want to run file history manually only

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I have searched all over for an answer, and maybe either I am a dumb searcher or something…

I recently got a PC with Win 10. On my old Win 7 machine I used the Windows backup program. I do not keep a backup drive attached at all times – only when I want to do a backup. I could choose what to back up, make a system recovery disk or a system image whenever I wanted and only when I wanted. But File History in Win 10 makes you choose a backup interval. I want to run it only when I want to, and back up what I want. I know the old Win 7 B & R program is in Control Panel, but I have read some things that say that while that works fine at reading your old Win 7 backups, if you use it to back up the current Win 10 machine you may get nothing, or unreadable backups; and it seems there are, at least with some people, major problems with System Image and Recovery disk using the Win 7 program on the Win 10 machine.

So: 1) How can I use File History to choose what to backup, but not on a schedule, but only when I want? And if backups are manual, are they kept properly, i.e. not just keep overwriting because the program always thinks it’s the first time, as you have no interval set? 2) Does the Win 7 program included in fact work properly, or not, backing up the Win 10 machine it is on?

Also, one humble request – don’t tell me to go get a third party program. That’s not what I want to do.

Any help would be appreciated.

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To configure FH open Control Panel. Under “System & Security” click on “Save backup copies…”. I think all you can configure as far as what FH backs up is to exclude folder. You can set FH to back up only Daily if you wish. I don’t believe you can set it to be manual although if you are saving to an external drive you can remove the drive so FH can’t run and then just plug it in when you want to run FH. Use the Control Panel interface to tell FH to run now.

2.) AFAIK, the Win7 backup program works. BUT, I don’t use it nor would I recommend using it. Maybe someone else will chime in about it.

--Joe

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The route you are choosing is not robust.

So at least check that the backups that are being made are actually restorable – you could perhaps create a temporary document which you then edit, to check that.

I have lost count of the number of Windows backups that have – when needed – turned out to be unrestorable. Very sad for the people concerned.

PS I have said nothing about 3rd party solutions :rolleyes:

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So: 1) How can I use File History to choose what to backup, but not on a schedule, but only when I want? And if backups are manual, are they kept properly, i.e. not just keep overwriting because the program always thinks it’s the first time, as you have no interval set?

AFAIK you can’t turn off the schedule without turning off file history – but why would you want to? Set it to once a day (the largest allowed interval, I think) and it will do its thing. You can always run it manually any time you like (if you don’t want to wait a day). It will never over-write anything, but only save changed copies. You can control the folders it monitors, and the files are easily recovered, and as they are stored in plain folders you can easily copy the history elsewhere, eg a USB dive that is only occasionally connected.

Note that it is not intended for backing up the OS.

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AFAIK you can’t turn off the schedule without turning off file history – but why would you want to? Set it to once a day (the largest allowed interval, I think) and it will do its thing. You can always run it manually any time you like (if you don’t want to wait a day). It will never over-write anything, but only save changed copies. You can control the folders it monitors, and the files are easily recovered, and as they are stored in plain folders you can easily copy the history elsewhere, eg a USB dive that is only occasionally connected.

Note that it is not intended for backing up the OS.

I would not trust a Windows upgrade to not overwrite data on a connected external drive, so I’m with the OP in unplugging the drive except when in use. Too many stories of upgrades overwriting disks other than the system drive to trust with data I cannot afford to lose.

Having backups in the same physical location as the PC is also a disaster waiting to happen. What happens when your house burns down?

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I would not trust a Windows upgrade to not overwrite data on a connected external drive, so I’m with the OP in unplugging the drive except when in use. Too many stories of upgrades overwriting disks other than the system drive to trust with data I cannot afford to lose.

Having backups in the same physical location as the PC is also a disaster waiting to happen. What happens when your house burns down?

I agree on all counts: I did not intend to suggest that the OP simply let File History run and trust to the best. Assuming it is backing up to a separate (internal or external) drive, I was simply pointing out that he can do his manual ‘backup’ whenever he feels like it by copying the file history folder structure to a drive which he can keep wherever he prefers. Having told FH what (and what not) to backup, he doesn’t have to think about what may have changed when he does his manual backup.

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As far as I’m aware, if FH is on it will backup any files changed to a cache (if the disk isn’t connected) and will copy them when you connect the disk. I forget if you have to manually run FH when connect the disk. When files are saved they have a datetime stamp added to the filename so no overwriting will occur.

Personally, your system seems to me not what FH is about. Perhaps you should run a Robocopy command when you want, though that wouldn’t give you FH’s version control.

Eliminate spare time: start programming PowerShell

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