Previous Versions in Windows 10?

I looked at Windows 10 in the past couple of days, by installing a trial version of the Enterprise SKU (Creators Update included) and playing around with it for a bit. Long story short, two years in it's still a half-finished, half-broken piece of crap of an OS and I'm now just one step closer to ditching Windows altogether. No need to belabor that point, plenty of that in the Windows 10 thread already...

Anyhow, my question is, is there any way to get Windows 7's "Previous Versions" functionality working in Windows 10? Clearly both the infrastructure (VSS) and the user interface in Windows Explorer (the Previous Versions tab in the File Properties dialog) still exist, but all I ever see in Explorer is "There are no previous versions available". I have seen a few posts where people claimed that this works in the Enterprise Edition only, but that was a while ago and perhaps by now Microsoft has discovered this as another neat feature they should remove in order to make Windows 10 as useless as humanly possible.

Doe anyone have any insight into this? To be completely clear, I have no interest in the File History feature, all I want is Previous Versions.

 

I haven't used it myself , but it looks like Windows 10 already includes what you want:

" Backup and Restore (Windows 7)

Microsoft also kept the old Backup and Restore feature from Windows 7 around. It was available in Windows 8, removed in Windows 8.1, and is back in Windows 10. The Backup and Restore (Windows 7) tool allows you to restore any of your old Windows 7 backups onto your Windows 10 computer—likely why the tool is still around—but you can also use it to back up your Windows 10 PC in the exact same way you’d back up a Windows 7 PC.

Unlike the newer File History backup solution, you can use Backup and Restore to more easily create a backup of practically everything on your hard drive. However, it also does not feature File History’s ability to maintain older versions of your files.

You can find the tool by hitting Start, typing “backup,” and then selecting “Backup and Restore (Windows 7).”"

How to Use All of Windows 10’s Backup and Recovery Tools
By Chris Hoffman on March 10th, 2017
https://www.howtogeek.com/220986/how-to-use-all-of-windows-10’s-backup-and-recovery-tools/

 

No. Like I said, I want Previous Versions, not Backup and Restore, and not File History. Previous Versions in Windows 7 would store file and folder versions as part of the Volume Shadow Copies collected in Restore Points just like it would store system file and registry snapshots. Works automatically with absolutely no user intervention necessary; set it and forget it. In Windows 7, anyway...

 

It may not be integrated with Windows / File Explorer in Windows 10, but the underlying tools are still there.

Use Windows 7’s Previous Versions to Go Back in Time and Save Your Files
https://www.howtogeek.com/56891/use...sions-to-go-back-in-time-and-save-your-files/

In the other link I posted it refers to using Windows 7 backup / restore "file versions" features to restore previous versions.

Are you looking for a Windows / File Explorer integration tool?

I don't have Windows 10 so I can't try this, but maybe this will work?

"I had to enable the option "make snapsot visible" in DSM - Control Panel - Shared Folder - Edit - Advanced.

Once thats done, a folder #snapshot appears in Windows File Explorer (as a subfolder of the share. There you have access to all file versions."
https://forum.synology.com/enu/viewtopic.php?t=114017

 

No, I am not interested in any of this garbage. Once again, Windows 7 preserves previous file versions of user files as part of the System Protection feature. In order to do so, it does not require the user to run any of their clunky backup software at all, and it most certainly is not idiotic enough to require me to dig out some sort of an external drive to work.

So, is the answer a simple: "Nope, that would be a great feature, which is why Microsoft removed it from Windows 10"? Is it correct to assume that Windows 10 really is meant to be pure and unadulterated crap, and Microsoft is working hard to remove any remaining remnants of features that a professional would want in an operating system?

 

Then stick with Windows 7, it's got what you want, with none of this Windows 10 headache for any of us

 

Just one more detail to clear up some confusion: In Windows 7 the "Previous Versions" tab in Windows Explorer will collect previous versions of files and folders from all sources known to Windows. If the user has System Protection enabled and also creates backups, then the Previous Versions tab in Explorer will list all existing backups of the file in question, regardless of location (Restore Points, file backups, etc.).

That's exactly the question I am ultimately asking: Given that Windows 7 support will end in less than three years, and given the fact that Microsoft does whatever they can to make it hard to near-impossible to run Windows 7 on new hardware, perhaps I will have to abandon the Microsoft platform altogether. I'm on the fence right now. The only thing that's holding me back at this point is that I don't expect any better from Apple...

 

There are lots of people that are still running Windows XP many years after support ended. The same will be true of Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8.1, etc.

