How Do I Recover A Deleted Folder in Windows 10?

Folders are an important component of using a Windows PC since it helps you manage your data files more efficiently and offers a welcome degree of customization to your experience. The difficulty is that deleting a folder, whether on purpose or by accident, erases all of the files contained within it.

Before you panic, there are a few things you can do to solve the issue. This post will go over the handy strategies for successfully recovering lost folders on Windows 10.

Can I recover a deleted folder in Windows 10?

When you delete a folder in Windows, you will encounter one of two possibilities. The first scenario is that the folder ends destroyed in the Recycle Bin tool, which is normally the case when you delete a folder by right-clicking it and selecting "Delete" or using the "Delete" key on your keyboard.

The alternative case occurs when you remove the folder using the "Shift + Delete" command. This makes the folder unavailable in Windows, creating the impression that it was completely deleted from your hard drive. On the good side, the folder hasn't been deleted yet. In these circumstances, the folder data is retained on the storage device until fresh data overwrites it.

That being said, regardless of how you delete a folder in Windows, you have a strong probability of successfully recovering it and its contents.

How to recover deleted folder from a Windows PC

Now, let’s see how to recover a deleted folder in Windows 10 or 11 computer. In this part, we’ll show you 4 ways to retrieve lost folders. You can choose one that suits your situation.

Way 1. Recover deleted folder using third-party data recovery software

The reason we suggest you choose professional data recovery tool is that any of your operation on your computer after you lose folders may overwrite your lost data, which will cause recovery failure. So, if the target folder has important data files, data recovery expert will be your best option.

AOMEI FastRecovery is an exceptionally effective alternative that offers exceptional recovery rates, rapid scans, and an intuitive interface that is designed to appeal to both novice and experienced technologists.

It is a reliable option for recovering deleted folders that contain a variety of data, as it is compatible with over 1000+ kinds of storage device and various file systems and supports nearly all file formats. All Windows 11/10/8/7 and Windows Server systems are supported.

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI FastRecovery. Choose the exact partition or disk where your data lost and click Scan.

Step 2. Then, the recovery tool start to scan and search. lt will execute the “Quickly Scan" first for finding your deleted data fast, and then execute the “Deep Scan" for searching other lost data.

Step 3. Once the scan is completed, all deleted files, recycle bins and other missing files will be displayed. Please select the file you would like to recover and then click "Recover".

Step 4. Then, select a folder path to save your recovered files.

Step 5. Wait patiently for this process of recovering ends.

Way 2. Restore previous version of deleted folder

The CTRL+Z command is extremely prevalent while revising in Microsoft Office. Errors can be rectified and undone seamlessly.

Nevertheless, it is not the same when it comes to folder recovery. Restoration to previous folder versions can be immensely beneficial in this situation. This method is effective provided that Windows has recently backed up your system. Additionally, you must be aware of the former location of the folder before its deletion.

Step 1. Open “This PC” and navigate to the folder that had the now-deleted folder. For the sake of simplicity, let’s refer to this folder as the root folder.

Step 2. Right-click on this folder and click on “Restore Previous Versions.”

Step 3. Double-click on one of the previous versions of the root folder containing the deleted folder. (For instance, if the folder got deleted today, choose a folder version from yesterday)

Step 4. Drag the folder to another location like another folder.

Way 3. Use Backup and Restore in Control Panel to retrieve deleted folder

Backup and Restore is a traditional method for recovering deleted folders and individual data. However, it is important to note that Backup and Restore is no longer a feature that is maintained on Windows 10. Nevertheless, the functionality remains accessible. Additionally, Microsoft may elect to utilize this tool in forthcoming releases.

Step 1. Search for “Backup and Restore” in the Control Panel and Click on Restore my files, and follow the subsequent steps.

Step 2. Click the “Browse for folders” button.

Step 3. Select the folders you want to restore and click “Next” at the bottom of the window.

Step 4. Check the “in the following location” option, select the browse button and choose a destination for saving the restored files and folders.

Way 4. Try Windows File Recovery to recover removed folders

Windows File Recovery is a command-line data recovery utility that Microsoft provides for Windows 10 2004 and later. This utility is available for free installation on the Microsoft Store. It is designed to retrieve deleted folders from local storage devices, including internal and external hard drives, memory cards, and USB flash drives, that have an NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, or ReFS partition.

Although Windows File Recovery officially supports a variety of file systems, it is capable of recovering the original folder structures on NTFS partitions and only produces satisfactory recovery results.

Step 1. Download and install the utility from the Microsoft Store.

Step 2. Launch Windows File Recovery and allow it to make changes to your device.

Enter the following command in the Command Prompt (make sure to modify it to fit your data loss situation): winfr source-drive: destination-drive: /n

For example: winfr C: E: /n \Users\\Documents\

This example command recovers the Documents folder from your C: drive to the recovery folder on an E: drive. To recover a different folder, simply change the path. You can also change the source and destination drives.

To sum up

How do I recover a deleted folder in Windows 10? Now it’s not a problem for you. From this post, you can learn 4 ways to recover deleted folder from Windows computer, no matter the loss is accidental or system errors. AOMEI FastRecovery will be your robust data recovery partner to save your data.