Your File History drive was disconnected for too long

You'll see this message if your File History drive has been disconnected for too long. If you're backing up to an external drive (like a USB drive), make sure it's connected to your PC. If you're backing up to a network location, go to Settings > Update & security > Backup and reselect the network.

What does your file history drive was disconnected mean?
How do I enable file history in Drive?
How do I reconnect my history drive in Windows 10?
How do I reconnect a drive in Windows?
How do I reset file history?
Is file history a good backup?
How do I restore a previous version of a file?
What files does file history automatically back up?
Can I delete the file history folder?
What does it mean to reconnect your drive?
What do I do when my backup drive is full?
Why is my hard drive not connecting?

What does your file history drive was disconnected mean?

The error will pop up every hour, or more often if you've configured more frequent backup runs, when Windows attempts to run the scheduled backup process. The error says the drive has been “disconnected”, but it could also mean that either the disk or the file system is corrupt. Reconnect your drive, toast notification.

How do I enable file history in Drive?

Set up a drive for File History

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search. ...
Enter File History settings in the search box, and then select File History settings.
Select Select a drive, and choose the network or external drive you want to use.
Turn on File History.

How do I reconnect my history drive in Windows 10?

1. Reconnect your drive and manually start the backup process

Open the Settings app.
Navigate to Update & security > Backup.
Click on More options > Back up now.

How do I reconnect a drive in Windows?

Map a Network Drive in Windows

Open File Explorer from the taskbar or the Start menu, or press the Windows logo key + E.
Select This PC from the left pane. ...
In the Drive list, select a drive letter. ...
In the Folder box, type the path of the folder or computer. ...
To connect every time you log on to your PC, select the Reconnect at sign-in check box.

How do I reset file history?

To reset File History in Windows 10, do the following.

Open the classic Control Panel app.
Go to Control Panel\System and Security\File History. ...
If you have enabled File History, click Turn off. ...
Open This PC in File Explorer.
Go to the folder %UserProfile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\FileHistory.

Is file history a good backup?

Introduced with the release of Windows 8, File History became the primary backup tool for the operating system. And, even though Backup and Restore is available in Windows 10, File History is still the utility Microsoft recommends for backing up files.

How do I restore a previous version of a file?

Restoring Previous Versions of Files and Folders (Windows)

Right-click the file or folder, and then click Restore previous versions. ...
Before restoring a previous version of a file or folder, select the previous version, and then click Open to view it to make sure it's the version you want. ...
To restore a previous version, select the previous version, and then click Restore.

What files does file history automatically back up?

File History has a predefined set of items that it backs up automatically: all your libraries (both default libraries and custom libraries you created), the Desktop, your Contacts, Internet Explorer favorites and the SkyDrive. You cannot set it to backup specific folders or libraries.

Can I delete the file history folder?

Every time any of your personal files has changed, its copy will be stored on a dedicated, external storage device selected by you. Over time, File History builds a complete history of changes made to any personal file. However, it is a personal choice to delete it.

What does it mean to reconnect your drive?

'Reconnect your drive' notification is a Windows 8/10 error that occurs if the file history backup drive has been disconnected for too long. This could be due to the file history being turned off, or if the external drive that is supposed to be used for backup is disconnected.

What do I do when my backup drive is full?

Windows 10, and Backup Drive is full

Press [Windows]+[E] to open File Explorer.
Right-click This PC and click Properties.
In the sidebar on the left, click System protection.
You will see a list of the storage devices on your computer.
Select D: and click [Configure].
This dialog should tell you how much space the restore points are using on that drive.

Why is my hard drive not connecting?

If the drive still isn't working, unplug it and try a different USB port. It's possible the port in question is failing, or just being finicky with your specific drive. If it's plugged into a USB 3.0 port, try a USB 2.0 port. If it's plugged into a USB hub, try plugging it directly into the PC instead.