File History: Element Not Found Error on Windows 10 May 2004

Anonymous
2020-06-22T19:28:01+00:00

Using Windows 10 May 2004 edition with a brand new install of File History on two different machines now, I have managed to run into the following issue.

Selecting Clean up versions, then "Clean up":

I get the following dialog:

Again, this is on two different machines, with a clean install.

Note that I am using a simple folder with a 4KB file within it, although I first saw this on a fully-configured install with about 1.5TB worth of data within it.  This led me to diagnosing the issue and ultimately trying it on these two separate machines with a clean install.

Is this a known issue for 2004?

Thank you for any assistance/context/insight you can provide!

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Files, folders, and storage

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.

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  1. Anonymous
    2021-03-17T06:16:19+00:00

    Just had to endure the grief on another machine to fix this problem.  Someday I will make the jump to Macrium.   But for now, disconnecting the drive followed by an in-place repair seems to be the only remedy for this issue.

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  2. Anonymous
    2020-12-31T10:57:04+00:00

    Interesting @TimeLady... it works just like File History?  I took a look and the closest feature I could find is Backup Files and Folders, which is not part of the free offering:

    https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW7/Backing+up+files+and+folders

    If it has something where it works just like File History along with a viewer that works like it does, I am totally open to jumping over.

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  3. Anonymous
    2020-12-31T05:53:06+00:00

    Yep @Stan I recently had to clear out my history due to file size warnings from my NAS.  Sure enough, after about 20 minutes of thinking, our lovely friend and dialog error popped up.  What's amazing is that during this entire time, the dialog reports items being removed, but upon restarting the process again it starts off at the same number.

    This is a different failure/bug from what I originally reported, in that the dialog popped up immediately without thinking or progress.  Here it simply breaks after doing a very simple yet critical function.  I share it to further bolster the evidence/claim/belief that this simply isn't good software, nor is it maintained with any sort of pride.  But it's free, so. 😆😭

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  4. Anonymous
    2020-11-03T10:59:42+00:00

    Apparently, you cannot mark a reply as helpful if you created the question. 🤷‍♂️

    Anyways @JasonLiang26 the next time I see anything useful emerge from MSFT's "feedback" tool will be the first.  I have yet to see a single MSFT employee contribute to any of the very many items and complaints there.  I think that place is a step above an automated 800 number that a corporation tells you to call without any humans being there to answer.  That is, it's a place where complaints go to die. :P

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  5. Anonymous
    2020-11-03T08:18:26+00:00

    I would report it to Microsoft via the Feedback app - Windows key + F key.

    Yeah  and the same thing still happened on the newest 20H2 version.

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