Windows 10: How do I totally reset File History?

I want to totally reset my File History. Before installing Windows 10, I shut off File History. After upgrading from Win 8.1, I decided I wanted to remove a lot of folders which I don't really need to backup up constantly as they rarely change, they are taking up a lot of space, and I do image backups at least monthly. I originally had everything assigned under libraries. I removed them as libraries. Unfortunately I may have made a bad choice and tried to manually remove the history files.
After restarting File History (I did this twice) and using File Explorer to review what is in the File History directory, I now have two major folders: "\my computer name" and "\my computer name (2)". Looking at these folders, the first folder is missing a lot of data subfolders and has no "Configuration" and $OF subfolders.

\my computer name
\Data
\Drv1 (OS)
\Drv2 (Data)

\my computer name (2)
\Configuration
\Data
\$OF
\Drv1 (OS)
\Drv2 (Data)

The second one seems to have everything I wanted to set up. However when I open the File History Restore option to see what I have, only one subfolder in Drv2 appears in the list and I see no way to access the other folders.

It appears that I have totally horked File History. Is there some way to completely reset File History so I can start from scratch?

JohnD

:)

 

How to delete backup files from File History in Windows 10

The problem with trying to delete the File History folder is that it contains numerous system/hidden files. Using a Command Prompt (as File Manager would not allow removing these files), I had to go through and delete numerous system/hidden files. You might
want to check the question I had posted in Ten Forums "How do I totally reset File History". If the above suggestion
works, then that is the easy way of doing it. If not, you need to do a little work. I am still having an issue with trying to run a File History backup using the "Settings > Update & Security > Backup" method. If I do it through "Control Panel > File History",
it works fine. I have received a suggestion here which I will give a try.

JohnD

 

How do i do a total reset of my phone? I have a Samsung Focus

From the Diagnosis app you have to enter this for a full reset which will wipe all your memory, etc. *2767*3855#

To enable the Diagnosis app you have to dial ##634# from the phone pad, you have to press call at the end to execute the code.

 

Hello John, *Smile

If you like, you can use an option in the tutorial below to reset File History in Windows 10.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5...dows-10-a.html

 

Thanks Brink,

That fixed it. I had fun removing all the system/hidden files that were created in the existing File History folders. It even contained MS Office temporary backup (~.....) files. Apparently it backed these up if I had an Office file open when the backup executed. I eventually was able to remove all the folders in File History and File History itself. I was using an additional physical internal drive to store the File History files and other backups and I had heard that Windows 10 would not allow internal drives for File History. However, when I started File History again, it allowed me to select this drive. I added the additional folders I wanted to backup and now I am good to go.

Thanks again,

JohnD

 

Great news John. I'm glad it could help. *Smile

 

As a further follow up to this post, is was having difficulty running File History using the new "Settings > Update & Security > Backup" method. It would crash on me although it seemed to do the backup. If I used the old "Control Panel > Final History" method, it worked fine. I posted to the MS Community and a suggestion from one of their engineers to:
1. Shut off the File History service.
2. Rename the FileHistory Configuration folder in the \User\AppData\...... folder.
3. Restart the service and check that File History settings are now reset.
4. Stop the service again.
5. Rename the FileHistory Configuration folder back to the original name.
6. Restart the service again and everything should now work.

This did correct the problem I was having with the newer method of accessing running File History. Possibly before playing with the configuration folders we need to shut off the File History first?

JohnD

 

I'm not sure why the Settings method wouldn't work for you while the Control Panel method did.

Does resetting File History using the tutorial I posted earlier help with this any?

 

Yes the tutorial got me reset to the point where I could remove all my previous history and start over. But the new Settings access to run a File History backup did not work, however the old Control Panel did. It doesn't make sense what the difference would be between the two but I guess there is.

JohnD

 

Are you having issues with anything else in Settings?

 

No other issues at this point. My only suggestion is maybe the tutorial should mention to stop the File History service first before messing with the File History folder and then restart it after you are done in case Windows is in the middle of doing something with it. You would think that the Settings version just executes the old Control Panel process, but who knows what else MS plugged in there.

JohnD

 

Usually, you would just get an in use error if it was in the middle of a backup when trying to reset File History.