File History in Windows 11/10 regularly backs up versions of your files residing under this PC and the OneDrive files available offline. So, over time, this process leads to a buildup of history of your files but all of them are required. In such cases, you have to delete them manually. In this guide, we show you how to delete File History backups manually in Windows 11/10.
If the original files or folders are lost, damaged, or deleted, File History lets you restore them. This is possible because it stores older versions of your files and in doing so, it takes up disk space on the designated hard drive. If you do not need some of the backed-up files, you can remove them manually from the File History and reclaim the lost space.
How to delete File History backups manually in Windows 11/10
You can also delete files using File History in Windows 11/10 via the Control Panel.
If you need to manually delete specific files from File History in Windows 11/10, here’s how to do it.
- Access File History Folder using the File Explorer
- Choose the Drive with unwanted files
- Delete the files
The process is useful when you don’t want to use a cleanup tool that may remove some essential contents.
To get started, launch File Explorer. Ensure that the Show Hidden Items option is enabled. Next, navigate to the Storage location (SD Card/USB/External Hard Drive) with the File History file. Double-click the File History Folder.
Open the folder displaying your user account name.
Then, double-click the folder with the computer name. Choose the Data folder when visible.
Here, double-click the folder with the drive name having or storing files you would want to remove.
Navigate to the folder with the content you want to delete.
Select the files or folders and hit the ‘Delete’ button seen under the ‘Organize’ section of the ‘Home’ tab of the File Explorer window.
Once you have completed the above steps, the files will be removed and no longer appear for recovery. You can also reclaim the space lost earlier by saving the same files.
I hope this helps!
Also read: Date doesn’t change, File History Status not updating after backup is completed
Can I manually delete files from file history?
Yes, you can manually delete file history to reclaim some storage space on your Windows 11/10. In case, you do not want File History to make backups on the drive, you can disable the File History and stop it from backing up your data in the first place.
How do I manually delete files in Windows 11?
You have to delete files manually on Windows 11/10 PC. To do that you can use the Delete option in the context menu that appears after right-clicking on a file or folder, or use the Delete button on the keyboard. To permanently delete files, you can use the Shift+Delete shortcut on the keyboard. To secure delete, you can use the Cipher command or third-party data wipe tools.
Related read: Reconnect your drive, Your File History drive was disconnected for too long.
