If you’ve accidentally deleted important files and are unsure how to retrieve them, you're in the right place. Here are nine effective ways to help you perform Windows file recovery Windows 11, ensuring you can recover what you thought was permanently gone.
Yes, it is possible to recover permanently deleted files in Windows 11 under certain conditions. When files are deleted, they are not immediately erased from the hard drive. Instead, the system marks the space as available for new data. Until that space is overwritten, recovery tools or techniques can retrieve the files. However, the chances of recovery depend on several factors, such as how much time has passed since deletion and whether new data has been written to the drive.
Some built-in Windows features, like File History or previous versions, can help if enabled beforehand. If these aren’t available, third-party data recovery software can scan the disk for remnants of deleted files and reconstruct them. For more complex cases, such as corrupted drives or formatted partitions, professional recovery services might be required.
Here are six effective methods to recover accidentally deleted photos. Choose the approach that works best for your situation:
Windows 11 retains recently deleted files unless they’ve been permanently removed or the Recycle Bin has been emptied. If the bin hasn’t been cleared, you can access it to retrieve accidentally deleted items and restore them to their original location.
To recover files from the Recycle Bin in Windows 11, right-click on the bin and select "Open". Locate the files you wish to restore, then right-click on them and choose "Restore", or simply drag and drop them to the desired location.
Many Windows 11 users encounter data loss scenarios where deleted files are neither stored on the computer nor backed up for recovery. If this happens, don’t lose hope—shift-deleted files can still be restored with the help of trustworthy data recovery software.
AOMEI FastRecovery offers a professional solution for retrieving lost files on both Windows 11/10/8/7 and Server systems. It supports recovery from various storage devices, including HDDs, SSDs, USB drives, SD cards, pen drives, digital cameras, camcorders, and even music or video players.
Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI FastRecovery. Choose the exact partition or disk where your data is lost and click Scan.
Step 2. Then, the recovery tool starts to scan and search. lt will execute the “Quickly Scan" first to find 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 recovery to end.
Windows provides a free backup tool called File History, which allows users to save backups to an external drive, like a USB device, or a network drive. This feature is recommended for maintaining a reliable backup of important files.
Once enabled on Windows 11, File History creates a comprehensive backup over time. If files are accidentally deleted, corrupted, or damaged, they can be restored from previous versions. Follow these steps to recover files using File History:
Step 1. Open the Control Panel and navigate to "System and Security".
Step 2. Select "File History" from the options.
Step 3. Follow the on-screen instructions to restore your files from previous versions.
Beyond restoring files from backups, Windows File Recovery is a command-line tool designed to retrieve deleted or formatted files from various storage devices, including HDDs, SSDs, USB drives, memory cards, and SD cards. It supports Windows 10 version 2004 and later, as well as Windows 11. However, it’s important to act quickly after file deletion, as the program cannot recover all file types.
To use Windows File Recovery, download the tool from the Microsoft Store and follow these steps:
Step 1. Press the Windows key + X and select "Command Prompt (Admin)" from the menu.
Step 2. In the command prompt, type winfr and press Enter to view the syntax and available options.
Step 3. Specify the drive where the files were deleted and choose a destination for the recovered files. To prevent overwriting, save the recovered files to a different external storage device. Use the following command format:
winfr source-drive: destination-drive: /n file-type /r /f filename
For example, if you need to recover zip files from the Recycle Bin under C: drive to E drive, you need to input commands like:
winfr C: E: /extensive /n \C:\Recycler\*.zip
Step 5. Press Enter to execute the recovery process. Allow time for the operation to complete, as the duration will depend on the size of the files and the condition of the drive.
If files have been permanently deleted and can’t be recovered from the Recycle Bin, you can use Command Prompt to attempt recovery. Follow these steps:
Step 1. Open the Start menu, type cmd, right-click on Command Prompt, and select "Run as administrator".
Step 2. Enter cd and press Enter to move to the root directory.
Step 3. Run the following command to check and fix the specified drive:
chkdsk [drive letter]: /f
For example, if the deleted files were on the C drive, type chkdsk C: /f and press Enter.
Step 4. Use the following command to modify attributes and search for deleted files:
attrib -h -r -s /s /d [drive letter]:*.*
Step 5. Press Enter to execute. The recovered files will appear in a newly created folder on the specified drive.
If you’ve consistently used the Backup and Restore feature, recovering deleted photos from backups is a straightforward process. This tool enables you to back up your entire system or specific folders. Follow these steps to retrieve deleted photos:
Step 1. Go to the Control Panel, and select System and Security > Backup and Restore in turn.
Step 2. Click Restore my files.
Step 3. Click Browse for files to choose the file you want to recover, and then click Next.
Step 4. Specify the saving path for your recovered file, and click Restore.
There are six practical ways to recover deleted files in Windows 11. By default, when you delete files, they are moved to the Recycle Bin, making it easy to restore them. If the files are permanently deleted but you’ve set up backups beforehand, you can use Windows Backup to retrieve the lost data.
However, if no backup is available, AOMEI FastRecovery offers a great alternative. This tool enables data recovery even if you didn’t create backups. Regardless of how the files were deleted, AOMEI FastRecovery can help you recover them quickly and easily. No technical expertise is required, and even computer beginners can use this tool to restore lost files without hassle.