How to Scan Hard Drive for Deleted Files on Windows Computer

Can I recover deleted files from hard drive?

You store important files and documents on your computer's hard drive or an external drive, but various risks can lead to data loss, such as accidental deletion, viruses or malware, or a formatted or damaged hard drive. When you press "Shift + Delete," the file is permanently removed from the system, making it impossible to recover using standard methods like "CTRL+Z."

Are you curious if a file can be recovered? Can deleted files be retrieved from a hard drive? The answer is yes! You can scan and recover deleted files from a hard drive.

A common misunderstanding is that when we delete files, they are erased from hard drives. No, when you delete a file from a hard drive, it doesn't get lost. The record, which is a tiny bit of information pointing to where the file is on the hard drive, is the only thing deleted.

This pointer is saved near the beginning of the hard drive, along with pointers for every folder and file on the drive. The operating system uses these points to put together the directory tree structure. The real file can't be seen by the operating system after the pointer file is deleted. You can then write new information over the spot where the old file was. Only if other files don't replace the deleted files on your hard drive are there still chances to get back the deleted files.

This is why we can get back formatted data, lost files, and deleted files. Next, you'll learn how to scan a hard drive for deleted files on Windows 10/11/8/7.

Quick method to scan and recover deleted files from hard drive

No matter when and how you deleted files from your hard drive, the fastest and safest way to recover lost files is to try a professional data recovery tool, especially you happen to permanently empty the Recycle Bin.

You will be unable to directly restore the deleted files if you have ever emptied your Recycle Bin or used the "Shift" + "Delete" keys to irreversibly delete files. Additionally, files that are deleted from external disks are not transferred to the local recycle container; rather, they are deleted directly.

AOMEI FastRecovery is a dependable data recovery software that is specifically engineered to effortlessly scan and recover deleted files from external storage devices and computer hard drives, such as HDDs, SSDs, and SD cards. In this scenario, there is no superior alternative to ADR for Windows.

This utility is equipped with a multitude of features and benefits, which enable it to address the most challenging data loss scenarios:

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.

How to scan hard drive for deleted files

Method 1. Retrieve deleted Files from hard drives with File History

This built-in utility can assist in the recovery of deleted files on Windows and the restoration of previous versions of files and folders if you have enabled File History to back up your files on the hard drive. Returning to the final section to retrieve expunged data using a professional recovery program is more advantageous if File History has not been enabled in Windows.

Step 1. Windows File History can be found in the Control Panel, or you can search in the Windows search box.

Step 2. After entering the File History window, click "Restore personal files" to restore deleted data from the hard drive. You'll find the previous version of the deleted files here.

Step 3. After finding the previous version of the files, you can choose to restore these files to their original place, but we do not recommend that. It is better to save these recovered files to a new location.

Method 2. Recover deleted files from HDD with Back Up and Restore

Step 1. Open the Control Panel first. (You cannot find the Backup and Restore option in the search box.)

Step 2. You can directly click "Back Up and Restore" under the "System and Security" tab.

Step 3. You'll see a "Restore my files" button under the Restore tab. Click the button to restore your hard drive data.

Step 4. You should choose a new location to save these recovered hard drive files. It is better to use a new HDD to save these recovered data, or it is possible to cause further data loss because of overwriting.

To sum up

In reality, the ability to retrieve deleted files from hard drives is a fundamental feature of nearly all dependable data recovery software tools. You have the option to compare and choose the one that you prefer. In addition, it is advisable to back up your critical files to an alternative storage device or hard drive to prevent future data loss. While data recovery is generally beneficial, it is always preferable to avert data loss altogether.