You could likely keep running Windows 7 for 10 years past it's end of support, maybe more.

I like the older Windows 7 / 8.1, and even Vista because there aren't a lot of feature updates, and most other updates for security are for things I don't need, so I don't apply them.

Once updates stop all together, it's nice and quiet, peaceful even.

Linux is good choice long term. You've got a few years to bone up on cmd line management of systems software and configuration, that's a minimum to be self sufficient, so start now.

I'd pick the top 3-5 different distro tree's, and become proficient in all of them for desktop (and server), as we don't know what's going to be popular in the future - what will get the support attention.

You can futz with the low population distro's too, but many don't last very long or gain enough popularity to have cool new stuff.

There are many variances in desktop GUI's, more so than the Windows variances, so it's going to be a more bumpy ride there than on Windows, with some distro's having progressive stuff that doesn't last and get's dumped, to distro's with little change - but without some features many want.

Maybe figure out how to use what Windows 10 has for file management and restoration, and learn to live with it moving forward - if you want to remain in the Windows world.

I'd hold off on Windows 10 adoption as long as you can, the same as I did for Windows 8/8.1 - I waited till 8.1 due to all the problems with Windows 8 - and it was much more enjoyable for me to stick with Windows 7 while Windows 8 sorted out it's problems, and the same goes for Windows 10 now.

Stick with Windows 7 till you can't then hopefully Windows 10 will be stable and feature complete.

Yeah, I got that, and found a number of extensions or hacks that restore the Versions tab, but none seem feature complete - the value added from ongoing integration isn't there, it's a limited non-integrated File Explorer requiring use of the included Windows 7 backup tool.

There's likely a way to work out a work-flow that approximates what Windows 7 had, but not the same ease of use.

As you said File History seems to be the new way in Windows 10:
https://www.google.com/search?num=5...Df&q=how+to+enable+Versions+tab+in+windows+10

Hmm, more to try?
https://social.technet.microsoft.co...working-in-windows-10?forum=win10itprogeneral

"The Volume Shadow Copy service and the System Restore snapshots feature are alive and well in Windows 10. The part that's missing is the GUI that allows you to selectively do a restore on an individual file/folder. I understand (but have not verified) that only the Enterprise SKUs get this feature in the GUI.

So, that means your files are protected, but the only way to retrieve them is to do a complete restore from a previous Restore Point. That might be problematic, since it will replace everything that you've done on the PC since that time.

However, there are several free 3rd-party applications that will allow you to do a "selective restore" of files/folders. Personally, I've been using Shadow Copy View"

"This totally saved me, Windows 10 64-bit Home edition - no 'Previous Versions' showing - but Shadow Copy View was able to get them back - thankyou!"

 

Heheh, I'm not sure how old you are, but there's an excellent chance I've been using Linux at a time when you were still in diapers. Just kidding...

Seriously, though, when I started with Linux the "distribution" to get was Yggdrasil, and in those days you'd custom-compile a kernel for your machine. Then you'd go on to modify the X server to your liking to get your serial-port mouse to behave the way you wanted it, and on and on... No package management system either in those days; all you had was tar-balls, and RTFM, of course. I used zsh as my standard command processor, and I have also contributed to kernel development for Redhat and got some of their IPO stock at the time.

By the year 2k I decided that I've had spent enough time fiddling with OS internals, X servers and window managers, and switched to Win2k. So, long story short, I have probably forgotten more about managing Linux systems than you'll ever know. And, no, that's not meant as a slight, and I'm really not proud of the tons of time I wasted learning the arcana of what was supposed to be nothing but a tool for my work. Looking at where modern Linux distros are now, I am quite hesitant to go back there. In particular at the point in life and career where I am now, there is no way for me to justify sinking any significant amount of time fiddling with an operating system.

I think this is great advice. Perhaps I should really just sit back and wait another two years or so, and see what shakes out. Thanks!

 

1976 6th Edition - v6 UNSW + early Berkeley + PWB... diapers were well before that for me

NP, I've been happy to help people to "Avoid the Noid", when it comes to Windows

I had a long history of UNIX / BSD / ATT / 68k / x86 / RISC public domain open source support, but then work and family took my time, and the community wasn't as friendly or rewarding as it once was when I checked back in to it. Maybe it's time for me to dip my toes in again...

There are good things happening with Linux on many fronts, it could be that with the help of VM's for legacy support for games / apps under Windows getting more reliable and easy to implement there just might be a future for Linux replacing Windows.

Forever Open Source hopeful