Windows 10’s File History feature lets you schedule automatic backups of your personal files to an external hard drive. This can be a better routine than manually copying your files over to an external hard drive every time you want to back up.

An added benefit of File History is that as files are backed up so frequently, so you can easily revert to an earlier version of a file or restore a file that you deleted by mistake. Before you begin, connect an external USB hard drive to your PC and ensure it has plenty of free storage space.

How to use File History in Windows 10

Step 1 To set up File History, click the Start Menu and then Settings. In the menu that appears click Update & Security and then Backup.

Step 2 Click the plus symbol next to Add a drive, then select the external drive you wish to use for backups from the list shown. By default, File History will now automatically back up to this drive.

Step 3 Backups of your files are made once an hour but click More Options to change how often File History backups take place, and which files and folders are included in your backups. Click Back up now to start backing up your files to the external hard drive.