A Comprehensive Guide To Recovering Lost Files On Windows 10

  Category:  INFO | 26th September 2023 | Author:  CSI TEAM

Losing Important Files On Your Windows 10 Computer Can Be A Frustrating And Distressing Experience. Whether It's Due To Accidental Deletion, A Corrupted Storage Device, Or An Unexpected System Crash, The Fear Of Losing Valuable Data Can Haunt Anyone.

Fortunately, Windows 10 Offers Several Methods And Tools To Help You Recover Lost Files. In This Comprehensive Guide, We Will Explore Various Techniques To Retrieve Your Lost Data On Windows 10.

Windows 10 Data Recovery Software

Check The Recycle Bin

Before Diving Into More Advanced Recovery Methods, Start With The Simplest One: Check The Recycle Bin. Often, Files Are Not Permanently Deleted But Are Instead Moved To The Recycle Bin. To Do This:

• Double-click On The Recycle Bin Icon On Your Desktop.
• Search For The Deleted Files You Want To Recover.
• Right-click On The File(s) And Select "Restore."

This Action Will Return The Files To Their Original Locations.

Use File History

Windows 10 Includes A Useful Feature Called File History That Allows You To Automatically Back Up And Restore Previous Versions Of Files. To Recover Files Using File History:

• Type "File History" In The Windows Search Bar And Select "Restore Your Files With File History."
• Browse Through The Backed-up Versions Of Your Files And Select The Ones You Want To Restore.
• Click The "Restore" Button To Recover The Selected Files.

Ensure That You Had File History Enabled Before The Files Were Lost For This Method To Work.

Check Backup And Restore (Windows 7)

Windows 10 Inherited The Backup And Restore Feature From Windows 7, Which Allows You To Create And Restore System Image Backups. If You Have Created A Backup In The Past, You Can Use It To Recover Lost Files:

• Type "Backup And Restore" In The Windows Search Bar And Select "Backup And Restore (Windows 7)."
• Click "Restore My Files" And Follow The On-screen Instructions To Recover Your Lost Data From A Previous Backup.

Recover From OneDrive

If You Have Enabled OneDrive On Your Windows 10 PC And Were Syncing Files, You May Be Able To Recover Lost Files From The Cloud. Here's How:

• Open The OneDrive Website (onedrive.live.com) And Log In With Your Microsoft Account.
• Navigate To The "Recycle Bin" On The Left Sidebar.
• Locate And Select The Files You Want To Restore.
• Click The "Restore" Button To Recover The Selected Files To Their Original Locations.

Use Windows File Recovery Tool

Windows 10 Introduced A Built-in Command-line Tool Called "Windows File Recovery" That Can Help You Retrieve Deleted Files. To Use It:

• Open The Command Prompt With Administrative Privileges. Type "cmd" In The Windows Search Bar, Right-click On "Command Prompt," And Select "Run As Administrator."

• In The Command Prompt, Type The Following Command:

  bash

  winfr Source-drive: Destination-drive:\destination-folder /regular

  Replace "source-drive" With The Drive Letter Where The Deleted Files Were Located, And "destination-drive:\destination-folder" With The Location Where You Want To Save The Recovered Files.

• Press Enter, And The Tool Will Search For And Recover Deleted Files To The Specified Location.

Recover Deleted Files Using Third-Party Software

If The Above Methods Do Not Yield The Desired Results Or If Your Files Were Permanently Deleted, You Can Turn To Third-party Data Recovery Software. There Are Several Reliable Options Available, Such As Recuva, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, And MiniTool Power Data Recovery. Here's How To Use Them:

• Download And Install The Data Recovery Software Of Your Choice From A Reputable Source.
• Launch The Software And Select The Drive Or Location Where Your Lost Files Were Stored.
• Initiate A Scan To Search For Recoverable Files. The Software Will Provide A List Of Recoverable Files.
• Preview The Files To Verify Their Integrity And Select The Ones You Want To Recover.
• Follow The On-screen Instructions To Complete The Recovery Process, Specifying A Safe Location To Save The Recovered Files.

Explore Professional Data Recovery Services

In Some Cases, Data Loss May Be Due To Severe Hardware Or System Issues, Such As A Failed Hard Drive Or A Corrupted File System. When Standard Recovery Methods Fail, It's Advisable To Consult Professional Data Recovery Services.

These Specialists Have Advanced Tools And Expertise To Recover Data From Physically Damaged Drives And Complex Scenarios. Be Prepared, However, As Professional Data Recovery Services Can Be Expensive.

Prevent Future Data Loss

While It's Essential To Know How To Recover Lost Files, The Best Strategy Is To Prevent Data Loss In The First Place.

Here Are Some Preventive Measures:

• Regularly Back Up Your Data Using External Drives, Cloud Services, Or Dedicated Backup Software.
• Enable Windows Features Like File History And Windows Backup To Create Automated Backups.
• Be Cautious When Deleting Files, And Double-check Before Confirming Any Deletion.
• Invest In A Reliable Antivirus Program To Protect Your System From Malware That May Lead To Data Loss.
• Regularly Update Your Operating System And Keep Your Drivers Up To Date To Reduce The Risk Of System Failures.

Windows 10 Data Recovery Software

Conclusion

Losing Valuable Files On Your Windows 10 Computer Can Be A Stressful Experience, But With The Right Tools And Methods, You Can Often Recover Them Successfully.

Whether You Use Built-in Features Like File History Or Turn To Third-party Data Recovery Software, The Key Is To Act Promptly And Avoid Any Further Use Of The Affected Drive To Maximize Your Chances Of Successful Recovery.

Additionally, Always Maintain A Robust Backup Strategy To Safeguard Your Data Against Future Incidents Of Data Loss.