How to Fix File History Doesn’t Recognize This Drive on Windows 11

Last updated on February 10th, 2024 at 05:05 pm

In Windows 11, there is a convenient backup feature called File History. Backing up your files on another drive and restoring them whenever necessary is made easier with File History. Using this method, your device will be protected continuously.

However, users may encounter the frustrating issue where File History does not recognize their hard drive. Well, if you are facing this problem, you are in the right place. Here we have mentioned some potential steps that you can use to troubleshoot File History doesn’t recognize this drive error message. So, let’s get started with the guide.

What is a File History?

You can use File History for backing up and restoring your files from an external drive or network location in Windows 10 and Windows 11. Your files will be automatically saved on a schedule, so you can recover them in case of loss, damage, or deletion.

Why Does File History Not Recognize This Drive?

It could be due to a number of factors that File History does not recognize this drive. There are a number of common causes and possible solutions for these problems:

1. No drive connected or recognized
2. Problems with drive letters
3. Incompatibility with drive formats
4. Drive Permissions
5. Config. of the file history
6. File History Configuration is Corrupted

How to Fix File History Doesn’t Recognize This Drive on Windows 11

There is a systematic approach we have described below that can be employed to resolve the “File History Doesn’t Recognize This Drive” error on Windows 11.

Fix 1: Check if File History is Enabled

The first thing you need to check if your hard drive is not being recognized is the status of File History. File History will not detect a drive if it is unexpectedly turned off. To troubleshoot File History does not recognize this drive error, make sure File History is enabled:

1. To open Control Panel, press the Windows key and type Control Panel.
2. Go to the System and Security section.
   
   
3. In File History, select Save backup copies of your files with File History.
   
   
4. On the Keep a History of your files page, click Turn on.
   
   

Fix 2: Reconnect Hard Drive

It is also possible for a failed drive recognition to be caused by an unstable hard drive connection. There could be a loose USB interface or a faulty cable causing the File History doesn’t recognize this drive problem.

Moreover, sometimes, it may also be the reason behind the BSOD errors, such as an empty thread reaper list, which is directly linked to the hard drive corruption problem. Therefore, you should disconnect the drive and connect it with a functional cable or interface in this case.

1. Plug the USB into a different port after unplugging it. On the File History page, click Advanced Settings.
2. To stop using this drive, select the Stop using this drive option.
3. Then click Select Drive.
4. Once you have chosen the drive, click OK.

Fix 3: Repair the Backup Drive with CHKDSK

By default, Windows uses CHKDSK to scan and repair disk errors. In addition, the program checks for any corruption on your hard drive, which could be the cause of this problem. To run a CHKDSK scan, follow these steps:

1. At the beginning, go to Start, search for Command Prompt, and click Run as Administrator.
2. Enter the following command. Change I to the actual drive name: chkdsk i:/f
   
   
3. Due to the use of your device’s root drive, the command will not start running. However, you’ll be asked to begin scanning when you restart your computer.
4. After typing Y, press Enter and restart Windows.
5. Now, CHKDSK will begin running. Let the procedure finish.
6. When you restart your device, you should be able to see your File History again.

Fix 4: Select Another Drive

In case there is more than one usable drive on your PC, you can simply choose another drive to resolve the “File History doesn’t recognize this drive Windows 11/10” error. Here’s how.

1. Whenever the error message appears, click the link Select another drive.
2. Next, select another drive from the list. To confirm the operation, click OK.
   
   
3. If the error persists, try making a backup with the new drive. Continue with the following methods if that doesn’t work.

Fix 5: Turn on Services of Windows Search & File History

If the Windows search service and File History service are disabled, File History may not recognize the backup drive. In this case, you can attempt to fix the PC issue “file history doesn’t recognize this drive” by restarting or starting the service.

1. Using Win + R, open the Run window and type services.msc.
2. To determine whether File History Service is disabled, locate and double-click on it.
3. Thereafter, select Automatic as the startup type and click Start. Lastly, click OK.
   
   
4. Afterward, enable Windows Search services the same way you disabled it before.

Fix 6: Delete File History Configuration Folder

There are times when you may have to delete the configuration folder of File History to resolve the “File History doesn’t recognize this drive Windows 10/11” problem. Here are the steps you need to follow to complete this operation.

1. To open Windows Explorer, press Windows + E. In the top toolbar, click View and check Hidden items.
   
   
2. Delete the files inside the following folder: C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\FileHistory
3. Once that has been done, check if File History is working correctly.
   
   

Fix 7: Find the Faulty Driver

Since the issue almost certainly results from a faulty driver, you can use the Event Viewer to identify it. This can be done by following these steps.

1. At first, press Windows + X on your keyboard to open the Event Viewer context menu.
2. In the left-hand panel, select Windows Logs, then System. A timestamp will appear in the middle of the screen for all events.
3. You can find out which driver is causing the problem by looking at “File History Doesn’t Recognize This Drive” items in your logs.

What is The Difference Between File History And Backup And Restore?

#1. File History

There is an option in Windows 11’s Control Panel called File History, which allows you to restore files from previous versions. Nevertheless, this feature can be helpful when your computer crashes or you accidentally delete or corrupt a file.

#2. Backup And Restore

You can also protect your operating system, installed applications, and other settings with Windows Backup. These items can be backed up locally or on an external device, but they can also be backed up on the cloud with a bit of tweaking.

Also Read: 

1. Fix Error 0x8096002A: No Error Description Available
2. Windows 11 Blue Screen: How to Resolve Kmode Exception Not Handled
3. How To Fix Windows Activation Errors Appears On Your PC
4. How Do I Install Openssl Windows 10/ 11
5. Windows Server 2016 End of Life | Everything You Need To Know

So, that’s all we have for you on how to fix the File History doesn’t recognize this drive on Windows 11 issue. It’s our hope that this guide has helped you. In case you still stuck with the hard drive not being recognized issue, comment below and let us know.