Does Windows 10 File History really Suck this much? or is it me?

I've posted before on File History, but I'm really getting frustrated. I only want to quickly plug in my external hard drive, and do a quick file history backup once in a while, but it's not easy.

I only connect the external hard drive every few days, I do NOT want the external hard drive constantly connected. (maybe that's part of the problem?) I have the File History set to "daily" saves. When I go to Settings/Update & Security/Backup/More Options/
Its shows "Your data is not yet backed up". Stupid. The "File History" folder on the external hard drive is 244 GB. But Windows is telling me there is no backup. Nice job Windows

As of right now, I Cannot recover any files from File History (because Windows is telling me the 244GB of backed up data doesn't exist). I cannot run a file history backup because Windows won't let me. It starts backing up for 2 seconds and stops, without doing anything. I never had an issue with Windows Backup&Recovery function, but I really wanted to use File History.


When I connect the external hard drive, Windows will not recognize the File History at all. I show the following screens.




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FH should work the way you want, and I am using it that way on a couple of laptops. But something must have corrupted your history index. You could turn FH off, clear all files from its index in C:\users\<user>\appdata\local\ms\windows\fh and restart it - it may say it has found the exiting FH data, and offer to keep it, or it may not (!). But it ought to then run, and remember that it has done so. As a last resort, if you need to access perhaps a few files from that existing 244GB, you can always drill down to the folder and extract them.

I have always liked FH since it first appeared, but it does seem to rather fragile. hth, Martin

Been thru all this before. You seem to be saving to the root directory of the drive. Why not to named Folder(s).

You are probably trying to save some system files, or something like that, or using an external drive with some sort of encryption, hence the error message, as I said before look in the Error log.
The size of 244 GB would take sometime, rather too easy just to remove the drive whilst something still going on.

WD external drives come with an encryption application, I always remove that from the drive before using it.

mngerhold said:

FH should work the way you want, and I am using it that way on a couple of laptops. But something must have corrupted your history index. You could turn FH off, clear all files from its index in C:\users\<user>\appdata\local\ms\windows\fh and restart it - it may say it has found the exiting FH data, and offer to keep it, or it may not (!). But it ought to then run, and remember that it has done so. As a last resort, if you need to access perhaps a few files from that existing 244GB, you can always drill down to the folder and extract them.

I have always liked FH since it first appeared, but it does seem to rather fragile. hth, Martin

Thanks for the reply Martin,

I am thinking this is happening because I will use the laptop for days without the external hard drive connected. I also have a Desktop PC, which is constantly connected to the external hard drive, using FH backup, and this problem doesn't seem to happen.

What I did today, is "re-establish" the drive destination for the FH saves. Then it seemed to work. I'm guessing, for some reason, if the external hard drive is disconnected long enough (3 days? 5 days? Who knows) then File History will consider that external link severed, and you'll have to re-establish contact.

It all seems rather ridiculous, especially since I've been told by computer experts, that the backup destination drive should not be permanently connected to your computer, in case of virus infection. Anything permanently connected to that computer could also be susceptible to the virus. Oh well.
Once I reestablished the external hard drive as the file history, then I had access to all the previous file history saves. I'll have to keep experimenting.

Thanks

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Helmut said:

Been thru all this before. You seem to be saving to the root directory of the drive. Why not to named Folder(s).

You are probably trying to save some system files, or something like that, or using an external drive with some sort of encryption, hence the error message, as I said before look in the Error log.
The size of 244 GB would take sometime, rather too easy just to remove the drive whilst something still going on.

WD external drives come with an encryption application, I always remove that from the drive before using it.

thanks, I didn't realise WD external hard drives encryption application, I'll look into that.

However, I'm starting to think that it has to do with the external hard drive being disconnected for several days at a time. I have a desktop PC, Windows 10, which is constantly connected to its external hard drive, and I don't seem to have the same issues with that computer.

It's unnecessary, but it won't be the biggest deal in the world if I have to occasionally reestablish the external hard drive as the destination drive for windows file history.

However, I just noticed that several of the last file history saves, were not including my "App data" folder (which is important to me). So I am assuming, that if the destination drive connection is severed, then any files or folders that were added (above and beyond the default Library folders) will be lost.

I will have to experiment further.

That will be a game change to me, and too much of a pain in the *** to have to go and add all the folders I want backed up each time the connection is severed. I will simply go back to windows backup and restore function and just back up once a week. Seems very unnecessary but Oh well

Wax Bean Tycoon said:

It's unnecessary, but it won't be the biggest deal in the world if I have to occasionally reestablish the external hard drive as the destination drive for windows file history.

However, I just noticed that several of the last file history saves, were not including my "App data" folder (which is important to me). So I am assuming, that if the destination drive connection is severed, then any files or folders that were added (above and beyond the default Library folders) will be lost.

Being disconnected for a few (or more) days should not require any special steps, and does not in my case. But you are right that if you (for whatever reason) have to re-establish the connection, then you have to define the backup folders all over again - this is a real pain for me, as I mostly don't want the default folders that FH initially offers, but I have not had to do that very often.

mngerhold said:

Being disconnected for a few (or more) days should not require any special steps, and does not in my case. But you are right that if you (for whatever reason) have to re-establish the connection, then you have to define the backup folders all over again - this is a real pain for me, as I mostly don't want the default folders that FH initially offers, but I have not had to do that very often.

I will keep experimenting. I appreciate your feedback. The fact that you are using FH in the same way as me, and you are not having similar problems, is actually helpful. Tells me I have something, (some setting) that is not quite right. Maybe the frequency of backups (daily). Perhaps every 12 hours would fix it, who knows.

I will also experiment with Windows Backup & Restore (Windows 7) service. If I can simply manually click "Back up now" and not have any issues of Windows not recognizing previous backups, or dropping folders I told it to save previously, then I will just go with Backup & Restore

Thanks to everyone