Moving File History Folder

Jerrythesurfer · 25 Mar 2018

I have my File History on a physical internal hard drive that is now almost completely full. I wanted to know if I could move the entire fie history to a newer and much larger drive?

I understand I can create a new File History drive but I'm assuming in doing this I will create a "new" File History and has nothing to do with the one I had on my older drive and hence lose all the previous versions. It is not documented but can I move the File History folder to a new drive and then point File History to that new drive and hope it will just work?

Can someone let me know if I can wholesale move the folder called File History to the new drive such that I retain all previous versions?

Jerry

Bree · 25 Mar 2018

I don't see why not.

You can certainly change the File History to uses another folder. If the new folder contains previous history it will ask if you want to retain the old history.

You won't loose anything by trying, you may well need to select the new drive after copying the File History to it. If you retain the File History folder on the old drive you could always switch back to using it if it didn't work.

Select Drive for File History in Windows 10

Be warned though, File History may be replaced by a new Timeline feature in future versions of Windows 10.

RolandJS · 26 Mar 2018

I hope you mean a new external device; anything connected to a computer during any ransomware or virus or malware attack can be reached and acted upon in ways a user would not like at all.

Jerrythesurfer · 26 Mar 2018

Thanks,

Sounds like I can move my current File History folder to a new (and larger) drive and point File History app to the new location and it will keep on chugging along.

Thanks for the comment on Timeline. Sounds interesting but not sure based on the description that it will replace File History. Even if it does, I truly hope and expect MS to provide a migration path.

Bree · 26 Mar 2018

Jerrythesurfer said:

Thanks for the comment on Timeline. Sounds interesting but not sure based on the description that it will replace File History...

If and when Timeline does arrive, looks like File History will be removed.

Timeline was originally pencilled in for the Fall Creators Update, version 1709, build 16299, but wasn't ready in time.

...seems that the new Timeline feature that Joe Belfiore introduced during the annual developer conference won’t be ready for the upcoming Fall Creators Update.

The exec himself confirmed the bad news on Twitter earlier today, adding that the feature should make an appearance in post-Fall Creators Update Insider builds...

Timeline feature will not make Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

This could explain why in the Insider builds leading up to 1709 File History was first removed, then reinstated. From the tutorial I linked to earlier...

Making new backups with File History is no longer supported starting with Windows 10 build 16215...
...Update: File History is back in Windows 10 build 16226.

Timeline is back in the Insider builds now, starting with 17063. It is expected to appear publicly in the Spring Creators Update, 1803, some time in April.

What’s new in Build 17063
Introducing Timeline

Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Fast+Skip Build 17063 for PC