How to back up files with File History on Windows 11

2 min read · 7 steps · Updated 3 October 2026

File History keeps copies of your personal folders on an external drive, and not only the latest copy: it stores older versions too. That lets you go back to yesterday's version of a document you ruined, or recover a file you deleted last week. It is free, built in, and works without an internet connection.

These steps are for Windows 11.

Step by step

1. Connect a drive

   Plug in an external hard drive or SSD with enough free space. A network location also works. Leave the drive for backups only if you can.

   Done

2. Open File History

   Type Control Panel into the search box on the taskbar and open it. Click System and Security, then Save backup copies of your files with File History.

   Done

3. Turn it on

   Click Turn on. If more than one drive is connected, click Select drive on the left, pick the right one and click OK.

   Done

4. Know what is saved

   File History backs up Documents, Pictures, Videos and Desktop, and whatever else is in your libraries. To add another folder, right-click it in File Explorer, choose Show more options and then Include in library.

   Done

5. Keep the drive connected

   Copies are made only while the drive is attached. Plug it in regularly, for example every evening or once a week, and File History catches up by itself.

   Done

6. Restore a file or an older version

   In File Explorer, go to the folder where the file is or was. Right-click the folder and choose Restore previous versions. The Previous Versions tab lists the saved versions by date. Select one and click Open to look inside first.

   Done

7. Put it back

   Click Restore to put that version back in its original place. This replaces the current version and cannot be undone. To be safe, click the arrow next to Restore and choose Restore to, which saves it in another folder.

   Done

Good to know

File History covers your files, not Windows or your programs. For settings and apps, also use Windows Backup, and for the system itself a restore point.

A file you have only just deleted is usually still in the Recycle Bin on the desktop: open it, right-click the file and choose Restore.

Files in OneDrive have their own version history and a recycle bin online that keeps deleted files for 30 days.

Unplug the backup drive when you are not using it. A drive that is always connected can be hit by the same fault, theft or ransomware as the PC.

In short: External drive, Control Panel, System and Security, File History, Turn on. To restore: right-click the folder, Restore previous versions, pick a date, Restore or Restore to.