File History is a useful feature in Windows that allows users to automatically back up and restore their personal files. It periodically saves copies of your files in the Libraries, Desktop, Contacts, and Favorites folders, which can be restored if the originals are lost or corrupted. This article will guide you through setting up and managing File History in Windows.

Examples:

1. Enabling File History:

   To enable File History, follow these steps:

   • Open the Control Panel.
   • Navigate to "System and Security" and then click on "File History."
   • Click on "Turn on" to enable File History. You may need to select a drive to store the backups if it hasn't been set already.

2. Configuring File History:

   You can configure how File History works by adjusting its settings:

   • In the File History window, click on "Advanced settings."
   • Here, you can set how often File History saves copies of your files (default is every hour) and how long to keep saved versions.
   • You can also exclude certain folders from being backed up by clicking on "Exclude folders."

3. Restoring Files:

   If you need to restore files, do the following:

   • Go to the File History window in the Control Panel.
   • Click on "Restore personal files."
   • Browse through the available backups and select the files or folders you wish to restore.
   • Click on the green "Restore" button to restore the selected items to their original location.

4. Using File History via Command Prompt:

   You can also manage File History using the Command Prompt:

   • To check the status of File History, open Command Prompt and type:

     fhmanagew.exe -backupnow

   • To clean up older versions of files, use:

     fhmanagew.exe -cleanup 30

     This command will remove versions of files older than 30 days.

5. Using PowerShell to Manage File History:

   PowerShell provides more control over File History:

   • To start a backup immediately, use:

     Start-FileHistory

   • To stop File History, use:

     Stop-FileHistory

   • To get the status of File History, use:

     Get-FileHistoryStatus