How to Reconnect a File History Drive in Windows

File History in Windows is a solid way to back up your personal files—Documents, Pictures, Music, Desktop, and more. But what happens when Windows loses track of your File History drive? Maybe you unplugged it. Maybe it’s a new PC. Either way, reconnecting it is quick if you know where to look.

Here’s how to do it step-by-step.

🔄 What Does “Reconnect Your Drive” Mean?

When Windows says “Reconnect your drive”, it means it can’t find the external hard drive (or network location) where your backups were being saved. Until you reconnect it, File History can’t continue backing up your files—or let you restore previous versions.

🛠 Step-by-Step: Reconnect a File History Drive

1. Plug In Your Backup Drive

If you were using an external USB hard drive or SSD, plug it in. Windows should detect it automatically. If it was a network drive, make sure you’re connected to the same network and the drive is accessible.

2. Go to File History Settings

• Open Settings (Windows + I)
• Go to Update & Security > Backup
• Under Back up using File History, click More options
• Then click See advanced settings

Or, for a faster route:

• Open the Control Panel
• Go to System and Security > File History

3. Reconnect the Drive

If Windows recognizes the drive, you’ll see a button that says Reconnect Drive or something similar. Click it. That’s it.

If it doesn’t recognize it:

• Click Select drive on the left-hand menu
• Choose your drive from the list
• Click OK or Turn on

File History should now resume backing up where it left off.

🧠 Pro Tips

• Same Drive Letter Helps: If your drive has a new letter (e.g., it used to be D: and now it’s E:), Windows might not recognize it. You can change the drive letter back using Disk Management.
• Network Drive Users: Make sure the network path (like \\NAS\Backups) hasn’t changed and that your user account still has access.
• Drive Not Showing Up?
  • Try a different USB port
  • Reboot your PC
  • Check the drive in Disk Management

✅ Final Check

Once reconnected, Windows will start backing up again automatically (on the default schedule). You can also force a backup right away:

• Go back to File History settings
• Click Back up now

Why This Matters

Don’t ignore the “Reconnect your drive” message. If your system crashes or you accidentally delete a file, you’ll want those backups. Reconnecting the drive keeps your safety net intact.

Need help choosing the right external drive for File History? Want to set it up on a new PC? Let me know in the comments and I’ll cover it in a future post.