Step-by-Step: How to Recover Deleted Files from Windows Server 2012 (R2)

User Case:

"I accidentally deleted an important folder from our Windows Server 2012. It contains critical business documents and financial records that are essential for our operations. What steps can I take to recover it? Or is there any tool available?"

Nowadays, data integrity is becoming increasingly crucial in our lives, affecting us in many aspects. But it is inevitable to lose something useful during the heavy task processing, such as essential files or folders.

Have you ever experienced that before? No worry. File deletion is one of the most common issues that hundreds and thousands of users encounter in daily use. If you are suffering from recovering deleted files from Windows Server, please read this article to learn how to recover deleted files from Windows Server 2012 (R2).

Why Files Were Deleted from Windows Servers

Windows Server is an operating system, specifically designed to manage and control computer networks within businesses and organizations. It provides users with multiple essential services, including user management, application deployment, and file storage.

Sometimes, even a single file missing from Windows Server may also have a severe impact on all devices connected to the network. To recover deleted files from Windows Servers, we have to know the reasons why it happened first.

There are various reasons that may cause file loss on Windows Server, including:

Human Error - Most file loss is caused by human errors. Users or administrators may accidentally press the delete key or unintentionally format devices, ultimately leading to files being removed from the server.

Software Bug - Errors or flaws in a software program may cause significant data loss, including the unintentional deletion of files.

File System Issue - Hardware failures, operating system errors, or sudden power outages may all lead to file system crashes, which have a severe impact on file structure and integrity.

Virus Attack - Viruses and malware both pose a significant threat to our data integrity. Your files might be deleted or corrupted on account of certain viruses.

How to Recover Deleted Files from Windows Server 2012 (R2)

Have you lost crucial files due to the reasons mentioned above? Take it easy. In this section, three effective and practical ways will be introduced to recover deleted files on Windows Server 2012.

Recover Deleted Files through Recycle Bin

In general, most deleted files will be stored temporarily in Recycle Bin. When you find that essential files or folders are lost, check your Recycle Bin first. 

You can easily recover missing content by the following steps:

Step 1: Open the Recycle Bin.

Step 2: Select the files you want to recover. 

Step 3: Right-click on the files and click the Restore option. Just wait until the desired files are restored to their original locations.

If you fail to find your missing files in Recycle Bin, they may be permanently deleted. Please try the other two ways to return them back.

Recover Deleted Files via Previous Version

Recovering deleted files from Windows Server using the Previous Version feature is a good option if you didn’t find them in Recycle Bin. This method allows users to restore files or folders to an earlier state on Windows Server with ease. Before proceeding, you have to ensure that the feature is enabled and the restore points have been created earlier. The specific recovery steps are as follows:

Step 1: Go to File Explore and navigate to the location of missing files.

Step 2: Right-click the folder or directory, and then select Properties on the context menu.

Step 3: Select the Previous Versions tab; browse through the list of previous versions.  

Step 4: Choose a desired version and click on the Restore button to recover it.

Recover Deleted Files from Windows Server Using Software

In addition to the methods above, you can also recover deleted files using reliable data recovery software.

Here, I would like to introduce you to a powerful data recovery expert—AOMEI FastRecovery, designed to assist users in quickly locating and recovering deleted, corrupted, and lost data on Windows 11/10/8/7 and Windows Servers. Furthermore, AOMEI FastRecovery has broad support for a variety of file formats and can retrieve data from a wide range of storage devices, including PCs, hard drives, SD cards, and USB drives.

Benefits:

User-Friendly: The easy-to-use interface guides users through a smooth, sequential recuperation process, regardless of experience. 

Fast and Efficient: With its high performance, users are able to locate and recover missing files within the shortest time.

High Success Rate: Supports effectively recovering various files on devices with a high success rate.

Secure and Reliable: A professional data recovery expert ensures that your data is 100% safe.

Let's use AOMEI FastRecovery to recover deleted files on Windows Server 2012.

Step 1: Download and install AOMEI FastRecovery, and then choose the exact partition or disk where your files are located.

Step 2: Scan your disk to find the deleted files. It offers two modes, "Quick Scan" and "Deep Scan", which are designed to find lost content comprehensively.

Step 3: Upon scanning completion, missing files will be displayed. Kindly choose the one you want to restore and then click Recover. Remember to preview it before proceeding with the recovery.

Step 4: Specify a path for it. Just wait a short time until the procedure is complete.

Tips to Avoid File Loss on Windows Server

Regular Backup:

Implementing a regular data backup can greatly minimize the risk of losing essential content. AOMEI Backupper Standard, a completely free data backup software, offers robust support for backing up files, folders, systems, partitions, and entire disks, protecting everything valuable to you.

Security Measures:

To prevent accidental data loss, it is recommended to use strong passwords, implement access controls, and regularly update security patches to enhance device security.

Conclusion

In this post, we've covered the reasons why files are missing from Windows Server and how to recover deleted files from Windows Server 2012 (R2). The AOMEI FastRecovery tool mentioned in the article offers reliable data recovery, ensuring that our data remains safe and accessible. To maximize your recovery experience, think about using AOMEI FastRecovery if the other two approaches don't work for you in recovering lost files. What’s more, consider using AOMEI Backupper Standard to further protect the security of your data.