Skip to main content
Tech Radar Tech Radar TechRadar The source for Tech Buying Advice
Subscribe
RSS
Asia
flag of Singapore
Singapore
Europe
flag of Danmark
Danmark
flag of Suomi
Suomi
flag of Norge
Norge
flag of Sverige
Sverige
flag of UK
UK
flag of Italia
Italia
flag of Nederland
Nederland
flag of België (Nederlands)
België (Nederlands)
flag of France
France
flag of Deutschland
Deutschland
flag of España
España
North America
flag of US (English)
US (English)
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of México
México
Australasia
flag of Australia
Australia
flag of New Zealand
New Zealand
Technology Magazines
Technology Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • The best tech tutorials and in-depth reviews
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12.99
View Deal
  • News
  • Best
  • Reviews
  • Opinion
  • How To
  • Deals
  • More
    • Versus
    • Appliances
    • Audiovisual
    • Cameras
    • Car Tech
    • Computing
    • Coupons
    • Downloads
    • Entertainment
    • Fitness
    • Laptops
    • Phones
    • Smart Home
    • Tablets
    • TVs
    • Wearables
    • About Us
Tech Radar Pro
Tech Radar Gaming
Trending
  • WWDC 2023 LIVE
  • Apple VR headset
  • iPhone 15
  • ChatGPT
  • Wordle hints
  • Best VPN

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  1. Home
  2. How-to
  3. Computing

How to recover files in Windows 10 with File History

By Nick Peers
published 3 February 2017

Disaster recovery

1. Enable File History

1. Enable File History

By default, File History is turned off, so open the Start menu and click 'Settings'. Select ‘Update & security’ and choose ‘Backup’.

Now click ‘Add a drive’ to choose which external drive to store your backups on – this can include NAS drives or USB drives plugged into your router (just click ‘Show all network locations’ when the link appears).

  • How to use Windows 10

You’ll also see a reference to ‘Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7)’ – if you’ve upgraded from Window 7 and want to continue using the old backup tool from that version of Windows, click this link and jump to step 6.

  • The 10 best NAS devices
Page 1 of 8
Page 1 of 8
2. Set backup options

2. Set backup options

Click the ‘More options’ link to review the default settings. File History takes a fresh backup of files (including changes) every hour, but you can set this to as little as 10 minutes or restrict it to once daily. 

By default, backups are kept forever, but click this and change it to ‘Until space is needed’ if you’re happy to lose the eldest versions of backed up files should space run low.

Review which folders are included in the backup and then click ‘Add a folder’ to add others. Click an existing folder followed by ‘Remove’ to exclude it from your backup. 

If you want to keep all your old backups, when space runs out switch to a new drive using the ‘Stop using drive’ button (your existing backups are protected).

  • 10 essential tools for backing up and protecting your PC
Page 2 of 8
Page 2 of 8
3. Access advanced options

3. Access advanced options

At the bottom of the screen is a ‘See advanced settings’ option – click this to access the File History Control Panel, which will be familiar to Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 users. 

When this appears, click ‘Advanced settings’ to access more options. Pay particular attention to ‘Clean up versions’ – this option allows you to free space by automatically deleting backups (and versions of backups) that are older than a certain date (one month to two years). 

There’s also an ‘All but the latest one’ option that deletes all previous versions of files – use with care.

Page 3 of 8
Page 3 of 8
4. Restore files

4. Restore files

File History allows you to recover accidentally lost and deleted files, plus earlier versions of files (should you make changes you subsequently want to undo). 

The simplest way to restore missing files is to browse to the folder containing those files in File Explorer, then click the History button on the Home tab of the ribbon.

Now use the playback controls at the bottom of the screen to go back in time until you find the file you’re looking for.

Right-click the file, choose ‘Preview’ to confirm its identity, ‘Restore’ to recover it to this folder, or ‘Restore to’ if you want to save it somewhere else.

Page 4 of 8
Page 4 of 8
5. Preview and restore older versions

5. Preview and restore older versions

To restore an older version of a single file, first select the file in File Explorer before clicking the 'History' button. 

