Windows File History broken? How to fix it and restore your files

If File History isn’t working, there are two possible reasons. First, you may have forgotten to enable it, as it’s disabled by default in Windows. Second, there may be configuration issues. In this case, resetting the feature might help. You can access File History through the Control Panel.

In the icon view, click the File History icon. Then, on the left-hand side, click Select Drive and choose a backup destination. An external drive is a good option. If you want to store your files on a network share, click the Add Network Address link.

Confirm your selection by clicking OK. To start the backup, click Run Now in the File History start window. If File History stops working because of a configuration error, you can delete its configuration data. Your backup files should remain on the backup drive.

In File Explorer, navigate to the folder C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\FileHistory. Delete the Data and Configuration folders. Note: The Configuration folder can only be removed if File Version Control is disabled. Next, restart Windows.

When you start File History again, Windows will recreate the two deleted folders. If you’re unable to access files in your backup folders, you can restore them with File History.

To do this, open File History in the Control Panel and click on Restore Personal Files on the left. You will be taken to a window showing the backed-up folders. Double-click a folder to view the file backups. Double-click a file to copy it to your computer’s SSD.