File History has created a duplicate directory?

ixodid · 13 Sep 2019

I'm using File History to backup to an NAS. I noticed two days ago a duplicate directory has been created on the NAS at:

> ThisPC > Data (\\NAS) (L:) > sxxxe

So now in that location I have:

JAY-DESKTOPDELL
JAY-DESKTOPDELL (2)

Why is there now a duplicate directory and how do I make it stop?

Possibly relevant info: At approximately the time that new directory appeared, I had turned off and then back on File History because it was no longer backing up.

Windows 10 Pro x64

Bree · 13 Sep 2019

ixodid said:

Possibly relevant info: At approximately the time that new directory appeared, I had turned off and then back on File History because it was no longer backing up.

You probably got to this step (Option Three, step 3 in the tutorial Select Drive for File History in Windows 10 ) selected the drive in the top panel, then clicked OK

Depending on the answers you gave in steps 4 and 5 you would have either copied your old history into the new folder or started a fresh history. Either way you would have created a new folder for your history, your 'JAY-DESKTOPDELL (2)' folder.

What you should have done if you wanted to continue using the original folder was to select the existing back-up in the bottom panel before clicking OK, as I have done here.

File History has created a duplicate directory?-image.png

... and how do I make it stop?

JAY-DESKTOPDELL is your original history. Whether you copied the history into the new folder or not, it should still contain the older backups. You can check that it still does by browsing that folder. The 'JAY-DESKTOPDELL\Data\C\Users\<YourUsename>' folder contains the back-up copies of the files and folders, each file with its backup date appended to its filename. Do not modify anything here, it's safe to look but do not touch. (It's also safe to copy a file from here back to your PC as a alternative manual way to restore a file without the need to use the File History tool)

If you are happy that the original folder has all the history you need, then you can stop file history then delete the 'JAY-DESKTOPDELL (2)' folder. Then you can reconnect to the history drive, this time remembering to select the existing back-up.

ixodid · 13 Sep 2019

Thank you for your detailed reply, Bree - I appreciate it.

When I follow the tutorial (Option Three, Select Drive for File History in Windows 10) and open the Control Panel (icons view), then click on the File History icon, I get:

File History has created a duplicate directory?-file-history-ss-one.png

And when I click Select drive, I don't get any bottom panel:

File History has created a duplicate directory?-file-history-ss-two.png

Note: Prior to starting this thread, I did not go through the process that the tutorial shows. I simply clicked Off, then clicked On the button under Settings > Update & Security > Backup > Automatically back up my files.

What do I do since I don't get what the tutorial says I should have (device not recognized, no bottom panel)?

Bree · 14 Sep 2019

ixodid said:

Thank you for your detailed reply, Bree - I appreciate it.... What do I do since I don't get what the tutorial says I should have (device not recognized, no bottom panel)?

You NAS is already in the top panel because you have a drive letter mapped to it, so it will be listed as an 'available drive'. I don't map a drive letter for my network share so it doesn't appear there for me, rather I click 'Add network location' then use the UNC form of address (ie \\servername\sharename\folder) to find it.

I have now stopped using my drive, turned off File History and mapped a drive letter so I can mimic your situation.

What you do next is select your L: drive in the (for now) only panel, then two things should happen: the OK button is no longer greyed out, and second panel appears listing existing backups on that drive. If you click OK now you will create a new back-up folder on that drive, which is what you must have done earlier to create your ...(2) folder.

If you had selected the existing backup before clicking OK, as I have done below, then it would have used the original folder and not created a new one.

ixodid · 14 Sep 2019

What you do next is select your L: drive in the (for now) only panel, then two things should happen: the OK button is no longer greyed out, and second panel appears listing existing backups on that drive.

When I select the L: drive, the OK button is no longer greyed out but I still do not have a second panel.

If you click OK now you will create a new back-up folder on that drive, which is what you must have done earlier to create your ...(2) folder.

I did not go through any of this process before the ...(2) folder was created. All I did was turn off, then back on, the Automatically backup my files button.

Bree · 14 Sep 2019

ixodid said:

When I select the L: drive, the OK button is no longer greyed out but I still do not have a second panel.
I did not go through any of this process before the ...(2) folder was created. All I did was turn off, then back on, the Automatically backup my files button.

I'm sorry, but however I try I cannot reproduce what you are seeing. I can get it to create a second folder, but I always see a list of existing back-up(s) to choose from in that second panel when I try to set up a file history drive.

If you want to have just the one folder then the only way I can see to do that would be to turn off File History, delete both your history folders on the NAS, then set up File History again from scratch. Of course, that would loose all your previous history so you may not want to do that.