Can't turn file history on

[QUOTE=Mooly;840970]Yes, C is where it all happens but the files are there 'in real time only'. They are not backed up there. If you delete a file (picture say) from C then its gone. If you have File History backing them up to another separate location then the file is safely stored there as well... backed up and available to be reinstated.[/QU

I use this laptop primarily for web browsing. I backup the few files I have to a flash drive, which I will probably eventually transfer to an external HD. I'm also seriously thinking about installing Macrium for imaging.

Bree said:

I see you're UK based. If you have a BT hub (as I do) it's easy. Works on all BT hubs, but best with the new Smart Hub (their first to have a USB3 socket).

Yes, the Hub3 with the Open Reach modem. Never misses a beat :)

Fred22 said:

I use this laptop primarily for web browsing. I backup the few files I have to a flash drive, which I will probably eventually transfer to an external HD. I'm also seriously thinking about installing Macrium for imaging.

Backing up personal files is very important but so to is backing up the whole operating system, and that's something that most don't do. My PC's are laptops with a single drive.

1/ I use File History to save all personal stuff to a separate partition on the main hard drive. I know the risks in doing that... if the drive fails the files are gone. On the plus side there are no overheads and its great to have all documents and changes to documents ever made available. I use file History quite a lot but do so normally by manually browsing and picking out the file I want. In the course of a day I can be making and saving a dozen or more files/images etc and then deleting them, and just sometimes its good to be able to know you can get the one you made six months back if you need it for reference.

2/ I use flash drive (memory stick) to save all current personal stuff. That's easy, just right documents or pictures and select 'send to' etc. I do that every couple of weeks.

3/ I make daily/weekly system image backups. These to are stored on the main HDD (again knowing the risks). These consist of two backups a day and only cover the C partition. Why don't I back the other up ? Because if I did, then I would lose the stuff that's been put there from the time the backup was created until now whenever I did a restore. So I just backup Windows as a system image.

The image shows the system image backup files. I can restore to any one of those (and so the time the backup was made) with just a couple of clicks.

Every month I make a full 'month end' image (that's just a single full backup) and copy that to an external drive.