How to enable Previous Versions to recover files on Windows 10

On Windows 10, “Previous Versions” is a feature that allows you to recover lost or deleted files using File Explorer.

Previous Versions are copies of files and folders the system saves automatically as part of a shadow copy, which means that you have to configure a restore point or File History. Or you have to use a combination of Task Scheduler and commands to create shadow copies at different intervals automatically.

This guide will teach you the ways to enable Previous Versions to undelete and restore previous revisions of files stored on your device running Windows 10.

Enable Previous Versions from File History
Enable Previous Versions from Restore Point
Enable Previous Versions from Shadow copies
Restore previous versions of files on Windows 10

Enable Previous Versions from File History

To configure File History to enable Previous Versions, connect an external drive to your computer, and use these steps:

Open Settings on Windows 10.
Click on Update & Security.
Click on Backup.
Click the “Add a drive” button.
Select the drive to use as the backup drive.

Once you complete the steps, every backup revision of File History will become available to restore files using Previous Versions in File Explorer.

File History has more options and settings that you can configure. Check out this guide to learn more about them.

Enable Previous Versions from Restore Point

To enable System Restore to recover lost or deleted files with previous versions on Windows 10, use these steps:

Open Start.
Search for Create a restore point and click the top result to open the System Protection settings.
Select the drive with files to restore previous versions.
Click the Configure button.
Select the “Turn on system protection” option.
Click the Apply button.
Click the OK button.
Click the Create button.
Specify a description for the restore point. For example, Restore Point “date” and “time.”
Click the Create button.
Click the Close button.
Click the OK button.

After you complete the steps, you can use the snapshot to restore previous versions of files on your device every time a new restore point is created. However, unless you create new restore points manually, the number of snapshots for recovery will be limited.

Enable Previous Versions from Shadow copies

Alternatively, you can also use the “Volume Shadow Copy” feature with Task Scheduler to create snapshots of the data on the drive to recover files using Previous Versions.

To configure Volume Shadow Copy to enable Previous Versions on Windows 10, use these steps:

Open Start.
Right-click the Task Scheduler Library folder and select the New Folder option.
Type any name for the folder (for example, MyTasks) and click the OK button. (We are creating a new folder to keep tasks organized and separated from the system tasks.)
Right-click the recently created folder and select the Create Task option.
Confirm a name for the task in the “Name” box.
Under the “General” tab, under the “Security options” section, select the “Run whether user is logged on or not” option under the “Security options” section. (This option will make the command window not appear when the task runs automatically.)
Clear the “Do not store password” option.
Click on the “Triggers” tab.
Click the New button.
Select the “On a schedule” option in the “Begin the task” drop-down menu.
Under the “Settings” section, select when to run the task, such as “Daily.” (Whatever option you select, specify the “Start” settings on the right side.)
Click the OK button.
Click the “Actions” tab and click the New Button.
Select the “Start a program” option from the “Actions” drop-down menu.
Type the following command in the “Program/script” box:
```
wmic
```
Type the following command in the “Add arguments” box:
```
shadowcopy call create Volume=C:\
```
Quick note: The above command will make a shadow copy of the content available in the “C” drive. If you store files in another location, remember to update the command with the correct drive letter.
Click the OK button.
Click the “Settings” tab.
Check the following options:
- Allow task to be run on demand.
- Run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed.
- If the task fails, restart every.
Confirm your administrative username and password (if applicable).
Click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, the command will run on the schedule to create volume shadow copies, which you can then use to restore files using Previous Versions.

Restore previous versions of files on Windows 10

To restore previous versions of files on Windows 10, use these steps:

Open File Explorer.
Right-click the parent folder with the file to restore and select the Properties option.
Click the Previous Versions tab.
Under the “File versions” section, you will find a list of the different times when a shadow copy was created that allows you to recover a file (or folder).
Select the content.
Click the arrow button next to the Restore button.
Select the Restore To option.
Select the location to restore the file (or folder).
Click the Select folder button to restore the files.

After you complete the steps, you’ll have restored a lost or deleted file or folder.