Is there a quick way to edit File History preferences?

How can I edit my File History preferences without having to spend all day doing it? It automatically chooses a whole raft of folders to back up, which I want to simplify, but when I try to remove or add one folder from or to the list, it takes a couple of minutes processing it before I can get onto the next one. That means that it will take me literally hours to sort it all out that way. What I want to do is to delete the whole list of folders and then start again with a short list that corresponds with how my personal files are actually organised. Is there a way to do this quickly?

Using 21H1.

I use FH, mainly for interest, as I have other, more basic, backup methods in place. But as I think FH is wonderful for novices, I take an interest in what it can (and cannot) do. I did not know the answer to your question, so investigated. The configuration files which control it are found in C:\Users\xxxx\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\FileHistory\Configuration - I seem to have two identical Config<n>.xml files, I have no idea why. The files are simple enough inside, although there are a lot of (to my mind) extraneous entries:

Code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<DataProtectionUserConfig SchemaVersion="1">
  <UserName>Dad</UserName>
  <FriendlyName>Dad</FriendlyName>
  <PCName>STUDY</PCName>
  <UserId>4863af2c-5597-43fa-8a82-11b619c2ed42</UserId>
  <Library>
    <LibraryName>*2112ab0a-c86a-4ffe-a368-0de96e47012e</LibraryName>
    <Folder>D:\music</Folder>
    <Folder>D:\Transfer</Folder>
  </Library>
  <Library>
    <LibraryName>*491e922f-5643-4af4-a7eb-4e7a138d8174</LibraryName>
    <Folder>D:\dad\My Videos</Folder>
  </Library>
  <Library>
    <LibraryName>*7b0db17d-9cd2-4a93-9733-46cc89022e7c</LibraryName>
    <Folder>D:\dad\docs</Folder>
  </Library>
  <UserFolder>C:\Users\mnger\Desktop</UserFolder>
  <UserFolder>D:\dad\pictures</UserFolder>
  <UserFolder>D:\dad\My Videos</UserFolder>
  <UserFolder>D:\dad\docs</UserFolder>
  <UserFolder>D:\outlook</UserFolder>
  <FolderExclude Hidden="true">C:\Users\mnger\Saved Games</FolderExclude>
  <FolderExclude Hidden="true">E:\dad\downloads</FolderExclude>
  <FolderExclude Hidden="true">C:\Users\mnger\Links</FolderExclude>
  <FolderExclude Hidden="true">C:\Users\mnger\Favorites</FolderExclude>
  <FolderExclude Hidden="true">C:\Users\mnger\OneDrive</FolderExclude>
  <FolderExclude Hidden="true">C:\Users\mnger\Contacts</FolderExclude>
  <FolderExclude Hidden="true">C:\Users\mnger\3D Objects</FolderExclude>
  <FolderExclude Hidden="true">C:\Users\mnger\Searches</FolderExclude>
  <FolderExclude Hidden="true">C:\Users\mnger\Documents</FolderExclude>
  <FolderExclude Hidden="true">E:\temp</FolderExclude>
  <FolderExclude Hidden="true">D:\music\Soundtrack\Clockwork Orange</FolderExclude>
  <FolderExclude Hidden="true">D:\music</FolderExclude>
  <FolderExclude Hidden="true">S:\</FolderExclude>
  <FolderExclude Hidden="true">C:\Users\mnger\.idlerc</FolderExclude>
  <FolderExclude Hidden="true">D:\Transfer</FolderExclude>
  <FolderExclude Hidden="true">S:\test</FolderExclude>
  <FolderExclude Hidden="true">C:\Users\mnger\VirtualBox VMs</FolderExclude>
  <FolderExclude Hidden="true">C:\Users\mnger\.VirtualBox</FolderExclude>
  <LocalCatalogPath1>C:\Users\mnger\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\FileHistory\Configuration\Catalog1.edb</LocalCatalogPath1>
  <LocalCatalogPath2>C:\Users\mnger\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\FileHistory\Configuration\Catalog2.edb</LocalCatalogPath2>
  <StagingArea>
    <StagingAreaPath>C:\Users\mnger\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\FileHistory\Data</StagingAreaPath>
    <StagingAreaMaximumCapacity>416206008</StagingAreaMaximumCapacity>
    <StagingAreaWarningThreshold>312154506</StagingAreaWarningThreshold>
  </StagingArea>
  <AvailabilityPolicies>
    <TargetAbsenceTime>5</TargetAbsenceTime>
    <TimeInUnprotectedState>3</TimeInUnprotectedState>
  </AvailabilityPolicies>
  <RetentionPolicies>
    <RetentionPolicyType>DISABLED</RetentionPolicyType>
    <MinimumRetentionAge>365</MinimumRetentionAge>
  </RetentionPolicies>
  <DPFrequency>86400</DPFrequency>
  <DPStatus>ENABLED</DPStatus>
  <Target>
    <TargetName>Caddy</TargetName>
    <TargetUrl>R:\</TargetUrl>
    <TargetVolumePath>\\?\Volume{de081fb4-0000-0000-007e-000000000000}\</TargetVolumePath>
    <TargetDriveType>FIXED</TargetDriveType>
    <TargetConfigPath1>mnger\STUDY\Configuration\Config1.xml</TargetConfigPath1>
    <TargetConfigPath2>mnger\STUDY\Configuration\Config2.xml</TargetConfigPath2>
    <TargetCatalogPath1>mnger\STUDY\Configuration\Catalog1.edb</TargetCatalogPath1>
    <TargetCatalogPath2>mnger\STUDY\Configuration\Catalog2.edb</TargetCatalogPath2>
    <TargetBackupStorePath>mnger\STUDY\Data</TargetBackupStorePath>
    <TargetWarningThreshold>98</TargetWarningThreshold>
  </Target>
</DataProtectionUserConfig>

