Backing Up- Windows 10

Backing Up- Windows 10

Microsoft offers an easy way to back up the files located within your User Folder, called File History. This will create a backup to an external drive every hour, and allow you to either undo saved changes to an edited document, recover a deleted file, or restore all of your data if you wipe or replace your drive.

Hard drives have a finite life. If you’re looking to start a good backup routine, it’s best to start with a new drive. This WD from JB HiFi offers 2TB and fast USB 3.0 https://bit.ly/2zGyW1F

Set Up File History

Connect the hard drive to the PC. A new hard drive may prompt you with some options, choose USE DRIVE FOR FILE HISTORY.

If the drive doesn’t prompt you to set up File History, press the START BUTTON, press SETTINGS and choose UPDATE AND SECURITY.

On this screen, select ADD A DRIVE, and select your connected external drive.

File History will now keep hourly backups of everything within your main user folder, including your desktop, documents, pictures and other media. The backups are created from C:\Users\[Username]

The first backup will take some time to process, depending on how full the drive is. All following backups simply look for changes and are much faster.

Using File History

File History is an automated solution, by default it keeps hourly backups as long as the external drive is connected. To recover a deleted or edit file or folder, in the SEARCH BOX on the taskbar, type RESTORE MY FILES WITH FILE HISTORY.

In the window that opens, locate the file or folder, and select RESTORE. The arrow buttons on the image allow you to scroll through all of the available versions of the file you could restore.

[Image Credit- support.microsoft.com