Recover Deleted Files on Windows PC Easily Updated for 2024

It only takes one single careless operation to delete important files on a Windows computer. Don't despair as recovering deleted files is incredibly possible. This article will help you recover deleted files on Windows 11/10/8/7 with folder structure quickly and easily.

How to Restore Deleted Files from Recycle Bin?

When you delete a file by right-clicking it and selecting Delete or by dragging it to Recycle Bin, Windows operating system will temporarily store your deleted files in Recycle Bin for data recovery. Therefore, if you want to restore recently deleted files, the first place is to check is the Recycle Bin folder.

Follow the steps below to restore files from Recycle Bin on Windows 10:

The options will recover the file to its original location. You can also drag the file to the desktop or another location.

How to Recover Deleted Files with File Recovery Software?

You won't see removed files in Recycle Bin if you:

To recover permanently deleted files, you will need the assistance of professional data recovery software. iBoysoft Data Recovery is a capable app equipped with advanced disk scanning and recovery algorithms. It can recover deleted photos, Office documents, videos, audio, and much more successfully on Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista/XP and Windows servers.

iBoysoft data recovery software's clean interface makes the data recovery process very simple and intuitive for inexperienced users. With only a few clicks, you can restore permanently deleted files quickly.

Step 1: Free download, install and open iBoysoft Data Recovery.

It is highly recommended that you download the file recovery software in a different partition to avoid overwriting data. The installation package is quite small and takes a little time to install on your Windows PC. After the installation completes, you can open the app.

Step 2: Select a recovery module.

This file recovery tool by iBoysoft offers three recovery modules according to different data loss scenarios:

Step 3: Select the drive and click Next to start scanning.

Choose the drive or partition where you need to recover files from the list. If you don't see the desired partition, select the drive where the lost partitions are and click Find More Partitions at the bottom of the window.

Click Next to start scanning. Quick scan is the default scanning mode for deleted file restoration. You can use Deep scan for lost file recovery or when quick scan can't find your deleted files. The deep scan provides a complete and sophisticated scanning and produces the best results.

Step 4: Filter unnecessary files and preview recoverable files.

iBoysoft File recovery tool allows you to Only show deleted files. You can also type in a specific file name or file format in the search box to search for deleted files to save a lot of time. Right-click the file and select Preview or double-click the file to preview it. It helps you find the correct files you want to recover when they have multiple similar versions.

Step 5: Recover deleted files.

Select the checkbox in front of the files you want to restore and click the Recover button. You will be asked to select a location to save the recovered files. You should not use the same drive or partition where you lost data as any changes on the original drive might cause corrupt files and permanent data loss.

Before you quit the file recovery software, make sure you have recovered all your important files.

iBoysoft Data Recovery can recover deleted excel files, word documents, PowerPoint files, etc. on a mechanical hard drive, SSD, USB flash drive, or SD card. It supports FAT, exFAT, and NTFS file systems.

Recover Deleted Files Without Software

If your deleted files are not held in Recycle Bin, and you don't want to use recovery software to recover files, you still can find 3 free ways to attempt the recovery of deleted data on a Windows computer.

Retrieve deleted files With the Previous Versions feature

Previous Versions is a native feature on Windows that allows users to recover deleted or lost files using File Explorer. The previous versions of a file or a folder are copies of the file or folder that the system saves automatically after you have enabled Previous Versions, also sometimes referred to as Shadow copies.

Follow the procedures to restore previous versions of deleted files on Windows 10/8/8.1/7:

Restore deleted files From a Windows backup

Data backup is always the best way for any data recovery. If you have set up a Windows backup, recovering deleted files from a backed-up system is very easy. You will need the media that stores your backup available and connected to your Windows computer.

Restore files with File History on Windows 11/10/8/8.1:

Restore files using Backup and Restore on Windows 11/10/8/7:

Recover deleted files with a professional data recovery service

If your hard drive is not showing up on Windows or is physically damaged, you will need to take your device to a professional data recovery service for file recovery. Professional data recovery engineers will use special equipment to open up your computer or disk and scan for deleted data or missing files in a cleanroom.

These professional data recovery services always require access to your device, so it can be inconvenient for you as your device will be kept there until data is recovered. You will get a quote for the cost of data recovery first of all and it can be expensive, say a few hundred to a few thousand.

Tips for avoiding losing your files

After all these attempts, you might know that some of your personal files will never be successfully restored. To avoid losing your important personal files in the future, we offer some practical tips for you.

Backup your data regularly

It is easy to recover a deleted file from a device that stores a recent copy. You can use a built-in Windows functionality, third-party backup software, or an online backup service. It will give your data extra protection again accidental deletion or disk corruption.

Recover data immediately

You should stop using the device as soon as you suspect data loss. Any data writing activities to the device should be strictly forbidden such as downloading software, creating a new folder, and editing saved files. That might cause your data to be overwritten by the operating system and permanently lost.

Maintain a virus-free environment

Virus infections or malware attacks can alter the data or completely overwrite the data. Either on your computer or on your storage devices, you should use advanced anti-virus software frequently to get rid of the malicious software.