MS claims backup breakthrough with Windows 8
Acknowledging that usage of this feature is woefully low even on Windows 7, Microsoft set out to make Windows 8's new File History application much simpler to set up, use and maintain.
In addition to the usability enhancements, File History also innovates in other ways, including its ability to capture and archive multiple versions of each file, thus providing not only a backup copy but also a history of a file's changes.
“File History is a backup application that continuously protects your personal files stored in Libraries, Desktop, Favourites, and Contacts folders,” PC Pro quotes Bohdan Raciborski, a program manager on the storage team, as saying in a blog post.
“It periodically (by default every hour) scans the file system for changes and copies changed files to another location.
“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.”
Microsoft is ditching the current Windows 7 backup-and-restore approach because consumers are not using it, Redmongmag.com reveals.
Less than 5% of PC users have turned on the Windows backup feature, according to Microsoft's stats. With Windows 8, Microsoft is hoping for a change.
File History promises to make the backup-and-restore process easier for consumers, but it also helps IT departments. For instance, File History makes it easier for users to restore older versions of files themselves, without having to enlist IT help-desk support.
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