Need assistance with File History?
Need assistance with File History?
Some time back I had an additional 500GB HDD available. I connected it to my main PC and configured it as the backup and file history storage. I didn’t adjust any limits on its size. It was mostly just a trial, and since I’m usually very careful about backups, I ended up with a lot of unnecessary data. The drive became quite full, and in the days leading up to last weekend it started showing errors about being unable to save to that spot. Eventually, I realized the backup location could be a network-mapped drive on my NAS. I set that up and adjusted some settings to prevent it from filling up completely after three months.
Unfortunately, I lost a text document containing a build list for a PC I built for someone else. I moved that file from my local PC to the NAS, but something unexpected happened and it’s gone now.
Currently, file history is stored on the NAS as before. When I access it, it only shows the NAS location, not the external drive when connected. I’m worried about what would happen if I switch back to the portable drive—would it start over from scratch or just resume after a few days? As mentioned, the drive seems too full for another backup, but I’d like to know if there’s a way to check the portable drive a month ago to see if that file was there.
My other worry is whether moving files updates the backup only forward in time. In short, if I went back to the day before the move, would the file still be where it was?
Overall, this isn’t a major issue—it’s more of a learning moment. I could easily find what I need at the person’s place. I just want to understand better how this app works and its limits.
Take your distance. This section is meant for those who aren’t veterans, on the site. It’s clear you’ve been here since 2018—six years, so you’re not a veteran. LOL. JK.
In reality, I doubt you’ll find much here if the system has been instructed to ignore it, either by being reset or simply removed from the structure. Most people would have clearer answers than me. If it’s not showing up, even with specialized tools like Windows file recovery—which is a last resort—then it’s likely been deleted. Of course, I can’t confirm that without checking the drive directly.
Lol, I understand.
I think I'm going to give it a shot. It isn't saving anything essential right now (except that non-critical list), so it wouldn't really hurt to try and see what happens.
To clarify further and assist more effectively, it’s important to understand what happens when you change the drive location. The FM program will update its writing to the new spot. If the original drive is still present, it will ask if you want to bring the other drive over, referring to a 'another' File History. In this situation, I didn’t want to do that because I was trying to connect the old location and view the files there. The new place didn’t contain those files.
Once connected, the program overwrites the previous data, erasing the history. I would have needed to realize earlier that changing the save location also retrieves the data so it could be accessed. If you say no and the backup on the other drive is still intact, I couldn’t recover anything despite having a working save.