Skip to main content
Tech Radar TechRadar the technology experts
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
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
  • Phones
  • Computing
  • TVs
  • AI
  • Streaming
  • Health
  • Audio
  • VPN
  • More
    • Cameras
    • Home
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Opinion
    • How to
    • Versus
    • Deals
    • Coupons
    • Best
Tech Radar Pro
Tech Radar Gaming
Trending
  • Back to school
  • Nintendo Switch 2
  • Best VPN
  • ChatGPT
  • NYT Wordle today
  • Best laptop
  • Best web hosting
Recommended reading
Best free file recovery software
Software & Services Best data recovery software of 2025
Photographer with camera
Software & Services The best photo recovery apps of 2025
Start windows 11 button on computer menu screen close up view
Pro Upgrading to Windows 11 just got easier - Microsoft introduces a new business backup tool
Windows fail
Windows Windows 11 user has 30 years of 'irreplaceable photos and work' locked away in OneDrive - and Microsoft's silence is deafening
Woman using a Windows computer with Microsoft Edge
Edge Even Copilot haters might like Microsoft’s nifty new AI feature for its Edge browser that can help your ailing memory
Apple MacOS Tahoe
macOS macOS Tahoe 26 finally adds a much-needed feature that means I may never use Windows 11 again
Windows 365
Pro Microsoft has a brand-new service aimed at saving all your files from disastrous cloud drop-out
  1. Computing
  2. Software
  3. Windows

How to recover files in Windows 10 with File History

How-to
By Nick Peers published February 3, 2017

Disaster recovery

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

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
TOPICS
Windows 10
Nick Peers
See more Computing How Tos
Read more
Best free file recovery software
Best data recovery software of 2025
Photographer with camera
The best photo recovery apps of 2025
Start windows 11 button on computer menu screen close up view
Upgrading to Windows 11 just got easier - Microsoft introduces a new business backup tool
Windows fail
Windows 11 user has 30 years of 'irreplaceable photos and work' locked away in OneDrive - and Microsoft's silence is deafening
Woman using a Windows computer with Microsoft Edge
Even Copilot haters might like Microsoft’s nifty new AI feature for its Edge browser that can help your ailing memory
Apple MacOS Tahoe
macOS Tahoe 26 finally adds a much-needed feature that means I may never use Windows 11 again
Latest in Windows
Person using laptop and phone
Microsoft gives you another reason to hook up your Windows 11 PC and Android smartphone - it's a security feature that could come in seriously handy
Using OneNote in Windows 11
Microsoft claims Windows 11 24H2 is the 'most reliable version of Windows yet' - but there are PC gamers out there who disagree
Microsoft Store in Windows 10
Hate Windows 11 and don't want to upgrade? You can now extend the life of Windows 10 until October 2026 – here's how
A woman sitting in a chair looking at a Windows 11 laptop
Windows 11 gets a big new update – here are the top 4 features, including a powerful AI agent for Copilot+ PCs
Back view of a man using a laptop with Windows 11's Microsoft Store app open
Microsoft's new option to switch from Windows 10 to a new Windows 11 device could be ideal for people who hate OneDrive
A woman in bed wearing headphones and working on a laptop while taking notes
Windows 11 could finally get a handy audio sharing feature it should've had a decade ago
Latest in How Tos
Ben Healy of Ireland and Team EF Education - EasyPost most combative rider prize winner and Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia and UAE Team Emirates - XRG - Yellow leader jersey prior to the 112th Tour de France 2025, Stage 17
Watch Tour de France Stage 18 LIVE: Queen Stage, watch free from abroad, TV channels, updates
Primary Race Glance on Garmin Venu X1
Garmin’s underrated race-day training tool is what keeps me from switching to the Apple Watch – here’s how to set it up
Edward Theuns of Belgium and Team Lidl - Trek competes climbing to the Mont Ventoux (1902m) while fans cheers during the 112th Tour de France 2025, Stage 16 a 171.5km stage from Montpellier to Mont Ventoux 1902m
How to watch Tour de France 2025 Stage 19 for FREE
Julie (Keeley Hawes) lining up a kill in The Assassin
How to watch The Assassin online – stream the Keeley Hawes thriller series from anywhere
Harriet Webb as Kirsty, Ryan Sampson as Glen and Danny Dyer as Lee in Mr Bigstuff season 2
How to watch Mr Bigstuff season 2 online from anywhere
British and Irish Lions fans cheer as they await the first rugby Test match against the Australian Wallabies at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on July 19, 2025
First Nations & Pasifika XV vs Lions FREE streams: How to watch British & Irish Lions tour live online from anywhere
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. 1
    Here’s what happens when you ask ChatGPT to make a car based only on efficiency – and why a good prompt is so important
  2. 2
    This absolutely tiny dock has 1TB storage, 100W power delivery, and can even output 4K to a monitor
  3. 3
    Google Photos can now animate your photos into short videos
  4. 4
    A new trick for merging lasers with silicon could finally make photonic chips cheap, fast, and ready for mass production
  5. 5
    The AirPods backpack is very odd, and I love it

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
  • Do not sell or share my personal information

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

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...