Windows 8 File History – Change Computer Name

I will show you how to change the “Computer Name” portion of your Windows 8 File History backups. This method applies to the following scenarios:

• You replaced your old computer, but would like to continue using the same File History Backup
• You changed your Computer Name AFTER initially setting up File History

1. Navigate to

    C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\FileHistory

2. Open Config1.xml and Config2.xml in Notepad for editing
3. Replace all occurrences of “OldComputerName” with “NewComputerName”
   
4. Save Config1.xml and Config2.xml
5. Do the same for Config1.xml and Config2.xml files in

   <backuplocation>\<Username>\OldComputerName\Configuration

6. Rename <backuplocation>\Username\OldComputerName folder to “NewComputerName”
   * Make sure you close the configuration files, otherwise you’ll be prevented from changing the folder name

The File History app MAY say that there was an error with your backup – if so, you can just point File History to your “new” backup location, and things should resume as normal.

Thanks to Rob Halko on Microsoft Answers