The active lines I have shown in blue. All the 'library' stuff is a bit of a mystery to me: I don't use libraries, but was aware that (some time ago), until I enabled them and disconnected certain folders, FH originally included all my music without my knowledge or intent.

Equally, I have no idea how some of those exclusions came about, for example S:\ and separately S:\Temp - and what is E: doing there? It is an internal backup drive. Another mystery. But on to a test: I edited Config2.xml to include a new folder (I had to be sure it wasn't in the exclusion list either directly or by inference), and ran FH - imagine my surprise when the backed up files appeared on my FH backup drive! As for Config1.xml: it is now identical to the edited config2.

So you could experiment: after making a backup (probably not with FH), edit (one of) the config files and see if it works for you. I am going to try that myself (under a different user), and throw away all those probably pointless exclusions, and try to create as simple a file as possible. I'll let you know how I get on. Of course, what we can never know is whether a modified config file will work in future versions of FH.

Good luck, Martin

mngerhold said:

So you could experiment: after making a backup (probably not with FH), edit (one of) the config files and see if it works for you. I am going to try that myself (under a different user), and throw away all those probably pointless exclusions, and try to create as simple a file as possible. I'll let you know how I get on. Of course, what we can never know is whether a modified config file will work in future versions of FH.

Thank you! That's a good point about not just relying on File History for backups. I want to use File History because, once I've got the configuration sorted out, it will require little effort and be easy to restore if need be. But I also use one other method for local backup (including system images), as well as a cloud service.

I shall make a note now while I remember: FH is a weird beast! I have always been annoyed about the way it automaticaly includes lots of locations I don't want backed up (esp my music), and the pain in excluding them (or removing them - I can't tell the difference in terms of result), which is as slow as you point out for adding folders.

I did a number of experiments, turning FH off (or more to the point, stopping using that particular drive), to start again with a clean sheet. If there was a FH folder on the selected rive, it insisted on connecting to one of the backup sets, which I didn't want to do, so I had to remove all FH data on the drive before the next try. I was hoping to get to a point where the config file only had obvious 'inclusions', and no exclusions. I played tunes with the sequence of:
* turning FH on
* modifying the config files (both)
* running it
and thought I was getting somewhere. This screenshot shows what it said it was about to backup for the very first time, after I had tweaked the config files to only include what I wanted:

but in the event, when it ran, it added various other folders: music, downloaded files (on E:) etc. I was so frustrated by this (I had done many tests by then) that I manually removed the offending folders using the FH dialog, before I thought to get a screen shot, but this is what was in the config file:

Code:

  <UserFolder>C:\Users\mnger\.idlerc</UserFolder>
  <UserFolder>C:\Users\mnger\.VirtualBox</UserFolder>
  <UserFolder>C:\Users\mnger\Documents</UserFolder>
  <UserFolder>C:\Users\mnger\VirtualBox VMs</UserFolder>
  <UserFolder>C:\Users\mnger\Searches</UserFolder>
  <UserFolder>C:\Users\mnger\3D Objects</UserFolder>
  <UserFolder>C:\Users\mnger\Desktop</UserFolder>
  <UserFolder>C:\Users\mnger\Contacts</UserFolder>
  <UserFolder>D:\dad\pictures</UserFolder>
  <UserFolder>C:\Users\mnger\Favorites</UserFolder>
  <UserFolder>D:\dad\My Videos</UserFolder>
  <UserFolder>D:\music</UserFolder>
  <UserFolder>E:\dad\downloads</UserFolder>
  <UserFolder>D:\dad\docs</UserFolder>
  <UserFolder>C:\Users\mnger\Links</UserFolder>
  <UserFolder>C:\Users\mnger\Saved Games</UserFolder>

Once removed, those folders appear as 'FolderExclude' items. There seems to be no way to stop that. So one is left with the ability to add folders (by tweaking the config files) once FH has run for the first time, and one has removed any unwanted items, but I gave up trying to prevent that initial run with all the unwanted stuff (early on I thought I had made a break-through, when I found various folders still under libraries, and removed them all, but that made no difference).

It seems a shame that a basically good idea is marred by its odd starting behaviour, such that many users may give up trying to get what they want backed up and nothing more.

It is also frustrating how some settings are only available under the modern 'settings' app, and others under the control panel FH item. When you set it up under 'Settings', it doesn't run until you tell it to, but when set up under the CP item, it seems to run immediately (before I could tweak the config files). I may have got that wrong, as I ran the cycle so many times I may have got muddled. Hardly an integrated setup. But I shall continue to let it run, as I have learnt a little.

I'm starting to think they must have been drunk when they put File History together. I can't understand how presumably experienced software designers could have implemented it so self-evidently badly.