Backup and restore with File History
Applies To
Windows 11 Windows 10Support for Windows 10 will end in October 2025
After October 14, 2025, Microsoft will no longer provide free software updates from Windows Update, technical assistance, or security fixes for Windows 10. Your PC will still work, but we recommend moving to Windows 11.
File History is a handy feature in Windows that helps you protect your personal files and folders from accidental loss or damage. Think of it as a backup system that automatically saves copies of your files, so you can easily restore them if something goes wrong. Whether you accidentally delete a file, make unwanted changes, or experience a technical issue, File History can come to your rescue by allowing you to recover previous versions of your files and folders.
One of the great things about File History is that it automatically backs up all your libraries. This includes default libraries like Documents, Pictures, Videos, and Music, as well as any custom libraries you have created. If you have folders elsewhere that you want to back up, you can add them to an existing library or create a new library for them.
Setting up File History is straightforward. Once enabled, it continuously monitors your files and folders, making regular backups to an external drive or network location. This means you don't have to worry about manually saving copies of your important documents, photos, videos, or entire folders. If you ever need to recover a file or folder, you can browse through the different versions saved by File History and restore the one you need. It's a simple yet powerful tool that provides peace of mind by ensuring your valuable data is always protected.
Configure File History
Here are the steps to configure File History:
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Connect an external drive or a network location: ensure you have an external drive connected to your computer or a network location configured where you want to save your backups
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From the Control Panel, under System and Security, select Save backup copies of your files with File History
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Select Turn on to enable File History
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If no drive is selected by default, you can choose a different one by selecting the option Select drive
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In the Select a File History drive window, choose the external drive or network location you wish to use for backups and select OK. If prompted, you can choose to move existing files to the new drive or start fresh
While File History automatically backs up essential folders like Documents, Pictures, Videos, and Desktop, you can add other folders by navigating to the folder, right-clicking on it, and selecting Show more options > Include in library to add it to a library for backup.
Restore files with File History
To restore deleted content, or to restore a file or folder to a previous state:
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Open File Explorer and navigate to the folder that used to contain the file or folder
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Right-click on the folder name, and then select Restore previous versions. If the folder was at the top level of a drive, for example C:\, right-click the drive, and then selectRestore previous versions
Note: To restore a previous version of a file or folder that's included in a library, right-click the file or folder in the location where it's saved, rather than in the library.
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The Previous Versions tab lists the available previous versions of the file or folder
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Select a previous version of the folder that contains the file or folder you want to restore. For example, if a file was deleted today, choose a version of the folder from yesterday, which should contain the file
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To preview the content of the selected version, expand Open and select Open in File History
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To restore the content of the selected version, select Restore. To avoid overwriting the current version, you can also restore to a different location by expanding Restore and selecting Restore to...
Warning: The file or folder replaces the current version on your computer, and the replacement can't be undone.
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