Windows Help & Advice - UK (2020-05)

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Back up important

data with File History

“TheFileHistoryfeatureof Windows 10 canbeused

torollbacktoearlierversionsof documents,orjust

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e allknowtheimportanceof

backingupdata,buthow

manyofusactuallyhavea

backupplaninplace?

Amongthemostcommonreasons

forputtingoffbackingupis thatit

willbecomplicated,it willbe

expensive,orit willbetime-

consuming.Noneofthesethings

neednecessarilybetrue.Infact,

Windows 10 hasa veryhandytool

calledFileHistory,a highly

configurablebackuptoolthatlets

yousafeguardyourmostimportant

filesandfolderstoa secondhard

driveoranexternaldrive

FileHistoryis quickandeasytoset

up,andasit runsautomaticallyinthe

background,keepingbackups

accordingtothescheduleyou

specify,there’snoneedtodo

anythingafterinitialconfiguration.

Let’sdiveinandtakea lookandsee

howthislittle-knownutilitycanbe

usedtoprotectyourfiles.

1 EnableFileHistoryandselectdrive

File Historyis notenabledbydefault,soyouwillhaveto

switch it on.OpenSettingfromtheStartmenuandclickUpdate&

Security, andthenclicktheBackuplinkintheleft-handnavigation

pane. At thispointyouneedtoensureyoueitherhavea USBdrive

connectedora secondharddriveinstalled.ClicktheAdda drive

button andselecttheoneyou’dliketousefromthelist.

2 Configure basic backup settings

Click the More options link below the Automatically back up

my files toggle, and you’ll be taken to a section where you can

configure your backups. The first dropdown lets you choose how

frequently files should be backed up for you – anything from

every ten minutes to daily. The second can be used to indicate if

backups should be kept forever or deleted after a period of time.

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Step-by-step Getting started with File History

Anyonecandoit

Straightforward

Trickyin parts

Windows 10

Windows8.1

Windows^7

At a glance

Skill level...

Suitable for...

40 |^ |^ May 2020