Data Backup Digest

File History is an inbuilt feature of Windows RT that helps assist backing up files and folders. It works behind the scenes and automatically. Once you’ve set it up it will save copies of your libraries, contacts, favourites, Microsoft SkyDrive files and your desktop automatically. It is capable of either saving to an external hard drive or a network location. One great feature is that it backs up the file every time it is changed, meaning you have a complete file history. If you decided you need to roll back to a previous version of it then it can be done quickly and easily.
If you don’t have any backup software installed on your computer then the least you should do is enable File History. If the original copies of the files are accidentally deleted or become corrupted then at least you have a spare copy of them and you won’t lose the file permanently.
Setting up File History is a breeze. If you are backing up to an external drive (and it should be external, since if your main drive gets damaged in any way then those copies aren’t going to be of any use) then be sure to get one with ample space. Remember, if you are keeping copies of the file each time it changes then you’ll probably end up using a lot more storage than you expect. External drives are relatively cheap and can come in handy for other things too, so it’s not going to be wasted if you don’t end up filling the whole drive.
Let’s begin with setting up File History with an external drive. Firstly, you’ll want to attach the drive to your computer and then open File History. This can be done by moving the cursor to the upper-right corner of the screen and clicking ‘Search’. If you’re using a touch device then you just swipe in from the right edge of the screen and touch ‘Search’. In the search input box write ‘File History, select ‘Settings’ and then ‘File History’. From here it is just a case of selecting ‘Turn on’.
When attaching the drive you may receive an AutoPlay notification that pops up and asks what you want to do with the device. If this appears, you can just select ‘Back up your files on this drive’ from the list and it achieves the same effect as above.
You can also use a network location with File History. Follow the instructions above in order to load up File History, but instead of selecting ‘Turn on’ you need to select ‘Change drive’. A new page will open and you should select ‘Add network location’. A dialog box will appear in which you should browse for or enter a location, choose ‘Select folder’ and then hit ‘OK’.
After doing this you might find that there aren’t any folders listed. If this is the case then there should be a notification at the top of the screen explaining that network computers and devices aren’t visible. If you see this, just select the notification and then press ‘Turn on network discovery and file sharing’.