Windows 10: Moving File History Folder

I have my File History on a physical internal hard drive that is now almost completely full. I wanted to know if I could move the entire fie history to a newer and much larger drive?

I understand I can create a new File History drive but I'm assuming in doing this I will create a "new" File History and has nothing to do with the one I had on my older drive and hence lose all the previous versions. It is not documented but can I move the File History folder to a new drive and then point File History to that new drive and hope it will just work?

Can someone let me know if I can wholesale move the folder called File History to the new drive such that I retain all previous versions?

Jerry

:)

 

reconnect file history drive

reconnect file history drive

Moved from: [ OneDrive / Working with files and folders on OneDrive / Adding and removing files and folders / OneDrive in Windows 10 ]

 

Windows 10 OS on a laptop. unable to enable file history

receive mssg. when attempting to turn on file history:

could not enable file history. the system cannot find the path specified.

Moved from: Windows / Windows 10 / Files, folders, & storage

 

I don't see why not.

You can certainly change the File History to uses another folder. If the new folder contains previous history it will ask if you want to retain the old history.

You won't loose anything by trying, you may well need to select the new drive after copying the File History to it. If you retain the File History folder on the old drive you could always switch back to using it if it didn't work.

Select Drive for File History in Windows 10

Be warned though, File History may be replaced by a new Timeline feature in future versions of Windows 10.

 

I hope you mean a new external device; anything connected to a computer during any ransomware or virus or malware attack can be reached and acted upon in ways a user would not like at all.

 

Thanks,

Sounds like I can move my current File History folder to a new (and larger) drive and point File History app to the new location and it will keep on chugging along.

Thanks for the comment on Timeline. Sounds interesting but not sure based on the description that it will replace File History. Even if it does, I truly hope and expect MS to provide a migration path.

 

If and when Timeline does arrive, looks like File History will be removed.

Timeline was originally pencilled in for the Fall Creators Update, version 1709, build 16299, but wasn't ready in time.

Timeline feature will not make Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

This could explain why in the Insider builds leading up to 1709 File History was first removed, then reinstated. From the tutorial I linked to earlier...

Timeline is back in the Insider builds now, starting with 17063. It is expected to appear publicly in the Spring Creators Update, 1803, some time in April.

Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Fast+Skip Build 17063 for PC