How to use File History from same account on 2 PCs to same NAS

Question

I recently upgraded from Win7 to Win8.1 and am unsuccessful in using File History as I'd like.  Perhaps it's a configuration issue, so I'll explain my goal, what I've done, and the problem:
I have a PC and laptop, both in the same HomeGroup and I use the Microsoft Account on both.  Heretofore I've used a 'backup program' (SyncBack Pro), to synch the Documents folder between the PC and laptop, and then backup the PC's Documents folder to
a folder on a NAS (Network Attached Storage).  That worked file.
Now, attempting to use File History, I setup up a NAS:\File History folder on the NAS and turned File History on both on the PC and laptop, pointing to the same NAS:\File History folder on the NAS.  (Actually, I didn't enable it on the laptop until
File History on the PC had completed its initial run.)  Within 1 or 2 days, the NAS was out of space but shouldn't have been.  When I use Windows Explorer to list contents of subfolders in Documents in the File History folder on the NAS, it shows
the same files and sizes as it shows on the folders on the PC.  But when I use Windows Explorer to get the Properties of those folders, it shows exactly 2 or 3 (differs by folder) times as many files, and 2 or 3 times the total space taken on the
PC.  There are many folders in the $OF folder.  I assumed (perhaps wrongly) that $OF would hold old files (e.g., deleted or superseded) but there probably aren't more than 4-5 files that changed over this time period.  All this is making
me think that perhaps when File History runs on, say the laptop, it actually replaces all files of the same names saved by File History running on the PC and vice versa.  Perhaps that's wrong, but it's the only way I can explain the explosion of the number
of files and space consumed by even multiples (2 or 3, at which point the NAS ran out of space).
So, given my goal -- making sure there is a shared backup of all Documents files on the NAS -- is there a way I can set up File History on both the PC and laptop so the same file is represented once in the NAS:\File History ?????
Finally, in case it's relevant, when I set up File History on the PC it asked me if I wanted to invite others in the HomeGroup to do so, but nothing resembling an 'invitation' ever appeared on the laptop.
Many thanks to anyone who can address this.

Answer 1

Hello RASSRQ,
Do you mean that the file history in NAS need 2 or 3 times space as the file on PC?
Please explain a bit about the sentence ‘When I use Windows Explorer to list contents of subfolders in Documents in the File History folder on the NAS, it shows the same files and sizes as it shows on the folders on the PC.  But when I use Windows Explorer
to get the Properties of those folders, it shows exactly 2 or 3 (differs by folder) times as many files, and 2 or 3 times the total space taken on the PC.  There are many folders in the $OF folder. ’
I can’t understand: What is $OF folder? Could you please share us a screenshot about $OF folder if you willing to?
What folders in $OF folder?
Based on my test, I follow the steps by referring to the following article and can’t find the similar issue.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-HK/windows-8/set-drive-file-history
Best regards,
Fangzhou CHEN
Fangzhou CHEN
TechNet Community Support