are stored on a Windows Home Server-based system."

Source: Computerworld

 

Unable to see personal files in full system image backup ?

WIN. 10 - I ran a full system image backup via the built-in Windows backup and restore. I wanted to test a restore of

one of my personal files and am unable to see any of my personal files on the C drive. When I search for a specific file to restore, the only displayed folder is C:\users. However I believe that all of my personal folders were backed up.

So far I've run File History once selecting all of my folders on the C drive and a full system image backup once .

target backup HD - used space - ~166 GB

my C drive - used space - ~144 GB

prior File History backup - used space - ~21 GB

It may not be the intent of the Win. 10 backup strategy to provide for individual personal files to be restored however I'm

curious as why I'm unable to see them when I perform a search. I know I can do this via File History.

Anyone have advice or suggestions ?

 

Recent File List

Remove-ItemProperty -Path "Registry::HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
\Applets\Paint\Recent File List" -name file1

Remove-ItemProperty -Path "Registry::HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
\Applets\Paint\Recent File List" -name file2
Remove-ItemProperty -Path "Registry::HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
\Applets\Paint\Recent File List" -name file3
Remove-ItemProperty -Path "Registry::HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
\Applets\Paint\Recent File List" -name file4
Remove-ItemProperty -Path "Registry::HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
\Applets\Paint\Recent File List" -name file5
Remove-ItemProperty -Path "Registry::HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
\Applets\Paint\Recent File List" -name file6
Remove-ItemProperty -Path "Registry::HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
\Applets\Paint\Recent File List" -name file7
Remove-ItemProperty -Path "Registry::HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
\Applets\Paint\Recent File List" -name file8
Remove-ItemProperty -Path "Registry::HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
\Applets\Paint\Recent File List" -name file9
...

you get the idea. ( too lazy to put it in a for loop and test it.

or just open regedit and remove all the fileX from that key.