How to Use Windows File History for Versioning

When working on important files in Windows, it is crucial to have a reliable backup solution in place. One such solution is Windows File History, a built-in feature that automatically creates versions of your files and allows you to restore previous versions when needed. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the steps to set up and use File History for versioning in Windows.

Prerequisites

• A Windows computer (Windows 8 or later)
• An external storage device (such as an external hard drive or network-attached storage)

Setting up File History

To start using File History for versioning, follow these steps to set it up initially:

1. Connect your external storage device (e.g., external hard drive) to your computer.
2. Press Win + I on your keyboard to open the Windows Settings app.
3. Click on Update & Security.
4. In the left sidebar, select Backup.
5. Click on Add a drive under the "Backup using File History" section.
6. Choose your external storage device from the list of available drives.

Customizing File History Settings

Before using File History, you can customize its settings to suit your preferences. Here's how:

1. In the Windows Settings app, go to Update & Security > Backup > More options.
2. Under "Automatically back up my files," you can configure the following options:
   • Back up my files: Toggle this switch on to enable File History.
   • Back up to my other drive: If you have multiple storage devices connected, choose the preferred drive.
   • Keep my backups: Define how long File History should keep your backups before purging older versions.
   • Exclude folders: If there are specific folders you do not want to include in the backup, click Add a folder and select them.
3. Use the Backup now button to create an immediate backup using your custom settings.

Restoring Files Using File History

Now that you have File History set up, you can easily restore previous versions of your files. Follow these steps:

1. Open the File Explorer by pressing Win + E.
2. Navigate to the folder where the file you want to restore is located.
3. In the File Explorer menu, click on the Home tab.
4. Click on the History button in the "Open" section of the toolbar.
5. You will see a list of available file versions. Select the desired version and click Restore.
6. The previous version of the file will be restored to its original location.

Advanced File History Settings

File History also offers advanced settings to further customize its behavior. Here's how you can access and modify these settings:

1. In the Windows Settings app, go to Update & Security > Backup > More options.
2. Under "See advanced settings," you can find the following options:
   • Backup frequency: Adjust how frequently File History creates backups (default: every hour).
   • Size of offline cache: Define how much disk space File History can use for storing offline versions.
   • Network and storage connections: Configure network or storage-specific settings, such as excluding certain networks or using a specific drive exclusively.
   • Exclude specific folders: Similar to excluding folders in the basic settings, but with more fine-grained control over exclusions.
3. Make the desired adjustments as per your requirements.

Congratulations! You have successfully set up and learned how to use Windows File History for versioning. With File History enabled, you can have peace of mind knowing that your important files are protected and easily restorable in case of accidental modifications or deletions.