File History is Windows’ built-in versioned backup tool for personal files. It can keep older copies of documents, photos, desktop files, and other selected folders on an external drive or network location.
This guide applies to Windows 10 and Windows 11. File History needs a separate backup destination, such as an external USB drive or network location. It cannot protect files by backing them up to the same internal drive.
Does This Affect You?
Use File History when you want to recover an older version of a document, restore something you deleted, or keep local backups without relying on OneDrive. It protects files, not installed apps or a full Windows installation.
Turn On File History
After setup, File History runs in the background and saves changed file versions on its schedule.
- Connect an external hard drive or USB drive. If you plan to use a network location, set that up first.
- Click Start, search for File History, and open File History Settings or Backup settings, depending on your Windows version.
- Under Back up using File History, click Add a drive.
- Choose the external or network drive you want to use.
- Leave automatic backup enabled so Windows keeps saving new versions.
- Open More options to review folders, add or remove folders, change the backup frequency, and choose how long old versions are kept.
Restore an Earlier File Version
Use this when a file was overwritten, deleted, or changed and you need a previous copy.
- Click Start, search for Restore your files with File History, and open it.
- Browse to the folder that held the file. The interface looks similar to File Explorer.
- Use the left and right arrows to move through backup dates and times.
- Select the file or folder version you want.
- Click the green Restore button to put it back in the original location, or right-click that button and choose Restore to if you want to save it somewhere else without overwriting the current file.
File History Settings Worth Reviewing
Add or Remove Protected Folders
Open File History options and use Add a folder for locations outside the default set. Remove folders that do not need backup so the backup drive does not fill unnecessarily.
The Drive Must Be Connected
File History only backs up while its destination is available. If an external drive stays unplugged for weeks, there will be weeks of missing versions. When the drive is connected again, File History can catch up from that point.
File History vs Windows Backup vs System Restore
Windows Backup focuses on OneDrive and helping set up a new PC with familiar settings, apps, and synced folders. System Restore rolls Windows system files and installed program state back to an earlier point, but it does not restore personal documents. File History is the tool built for recovering a specific older version of a personal file.
It Is Not a Full System Image
File History does not create a bootable image of the whole PC. For a full disk image, Windows still includes Backup and Restore (Windows 7) in Control Panel, despite the old name.
Sources
- Microsoft Support: Back up your files with File History
- Microsoft Support: Restore files or folders using File History
- Microsoft Support: Differences between Windows Backup, File History, and System Restore