A preview of that file will appear – this time use the playback controls to find the version you wish to restore. You can copy and paste text out of documents, or click the green restore button to replace the current version with this one; if you’d prefer to restore a copy, click the 'Settings' button in the top right-hand corner and choose ‘Restore to’, then choose the folder where you’d like to save the copy to. 

Once complete, a File Explorer window will open pointing to your recovered file.

Page 5 of 8
Page 5 of 8
6. Set up backup

6. Set up backup

The Backup and Restore tool from Windows 7 is also present in Windows 10 for those who wish to use it. It offers the same features as File History, but also includes an option for creating a byte-for-byte copy of your Windows drive in the form of a system image.

After clicking ‘Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7)’, click ‘Set up back-up’ to choose your backup device (local or network). When prompted, select ‘Let me choose’ to verify exactly what Windows backs up (leave ‘Include a system image of...’ ticked to take a fail-safe backup of your entire system too).

Page 6 of 8
Page 6 of 8
7. Restore previous versions of files

7. Restore previous versions of files

You’ll need to restore individual files directly from the backup tool itself – open the tool and click the ‘Restore my files’ button to search or browse for the files you need.

To restore an older version of a backed up file, click ‘Choose a different date’ when searching for files. Select the date containing the version you wish to restore, then search for it.

Page 7 of 8
Page 7 of 8
8. Make sure you’re always protected

8. Make sure you’re always protected

By following these steps, you’ll ensure that your important files are always kept safe. If you have a number of Windows 10 devices, make sure that all of them use the File History feature to protect their data. 

If they’re all on the same HomeGroup, you can get them to share the same back-up drive by going to ‘Advanced settings’ and ticking ‘Recommend this drive’.

  • Enjoyed this article? Discover how to get the most from your PC and new things to do in Windows Help & Advice. Take advantage of an exclusive offer in our sampler today.
Page 8 of 8
Page 8 of 8
Nick Peers
Social Links Navigation
See more Computing how-to
More about computing
Colleagues collaborating on ad development

Google really doesn't want its employees to work from home anymore

minecraft characters standing around a large laptop

Chromebooks can now run Minecraft natively, and this is great news

Latest
Mullvad VPN app working on a laptop

Mullvad removes port-forwarding on security grounds

See more latest ►
Most Popular
How to clean an office chair

By Rob ClymoJune 06, 2023

Is your office chair sinking? Here's how to fix it

By Rob ClymoJune 06, 2023

How to keep fit using an office chair

By Rob ClymoJune 06, 2023

How to make an office chair more comfortable

By Rob ClymoJune 06, 2023

How to sit properly in an office chair

By Rob ClymoJune 06, 2023

How to install the macOS 14 Sonoma beta on your Mac

By Oliver HaslamJune 06, 2023

How to watch Paris 2024 Olympics: FREE live streams, sports, tickets, opening ceremony and more

By Aatif SulleymanJune 06, 2023

Diablo 4: how to summon a Golem as a Necromancer

By James DalyJune 06, 2023

Where to stream the Transformers movies in order: release date and chronologically

By Tom PowerJune 06, 2023

How to watch Yankees vs Red Sox live stream from anywhere

By Adam ZeisJune 06, 2023

How to watch San Diego Padres now that Bally Sports has struck out

By Adam ZeisJune 06, 2023

  1. A person looking very surprised at their laptop
    1
    Windows 11 reportedly installs optional update without asking – and it’s causing trouble
  2. 2
    Your favorite Disney Plus and Hulu TV shows could be removed in the coming months
  3. 3
    I tried ultra-fast charging, and it's ruined the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy for me
  4. 4
    9 TV shows coming to Hulu in June that you won't want to miss
  5. 5
    Apple just honored these 12 apps with its ultimate award – download them now
  1. The Bear on Hulu
    1
    9 TV shows coming to Hulu in June that you won't want to miss
  2. 2
    I tried ultra-fast charging, and it's ruined the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy for me
  3. 3
    iPadOS 17 is finally announced: will your iPad be supported?
  4. 4
    4 great Apple TV 4K features announced at WWDC 2023, and 1 big miss
  5. 5
    Screw you tech bros, Tears of the Kingdom is the real metaverse

TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Web notifications
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.