How to Use File History on Windows

Enable and configure File History on Windows to automatically back up your personal files. Complete setup guide with recovery instructions.

Connect an external drive. Connect a USB drive, external hard drive, or set up a network location for your backups. The drive needs enough space to store multiple versions of your files — Microsoft recommends a drive that's at least twice the size of the files you want to back up.
Open File History settings. Press Windows key + I to open Settings. Click Update & Security, then select Backup from the left sidebar. You'll see the File History section with an option to add a drive.
Select your backup drive. Click "Add a drive" under the Back up using File History section. Windows will scan for available drives and display them in a dropdown menu. Select your external drive or network location from the list.
Enable automatic backups. Once you select a drive, File History will automatically turn on. The toggle switch will show "On" and Windows will immediately begin backing up files from your user folders including Documents, Pictures, Videos, Music, and Desktop.
Configure advanced settings. Click "More options" below the backup toggle to access advanced settings. Here you can choose how often to back up files (every 10 minutes to daily), how long to keep backups (1 month to forever), and which folders to include or exclude from backups.
Add or exclude specific folders. In the advanced settings, scroll down to see "Back up these folders" and "Exclude these folders" sections. Click "Add a folder" to include additional locations like custom work folders. Use the exclude section to skip large files like video projects that don't need frequent backups.
Test file recovery. To restore files, open File Explorer and navigate to any backed-up folder. Click the Home tab in the ribbon, then click History. This opens the File History interface where you can browse previous versions of files and folders using the left and right arrow buttons at the bottom.