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I would like to use the File History feature of Windows 8 and so far it has been working fine. However, I have come across a scenario and need input on practicality for the following:
2. System crashes and new HDD required
4. Time to use File History for restore.... BUT
From what I understand you cannot "point" the new Windows 8 machine to use the external drive with previous File History. You will need to do a manual copy and paste from the external USB (by selecting the appropriate file in the File History directory on the USB drive).
The problem is, File History appends the date and time stamp, thus the file name changes. For example, MYDOC.DOC become MYDOC.DOC ((2013_04_04 18_27_46 UTC).
How do you remove the parenthesis from the file name when copying the file back to its original location or is File History not a "system restore" type utility. Whilst the parenthesis will not stop applications working (like WORD, OUTLOOK etc), it looks horrible and creates these long file names that is unwanted.
Thoughts/suggestions/comments?
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
I just had to try to do this, and I was able to (on a new Win8 machine) point at the previous backup by clicking Drives and then selecting my backup drive (a network share in my case). Then I was able to check "I want to use a previous backup on this File History drive" and it displayed my existing backups on that drive. Finally, I was able to do the regular (if not very intuitive) restore files by clicking the settings icon in the upper right of File History.
Hope that helps,
Glenn Gailey
make a new PC like your lost or damaged PC
Here's how to make a new PC like your previous Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1 PC.
- Start your new PC for the first time.
- During setup, sign in with the same Microsoft account that you used with your previous PC. You'll also be asked for a security code. For more info about verifying your identity, see About two-step verification.
- When you're asked about how you want to set up your PC, choose the name of your previous PC. As your new PC continues to set up, you’ll get the settings that were backed up for your previous PC.
- When your new PC is ready to use, plug in the eternal drive or connect to the network drive that you used for File History on your previous PC. The personal files you backed up with File Hisotry on your previous PC will be automatically restored to your new PC. This could take a while depending on how many versions of backed up files you have.
My situation is that I’ve managed to install a new drive and luckily I had an WD Aconis System Image Backup from 15th Dec 2015. I also last backed up to an external hard drive using File History on 8th Feb 2016.
I’ve been able to restore my laptop using the system image backup and then I thought I’d use File History to Restore my files from the latest daily backup which was on 8th Feb 2016.
Unfortunately when I try to use File History to restore files it only shows files up to 15th Dec 2015 even tho I can see the backed up files from 8th Feb 2016 on my external hard drive that I use with File History. File History was working fine and backing up files as it should to my external drive.
When I click the “Restore” option there is a gap from 15 December 2015 to 29 February 2016 where File History has not picked up previous File History Backups from the external drive, (29 February 2016 is the 1st back up since I restored the Laptop from the 15th December 2015 Image File).
Surly this is a glitch with File History that it only allows me to restore files from the 15th December 2015 and not the files from 8th February 2016 that were last backed up to an external hard drive via File History?
If this is how it is designed to work then it seems to render it useless for Restoring files/systems after a major failure.
The fact I used a system image backup means I have the exact same PC name etc. that I had before it crashed, so confused why it wont pick up the File History backups from the 8th February 2016.
Thanks for the suggestion tho.
Thanks, Worked for me once I STOPPED using the drive and then closed it all and then acted like I wanted to setup File Transfer again on that drive and it showed me the new file and old file it was using. I selected the old and it warned if I start here that the files may not be up to date. Well since my computer is fresh the files are newer, but not there! So I said YES to use the older History and then restored everything! Worked great. Thanks for your help.
PS, from now on I will also use BACK UP, and FILE HISTORY.
Glad I read your post!!!!
A+++++++++++++
Great, step by step. It allow me to restore the backup to a new Windows 10 installation.
I know this was posted a while ago but I followed your steps, but when I try to select the backup it says that the file is being used in another process. Thanks
