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Explore our File History folder Windows tutorial and learn how to add, remove, and restore files. Discover how to secure files and backups with Level.
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Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Managing data backups is a key responsibility of your IT team. When users accidentally delete files or experience system failures, having a recovery plan in place can save time and resources.
If your infrastructure runs on Windows operating systems, you can use File History to automatically save backup files at scheduled intervals. With this built-in Windows tool, you can also restore previous versions without relying on third-party software.
This guide teaches you how to add and remove backup files in Windows File History. You'll also learn how to troubleshoot common issues, organize data, and secure remote access.
File History is a system backup feature introduced in Windows 8 and continued in subsequent versions of the Windows operating system.
It is designed to automatically protect personal and business files by saving copies to an external drive or network location.
Windows File History works by regularly scanning designated libraries, desktops, contacts, and favorites folders for changes. Bear in mind that some folders are not backed up automatically, and you’ll need to add them manually.
It then creates incremental backup snapshots of modified files. These allow you to restore previous versions of files or recover deleted ones with ease.
File History is more than just a backup tool. You can use it in several ways to improve file management and recovery. Here are the common use cases:
After understanding what Windows File History does, it's time to learn how to add files for backup. Follow these steps to set up the File History service and protect important data:
Before adding files to back up, you need to turn File History on. You can enable Windows File History using Settings or the Control Panel. Here's how:
If you can't see a switch button to turn on File History, you might encounter the "Add a drive" message instead.
You'll need to add an external drive or network location to store backups and temporary files.
Connect an external USB drive, internal hard disk drive (HDD), or solid-state drive (SSD). Make sure there is sufficient space in your chosen drive to prevent disruptions.
After selecting a backup drive, Windows File History will automatically turn on.
Windows File History allows you to edit settings to make sure backups meet organizational needs.
To do so, navigate to the Settings menu on Windows where you have switched on File History. Click the Update & Security option and tap Backup on the sidebar.
Under the On switch, you can find More options. Click on it to make changes to Windows File History.
You can configure the following advanced settings:
Under the same "More options" setting in Windows File History, you can add folders to save automatically.
Simply scroll down and navigate to the Back up these folders section.
Next, click Add a folder to open a prompt window. This is where you can browse your Windows library, drive, or folder.
Double-click on the specific file or library you want to back up. Or you can select it once and tap Choose this folder on the bottom right of the pop-up window.
You can add as many folders or files as you want, given that you have sufficient drive space.
Your job doesn't stop after adding the necessary folders and files to Windows File History.
You need to verify if the built-in tool is actually saving copies of your data. Doing so can prevent data loss and maintain business continuity.
You can check the backup status using these methods:
If a folder isn’t backing up, make sure it’s inside a Windows Library. Or you can manually add it to Windows File History settings (refer to the instructions in Step 4).
You may need to get rid of certain folders from data backups. Here's how to remove these files from the Windows File History service:
Launch Settings on your Windows device. Find and select the Update & Security icon.
Then, navigate to the Backup option on the left sidebar to access the File History tool.
On the right side of the window, you'll see More Options. Click on it to open the settings.
Here, you can view and modify folders included in the backup.
Find the Back up these folders section in the settings. You can select the folder you intend to remove.
Then, tap the Remove button to extract this folder from File History. You can remove as many folders as you want.
You also have the option to exclude certain folders for automatic file backups in Windows File History.
To do this, scroll past the Backup these folders area and find the Exclude these folders section.
Here, you can find the folder, drive, or library you want to exclude. Click on the specific file and tap Choose this folder.
Once finished, you can close the File History settings to save your progress.
Besides adding or removing files in File History, you can also restore data. Here are three different ways to do this:
You may encounter problems when adding, removing, or restoring files in Windows File History. Here are common issues and how to resolve them:
This error occurs when Windows fails to detect the assigned backup drive. It may be due to drive disconnection, permission issues, or drive corruption.
You can reconnect the drive to fix the issue. Simply unplug and reinsert it.
If it still doesn't work, you can connect to another drive to see if the issue is device-related.
For network drives, make sure they are accessible and not blocked by firewall settings or group policy restrictions.
Sometimes, Windows File History skips certain files or folders. This happens when they aren’t in the backup list, are too large, or have restricted permissions.
If you encounter this problem, you can check the included folders to verify that you added the right files. Then, move them to a library.
You should also review file size limits because folders larger than 4 GB may not back up properly. Consider compressing large files or using an alternative backup solution.
Additionally, make sure the system account has read and write access to the missing folders.
If backups take too long, the system may be backing up too many files or using a slow storage device.
For a quick fix, you can pause Windows File History and resume it after a few minutes.
If this doesn't work, consider excluding large files. Move them to the Exclude folders list (refer to the steps above).
You can also switch to an SSD or a high-speed external drive, especially if you still rely on an old USB drive.
Lastly, don't forget to check for system updates because software bugs may cause slow performance. You can use patch management software to automate software updates.
File History may disable itself after Windows updates or policy changes. It prevents backups from running.
When this happens, you can manually re-enable File History by following the instructions above.
You can also restart Windows File History. Simply open Services (services.msc), locate File History Service, and set it to Automatic.
If the previous drive is missing, you should select a new backup location under the File History settings.
Follow these tips to keep backups organized, secure, and efficient:
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The File History folder is where Windows stores backup copies of important files. It contains previous versions of documents, photos, and other user data. These files are saved automatically at scheduled intervals and can be restored when needed.
The right action is to remove or extract folders from File History. It is safe to remove folders if storage space is low, backups are no longer needed, or they are migrating to a different backup solution. Always verify that important files exist elsewhere before complete removal.
The File History drive is the external USB drive or network location where Windows stores backups. To check its location, go to Control Panel > File History > Select Drive. If the drive is missing, check if it is properly connected, mapped, or accessible over the network.
Yes, especially for users who need automatic file backups. Turning on File History can protect important data, especially in work environments where users frequently edit or delete files. However, it is best used alongside other backup solutions for full data protection.
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