File History 'Forever' setting, really?


Haydon

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I like File History, it makes copies of your files every hour in one of the default settings, so the most you lose is 1 hour worth of work.

The default settings for 'Keep saved versions' is 'Forever'. Really? I don't quite trust that and while keeping the 'Forever' default setting, I toss the File History folder every month or every other month or so, and start anew.

How about you?
 

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  • OS
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'Forever'. Really? I don't quite trust that and while keeping the 'Forever' default setting, I toss the File History folder every month or every other month or so, and start anew.
I don't. I keep using the same File History folder, but once in a while use 'Clean up versions' to keep its size in check.

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    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update.

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    Dell Lattitude E4310
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    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
My thinking was, for right or for wrong, that I'd prefer a) over b)

prefer a) new full backups in somewhat regular intervals (in 1 to 2 months intervals) with incremental backups therebetween

over b) the most recent 1 or 2 months worth of incremental backups consolidated on top of a full backup, which can be from a long, long time ago!

Of course, a) is more time consuming than b) because the full backups of a)

BTW, I have 3 File History folders on 3 different (external) media. The deletion of the File History folders happens 1 at a time on a rotational basis, so I am never without backups, in case someone wonders.
 

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  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro
I am reading through the (very considerable) knowledge base of Macrium Reflect on how the software makes Full, Differential, and Incremental BackUps. Depending on how you make/delete your BackUps, the software makes Synthetic Full BackUps.

I am not aware of File History making Synthetic Full BackUps. As I described in the OP, I am in the habit of deleting File History folders every now and then to force 'File History is backing up your files for the first time' (which corresponds to a Full BackUp). If File History does make Synthetic Full BackUps, then periodically deleting File History folders may be superfluous.

Anyone knows more about Synthetic Full BackUps (or something similar) in File History? Does it perhaps happen if you 'delete BackUp versions older than 3 months' ?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro

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