Windows File History and Copy Shelter, compared

Where File History is the better answer

• You want something already on the PC. It costs nothing and needs no install. Turn it on in Control Panel and point it at a drive.
• You want it to run constantly, quietly. Once configured it saves a version of a changed file as often as every 10 minutes, with no prompts.

Where Copy Shelter is the better answer

• It backs up more than your libraries. File History only covers Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Videos, Music and custom libraries. Anything else on the drive is not included. Copy Shelter backs up any folder you choose, or the whole machine on Pro.
• It is not hidden by default. Microsoft now classes File History as a legacy feature in Windows 11: it is off by default, and Settings does not link to it at all, only Control Panel does. Copy Shelter is the app you open, and it tells you when a backup is not working.
• Every copy is checked. File History saves versions to a drive with no read-back step of its own. Copy Shelter reads each copy back and verifies it against its own hashes.
• It is encrypted with your key. File History saves plain copies onto whatever drive you choose. Copy Shelter encrypts on the PC before it writes anywhere.
• It reaches storage File History cannot. Copy Shelter writes to a NAS, a cloud folder you already pay for, or an S3 compatible bucket, beyond a drive File History can format or index.

Windows Backup is a different tool again

Microsoft's newer push in Windows 11 is Windows Backup, which saves your Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Videos and Music folders, plus your apps list, credentials, Wi-Fi passwords and settings, to OneDrive. It comes with 5 GB of free OneDrive storage, and more costs a OneDrive subscription. It is not File History, and it is cloud-only.

The question to ask any backup

Can you get a file back today, from the backup as it is now, on a PC that has never seen it? Try it with one file before you need it. Copy Shelter's answer is csctl and the published format.

Common questions

Is Copy Shelter a File History alternative?

Yes, and it covers more: any folder you choose, not limited to your libraries, storage File History cannot reach, encryption with a key only you hold, and a read-back check on every copy.

Is File History still in Windows 11?

Yes, but Microsoft calls it a legacy feature. It is off by default and only reachable through Control Panel, since Settings no longer links to it.

What does File History actually back up?

Your libraries: Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Videos, Music, and any custom library you add. Nothing outside them, and no whole-drive image.

Is Copy Shelter free?

Yes, for one backup location, with no time limit. Pro adds more locations, older versions and scheduled deep checks, on every platform it runs on.

File History figures are from support.microsoft.com, read on 19 September 2026. Windows features change between updates, so check the current behavior before deciding. Related: Copy Shelter and Macrium Reflect, Copy Shelter for Windows.