How to recover deleted files on your Windows PC

Microsoft offers multiple solutions to help you recover lost or deleted files from your Windows PC easily. If you delete a file and have not removed it from the system permanently, you can dig around the PC’s Recycle Bin to find and restore it. However, if you have emptied the Recycle Bin or a month has passed since deleting the file, you’ll need more extensive measures to retrieve it.

This article will explain how to recover deleted files on your Windows PC.

---

Workarounds to regain access to lost or deleted files on Windows PC

If you're unable to restore a file from the Recycle Bin, your next option is to check Windows Backup. You can restore the file if the in-built backup service on your computer is enabled.

To check for the same, open the Control Panel on your system and go to System and Security > Backup and Restore. Here, click on the option to Restore files from a backup.

Similarly, you can also restore deleted files from online cloud services like iCloud, Google Drive, and OneDrive, to name a few. On Windows, OneDrive is usually active for important folders on the computer, such as Documents and Pictures. Check all activated cloud libraries for a backed-up version of the file you’re looking for.

If backups aren’t a valid option, try restoring the previous versions of the folder in which the file was contained. Go to the location of the folder, right-click on it, and select Restore previous versions. You’ll be able to access a list of restore points; choose a point before the time the file was deleted.

If restoring the previous versions doesn’t work, you’ll have to adopt a slightly more complicated approach.

---

How to use Windows Recovery to restore deleted files

The last step to try involves the use of a command prompt and a few commands. Before getting into the process, download the Windows Recovery app from the Microsoft Store. Now, open the application (search for it in the Start search bar).

Note that the Recovery service offers two modes: Regular and Extensive. The Regular mode is used to restore files that have been deleted recently but may fail to get the work done at times.

The Extensive mode is built to locate lost files in tougher conditions: the file was deleted a long time ago, or the drive has been corrupted or formatted. Needless to say, the Extensive mode is generally more reliable than the Regular mode.

In the Windows Recovery terminal, type in a command to retrieve a lost or permanently deleted file or folder. Here’s the basic syntax:

winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/mode] [/switches]

Say, you’re looking to restore a file named “document.pdf” which was stored in the D: Drive under the folder name “Documents,” and you wish to store the file under E: Drive after retrieval. The command for Regular mode will be as follows:

"winfr D: E: /regular /n \Documents\document.pdf"

For Extensive mode, the command will be as follows:

"winfr D: E: /extensive /n \Documents\document.pdf"

Press Enter after typing the command, and the terminal will ask if you want to continue. Type “Y” and press Enter. The tool will try to locate and restore the file as per the command, and the completed actions will be updated in the terminal. Once the tool successfully retrieves the file, you can go to the destination folder and check if the restored file is accessible.

---

For more such technology and gaming-related guides, follow Sportskeeda.