File History automatically backs up important files and documents, while the Windows Backup Tool backs up core files, settings, and apps so you can copy them to a new PC.
That critical and irreplaceable file you were viewing the other day in Windows is lost or won’t open. Are you in trouble? Not if you’ve been using File History. Available in Windows 10 and Windows 11, this feature will automatically save specific folders to a backup device, allowing you to recover a previous version of a file if it ever goes missing or becomes unusable.
Are you moving to a brand new computer and want to copy over your data from your current PC? For that, you can turn to the Windows Backup Tool. Built into Windows, this tool will back up and restore key folders, apps, settings, and credentials from one computer to another. Here’s how to use File History and the new Backup tool to back up and restore your files.Set Up a Storage Device
First, make sure you have a viable drive connected to your PC. This could be a simple flash drive, external drive, or network location through network-attached storage (NAS). If your drive plugs into the computer, be sure to connect it before trying anything else. For a wireless network drive, it must be connected to power and properly mapped. Note that File History will automatically run on a regular basis, so any external drive you use must always remain connected and accessible.How to Use File History in Windows 10
To set up File History on a Windows 10 PC, connect your backup device, then go to Settings > Update & Security > Files Backup. Click Add a drive under the Back up using File History header. Select the location you wish to use for your backups.
File History will now be enabled, but it isn’t backing up any files yet. To get it started, you’ll need to click the More options link to set up a few parameters to determine when File History should run and how long it should store your old backups.
Open the Back up my files drop-down menu and choose how frequently you wish to back up your data, from every 10 minutes to Daily. Then click the Keep my backups drop-down menu and select how long you want to retain your backed up files—from Until space is needed to Forever.
By default, File History will begin backing up a selection of folders, including Desktop, Downloads, Music, and more. However, you can remove some of these folders from the mix. Review the list of default folders included in the backup and select any folder you don’t want to include, then choose Remove to exclude it.
To add any folders not listed, click the Add a folder button under the Back up these folders heading. You can also exclude specific folders if you click the Add a folder button under Exclude these folders. Once you’ve customized the File History feature to your liking, click the Back up now button at the top of the page. Windows will then start backing up the folders and files in your backup. When finished, the size, date, and time of the backup are displayed.
If you ever want to change your backup destination, you’ll first need to stop using your current drive. Open Backup settings and click More options. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Stop using Drive. Return to the Backup screen and click Add a drive so you can restart the setup process and choose the new backup destination.
