[Solved]: How to Recover Lost Hard Drive Files

Can I Recover Lost Files from Hard Drives?

Hard drive is an important tool we use everyday to store data such as operating system, applications, files and folders. But sometimes, the data on the drive may be lost suddenly, disrupting our work progress. Luckily, there are several effective ways to help us recover lost hard drive files. If you also encounter similar problems, read this post to learn these solutions and choose the one that suits you to try?

5 Ways to Manually Recover Lost Hard Drive Files

Hard drive data loss can be caused by a variety of reasons, such as accidental deletion, sudden drive formatting or system errors. This section will introduce five manual methods to recover lost files on hard drives. By following these steps, you can easily retrieve your files and avoid permanent data loss.

Method 1. Check the Recycle Bin

The easiest way to recover files is from the Recycle Bin. By default, deleted files are moved to the Recycle Bin and remain there until they are permanently deleted. Therefore, if you change your mind, you can easily get them back. Follow the steps below to recover files from the Recycle Bin:

Step 1: Double-click the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop.

Step 2: Locate the file that you want to restore.

Step 3: Right-click on it and select the Restore option. Then your file will return to its original location.

Method 2. Recover Files on Hard Drive Files via File History

Although recovering lost files from the Recycle Bin is effective, it doesn’t always work. If your files are permanently deleted, it is advised to recover them from backups. Windows offers the File History feature to save multiple versions of your file and allows you to restore it to an early version when needed. If you have enabled this feature beforehand, try to restore your file from previous versions:

Here’s how to recover lost data from a hard disk via File History:

Step 1: Press Windows + R and type control; then hit the Enter key to open the Control Panel.

Step 2: Select System and Security > File History.

Step 3: Click Restore personal files.

Step 4: Choose the files you want to recover, and then click the Recover button.

Method 3. Recover Lost Files from Backups

In addition to File History, you can use the Backup and Restore feature in Windows to back up your files. This feature helps you to easily create copies of your files or your entire system and provides recovery options in case of data loss or hard drive issues.

Here’s how to recover lost files on a hard drive from backups:

Step 1: Press Windows + R and type control; then hit the Enter key to open the Control Panel.

Step 2: Select System and Security > Backup and Restore.

Step 3: Click Restore my files to get back permanently deleted files.

Step 4: Click Browse for files to find the files you want to restore, then click Next.

Step 5: Choose a location to save the recovered files and click Restore to start the process.

Method 4. Recover Lost Hard Drive Files Using Windows File Recovery

What if there are no backups? How to recover files from hard drives in this situation? Take it easy! Using Windows File Recovery to recover lost hard drive files is also a good option. It is a practical data recovery tool to retrieve deleted files from various storage devices, including HDDs. Here are the detailed steps for doing that:

Step 1: Download Windows File Recovery from the Microsoft Store and run it as an administrator.

Step 2: Type the following command and hit the Enter key.

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

Step 3: Wait for the process to complete and check if your files have been restored.

Method 5. Use CHKDSK to Restore Hard Drive Files

Sometimes, files are lost because of system errors on the hard drive. For example, file system corruption may cause the operating system to be unable to locate your files. Don't worry, the CHKDSK utility in Windows can detect and fix common hard drive problems and help you to access your lost files again. You can follow the steps below:

Step 1: Press Windows + S and type cmd in the search bar.

Step 2: Run the Command Prompt as an administrator.

Step 3: Type the command: chkdsk C: /f /r and hit the Enter key. Replace "C" with the letter of the drive.

Step 4: After running the command, check if your files have been restored.

An Excellent Tool to Recover Lost Hard Drive Files

If none of these manual methods work for you, consider using data recovery software like AOMEI FastRecovery to recover lost files from hard drives. This tool stands out for its advanced technology and user-friendly design, making it easy to locate and recover lost data to its original location. Even if your hard drive has crashed, you can still attempt to restore your data with this software, as long as it hasn’t been overwritten.

★Why choose this tool:

Highly effective in addressing a wide range of data loss scenarios, including accidental deletion, system errors, sudden formatting or other problems.  

Supports data recovery from HDD, SSD, USB flash drive, SD card and other common storage devices.  

Compatible with almost all Windows versions, including Windows 11/10/8/7 and Windows Server.  

Provides file preview function before recovery to ensure that you are recovering the right files.  

Here’s how to recover lost files from hard drives using AOMEI FastRecovery:

Step 1: Install AOMEI FastRecovery and launch it; then choose the partition or disk where your files were saved.

Step 2: Scan your disk for the lost files. It has two modes, Quick Scan and Deep Scan, that allow you to search for lost data thoroughly.

Step 3: Once the scan is complete, all missing files will be displayed. Select the files you want to retrieve and click the Recover option.

Step 4: Choose a location to save the recovered files and wait for the process to finish.

Bonus Tip: How to Prevent File Loss on Hard Drives

Now that you know how to recover lost data from hard disks, let's discuss how to prevent further file loss. Here are a few suggestions you can refer to:

► Regularly back up your essential files to a reliable storage device, such as an external hard disk or cloud service.  

► If you use an external hard disk, avoid physical damage and eject it properly after each use.  

► Keep at least 10-15% free space on your hard disk to avoid overloading problems.  

► Regularly check your hard disk with a professional antivirus tool to prevent virus and malware attacks.

Final Words

It is common to lose files when using hard drives. How can we recover lost files from hard drives? This post provides several practical methods to restore your files. However, we highly recommend using the professional recovery software like AOMEI FastRecovery, since it can address various data loss issues on hard drives. Hope you can restore your data successfully!