File History Problems

Lately my File History has created unexpected problems.

[IanCP]

I did ask this question awhile ago on another Windows 10 Forum with zero response. My Desktop is on Windows 10 Version 1511, Build 10586.36

Lately my File History has created unexpected problems.

As background you need to know I have three physical hard drives. One 128GB SSD (C), one SATA 1TB as three logical drives (D, E, F) Optical is (G), another SATA 2TB HDD (J) which is used as the backup drive.

Additionally I have four external USB drives. Drives (H) 3TB, (I) 1TB, (K) 2TB, (L) 3TB

Until recently I happily had File History backup C, D, E, to drive J. In aggregate these total around 200GB - no space problems.

Suddenly File History has taken upon itself to add external drives H, K, L [an impossible task with combined 6GB of data] to be included in the backups. I've repetitively removed those drives from File History settings, I have even excluded them, then deleted their data from backup drive J.

Next morning? Yep you guessed it reverts to Windows own settings. But why all of a sudden?

Anyone with clues? No point asking over at Micro$oft where you usually get nonsensical, irrelevant answers.

[bill]

File History, when it works is a real handy feature. It does from time to time fail for me and I have to reset it. Problem is that there's no notification when it fails. You have to manually monitor it. That's why I can't rely on it fully. I just use it as one of several backup methods.

Normally what I've done to fix File History is to turn it off, stop using the drives for backup, delete the File History folder in the drives, and then start setting up File History afresh. My guess is that the File History directory may be left in the other drives and that Windows is finding that and setting them up again.

Microsoft's recommendation is to run SFC Scan [support.microsoft.com...] and then a DISM Scan [support.microsoft.com...]

[IanCP]

Microsoft's recommendation is to run SFC Scan [support.microsoft.com...] and then a DISM Scan

Yeah right Bill, read this tale of woe.

In part what led me to this earlier debacle:

No Desktop Icons
Perils of refreshing PC with Windows 10

...After all that, with a supposed fresh reinstall, I ran SFC /Scannow. once more to be greeted with:

"Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some
of them. Details are included..."

I didn't fix the original problem, yet created some others.... including an inoperable monitor...

[webmasterworld.com ]

In short, from experience I now believe SFC /Scannow delivers false results. How can a complete refresh/reinstall immediately have corrupted files?

[tangor]

Unless the drive is fully formatted, the drive will be littered with all kinds of files during a refresh (which is not a reinstall) including those from installs or creation after the initial install. Been there. Done that. A REINISTALL is not easy to do with Win10 upgrade as most of us do not have the clean install ISO and dang few are willing to format their drives (all of them)

Aside: I've never been happy with File History

Also, I've noted this on some client systems:

IF the windows drive is not exclusive to windows (ie, has user installed programs, and data, some of which might be on other drives) then file history will read all drives and make errors on what is to be backed up. Windows seems to follow anything installed in it's partition or drive or is referenced from that area, and once outside tries to read everything, too.

This started with Win 8. [windows.microsoft.com...]

One last thought on this.... clear your RECENT HISTORY for items you do not want backed up. Any windows program which collects recent history usage might have an item which you last accessed six months ago but have not revisited since then. After all, these are SETTINGS...