To keep your files safe, File History automatically makes a copy of every file in your Documents, Music, Photos, and Videos folders. It copies all the files on your desktop, as well. And File History automatically
makes those copies every hour. File History makes your backups easy to see and restore, letting you flip through different versions of your files and folders, comparing them with your current versions. Should you find a better version, a press of a button brings that older version back to life. File History doesn't work until you turn it on, a process I describe in Chapter 13. Please, please, flip back a few chapters and turn it on now. The earlier you turn it
on, the more backups you'll have to choose from when you need them. Click the taskbar's File Explorer icon (shown here) and then open the folder containing the items you'd like to retrieve. For example, click This PC in the folder's left pane to see your most commonly used folders, Desktop, Downloads, Documents, Music, Pictures, and Videos. Open any folder by double-clicking its name. Click the Home tab on the Ribbon atop your folder; then click the History button. Clicking the History button, shown here, fetches the File History program, shown in the following figure. The program looks much like a plain old folder. For example, the figure shows what happens if you click the History button in any folder and then click File History's Home button: That button lets you see all of your backed up folders. The File History program lets you restore backups from any of your main folders. The File History program shows you what it has backed up: your main folders, your desktop, your contacts, and your favorite websites. Feel free to open the folders inside the File History window. You can also peek inside the files you find there to see their contents. Choose what you'd like to restore. Point and click your way through the libraries, folders, and files until you spot the item or items you'd like to restore:
When you've found the file or folder you want to restore, move to the next step. Move forward or backward in time to find the version you'd like to restore. To browse through different versions of what you're currently viewing, choose the left-pointing arrow along the bottom, as shown here. To see a newer version, choose the right-pointing arrow. When looking at a particular file's contents, click the left or right arrow along the bottom to see newer and older versions of the file. A newer version of the same document. As you move forward and backward through time, feel free to click open folders or individual files, peeking inside them until you're looking at the version that you want to retrieve. Not sure whether a folder contains your sought-after item? Type it into the Search box in File History's top-right corner. Click the Restore button to restore your desired version. Whether you're looking at an individual file, a folder, or an entire library's contents, clicking the Restore button places that item back in the place where it used to live. That brings up a potential problem, however: What happens if you try to restore an older file named Notes into a place that already contains a file named Notes? Windows warns you of the problem with the window shown, which brings you to Step 6. Choose whether to replace the existing file, skip the file, or choose which file to keep. Choose how to handle the conflict. If Windows notices a naming conflict with the item you're trying to restore, File History offers you three ways to handle the situation.
Exit File History by closing the window. You close the File History window just as you close any other window: Click the X in its top-right corner. Want to know more about File History? Read on:
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How do I find old Windows files?To retrieve your files
Enter Computer in the search box, and then tap or click Computer in the search results. Double-tap or double-click the drive that Windows is installed on (typically, the C: drive). Double-tap or double-click the Windows. old folder.
Where are my old files Windows 10?Look for the files using Search. Some files might be hidden from view. In the search box on the taskbar, type File Explorer Options, then select the View tab. ... . Look for all files of a certain type using the asterisk (*). ... . Some of your files may have been moved when you upgraded to Windows 10.. How do I find files that disappeared?How to Find Lost/Missing/Disappeared Files on Windows 10 in 2022. Method #1: Check Your Recent Files.. Method #2: Look in the Recent Items Folder.. Method #3: Search Your Computer. ... . Method #4: Look in Online Backups.. Method #5: Search in Email Attachments.. Method #6: Check in the Recycle Bin.. Does Windows 10 have file history?Set Up File History in Windows 10
In Windows 10, click the Start button and go to Settings > Update & Security > Backup. Under Back up using File History, click Add a drive. Assuming you've connected a workable backup device, Windows displays a list of them. Select the location you wish to use for your backups.
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