It's a common issue that Windows File History cannot select a drive when you attempt to use it to back up your files. To resolve this problem, this post will present the possible causes and several effective solutions.
File History is extremely useful feature in Windows. It protects your personal files and folders from accidentally lost or damaged. It works by automatically making backups of all your document files. Thus, if you accidentally delete a file, make changes you don't want, or encounter technical glitches, you can easily get your files back. File History lets you access and restore previous versions of your files and folders, assist you whenever there's an issue with your data.
However, when using File History, an annoying problem can occur: File History cannot select drive. This guide will analyze the reasons behind this issue, show you how to fix it, and introduce tool that can help you retrieve files even without a backup.
When it comes to “file history doesn’t recognize the drive” on windows 11, it can stem from various reasons. To solve this issue, you can troubleshoot by checking the following causes.
Accidentally Disable File History Service: Some users might turn off the File History service to free up more space on their Windows. If they forget to re-enable File History when they want to use it, the system may be unable to recognize the drive.
Incomplete Connection: If you are using an external drive, you need to make sure that the drive is properly connected to the Windows so that File History can recognize it.
Problematic Drive: Drives that are either overly full or damaged cannot be used to create backups. As a result, the windows system cannot identify the drive.
File System Mismatch: A corrupted or faulty file system make it unreadable and may cause the windows system can’t recognize the drive.
Drive Letter Issue: Drive letter issues such as drive letter conflicts or missing can prevent the file system from selecting the drive.
If you encounter issues where the file system cannot recognize the drive on Windows 11, here are multiple solutions to solve this issue. This section will present five common solutions and detail the steps as comprehensively as possible.
Sometimes, we might turn off File History for certain reasons and then forget about it when we need to use it again. Check once more whether File History is turned on. If not, follow the steps to enable the File History feature.
Step 1. Type “control panel” in the start menu and open it, then select “Save backup copies of your files with File History”.
Step 2. If you find the File History is turned off, click “Turn on” to enable it.
When it turns on, you can use it to back up the files and data you want.
If File History has been enabled, but the drive still isn't recognized, we need to consider another factor: the drive itself. One of the simplest approaches to fix the problem is to check the drive connection.
Step 1. Remove your external drive and connect it to the computer properly again. Check for drive-letter conflicts or the absence of a drive letter. If so, assign another available drive letter.
Step 2. If Windows still fails to identify the external drive, navigate to the File History settings and click “See advanced settings”.
Step 3. Scroll down and click the option labeled “Stop using this drive”, then go back to Settings > Backup and add your drive again.
After checking and reconnecting the drive, if File History still fails to recognize it, the issue could be due to a damaged drive or the drive being incompatible with File History. In such a case, you can try to choose another drive.
Step 1. Prepare a drive that have enough space and is usable, then connect it to the Windows.
Step 2. Type “control panel” in the start menu and open it, then select “Save backup copies of your files with File History”.
Step 3. Click “Select another drive” under the message of “File History doesn’t recognize this drive”.
Step 4. Choose the usable drive and click “OK” to set it as the new backup drive.
Deleting the File History Configuration folder can resolve some backup failures. This action resets the File History index and settings. You can attempt this method to address the issue of the drive not being recognized. Follow these steps in sequence:
Step 1. Type “service” in the start menu and find “File History Service” in the list of service, then double-click it.
Step 2. Change the startup type to “Automatic (Delayed Start)”.
Step 3. Open “file explorer” from the start menu, click “View” table and check the “Hidden items” option.
Step 4. Clear the files in the following path:
C:\ Uers\ [account name] \AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\File History\Configuration
This method doesn't delete the backed-up data. Additionally, if needed, you can save the configuration folder as a zip file to restore the original settings later.
If none of the above methods can solve the issue “File History cannot select drive”, the only remaining option is to choose an alternative backup tool. For instance, Windows has another built-in backup tool, System Image Backup. It creates a complete snapshot of all data, enabling restoration to the backed-up state even in case of a system crash.
Moreover, there are also many third-party backup programs available. I recommend AOMEI Backupper, a reliable Windows backup software to safeguard operating system, data and applications. Neither data backup nor data restore requires specialized skills and knowledge, and the backup process is smooth and stable.
Even if your file backups are lost or you don't have any file backups at all, there's no need to worry about data loss. You can attempt to recover lost files using MyRecover, a third-party data recovery software. Its graphical user interface is crafted to be extremely straightforward, enabling users to recover data by simply clicking buttons and icons, without having to execute complex command lines.
This transformation turns the otherwise complicated data recovery process into a highly user-friendly experience. It covers a variety of data - loss scenarios and supports data recovery from various devices, such as SSDs, USB flash drives, SD cards, and so on. The detailed data recovery steps are as follows:
Step 1. Download and install MyRecover on your computer.
Step 2. Select the target drive and click “Scan”.
Step 3. Choose the files you want to recover and click “Recover”.
Step 4. Choose a different drive to save the recovered files.
When the screen displays the message “the files have been successfully recovered”, you have retrieved your files completely.
After reading this article, you should understand what might be causing “File History cannot select drive” problem and how to fix it. If, unfortunately, you haven't backed up the data you want and it has been lost, you might as well give MyRecover a try. This tool can help you recover your data without overwriting other data. It is supported on Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7. For users with sophisticated requirements, we've got you covered with our Professional and Technician editions. These are packed with exclusive features designed to take your data recovery experience to the next level.
