More secure with Windows 8 (Part 1): How to set up a time machine for files

When it comes to security, the developers have worked hard under the hood and given Windows 8 new functions - which significantly enhance the OS compared to its predecessor. Windows Tweaks presents the security features. Let's start with the file version history, i.e. Microsoft's "Time Machine". This brings deleted files back to life and restores previous versions.

Apple users have the Time Machine, Windows 8 users the File Version History. This data recovery function automatically backs up files and intermediate versions to external data carriers such as USB sticks or network hard disks. Once activated, Windows 8 backs up edited files once an hour, although other intervals can also be selected. Recovery in an emergency is done with just a few clicks.

With the file version history, you can...

1. for the file version history to work, Windows needs a second hard disk. This can be a USB drive or a network hard disk. Tap the "Windows" button to go to the new start screen. Then type in "File version history" and the search function will start. Then click on "Settings" and then on "File version history".

2. now select "Select drive" and decide on the backup drive for saving the files. Click on "OK". Back in the file version history window, click on "Switch on". The message "File version history is switched on" appears. Windows 8 will now save all files and folders in your libraries, in the SkyDrive folder and on the desktop, as well as the Internet Explorer bookmarks.

3. To add further folders, click on "Exclude folder". The "Add" button appears here, which you can use to add any folder to the file version history.

4.Windows 8 now performs the backup silently in the background. It runs quite slowly by default. So that Windows is not slowed down, you can speed up the process considerably by clicking on "Run now".

5. To change the backup interval, click on "Advanced settings". After clicking on "Every hour", you can select a shorter time period from the drop-down menu, for example. Apply the changes by clicking on "Save changes".

Have you accidentally deleted and changed a file? Here's how to restore the old version in no time:

1.Select the relevant file in Windows Explorer (Windows + E). Then click on "Start" and "History" in the menu bar at the top.

2.Windows 8 will now display the previously saved files in the version history. If the original file is further back, click on the "Back" button to display even older versions of the file.

3 Once you have found the correct file version, click on the green button in the middle to restore it (see image). Windows will then restore the old version.

4.Windows then asks whether you want to keep the newer, faulty file or overwrite it with the old one. In the second case, simply click on "Replace file in destination".

5.If you want to have both files, click on "Compare info for both files". In the new window, select the files and click on "Next".

6.Did nothing help? In this unlikely event - or if the hard disk has a serious defect - there are still specialists who can recover data from Windows systems.

(Photos: The article image is from David Baker, Fotolia.com. The screenshots below were created privately.)