Windows 8 Automatic Backups

Windows 8 includes a very clever built backup functionality called File History or History File. This program ensures not only that there is fully automatic backups of all UJE documents, photos and other important files are created, but also offers you the possibility to have an older version of file retrieval. File history is set through the Windows Control Panel. On the start screen in Control Panel and you can open the screen.

In the configuration you choose File history to create back-ups of your files under System and Security. In the following screen you can enable file history, but it is smarter to go through the menu on the left to set the settings properly. When selecting Station you can choose which disk File history backups to make.

Windows 8 Backup

For example you can connect an external USB hard drive to choose, but you can use Add Network Place a disc on your home network to select. Do you have a NAS device, then File history is really suited for, your backups are then placed safely on the network!

Under the option Exclude Folders, you can specify which folders File history does not need to be backed up. By default, all of your libraries backed up. This means documents, music, photos and videos.

In addition, standard File history to back up the files on your desktop, your contacts, your Internet Explorer favorites and files in your SkyDrive folder. Do you want one of the libraries to not back up or one of the subfolders skipped? you can.

Advanced

Under Advanced settings, you can make additional settings. In the first option, you can specify how often new or modified files are to be copied.

The default setting of once per hour will be fine for most. The amount of data that need to be copied over again is fairly limited.

In the offline cache size option you can specify what percentage of the selected disk File history may be used. Do you have an external drive that you want to use exclusively for File History, you can choose 100%.

The default setting is 5%. Finally, you can specify how long Windows old versions of files need to remember. The default setting is Always, which means that Windows keeps old versions as long as there is space available on the backup disk.

Old files found

If you have the settings properly. It may take awhile to complete your backup during your first backup session as all your files will need to be copied, but will take less time in subsequent backups.

File history is ideal because you yourself no longer have to worry about backups, especially if you are using a network drive. Windows then ensures that all your important files have a backup. The usability of the retrieval of old versions of files is also ideal.

Yet File history also has its limitations: it is not a so-called full-system backup. You can always restore your old files with few clicks whenever your computer runs into a problem.

Configuration

• To configure File history you first go to the Control Panel. Here you choose the option File history.
• In Select Drive select the disk on which you want to make backups. Do you have a NAS? Then choose a network location!
• In the advanced settings you define how often you want to back up and what percentage of the selected disk File history may be used.
• For old versions of files in a folder to view or reset, press the history icon in Windows Explorer.

I hope you find this article interesting. Share with your friends to teach them how they can perform backups in the Windows 8 PCs. Please share your comments with me using the comment form below. Remember to subscribe to my RSS feeds.