How to Recover Deleted Files in Windows 11 in 9 Ways

Deleting files is one of the most common operations on Windows 11. Have you ever deleted a file you thought you wouldn't need, only to discover weeks later that you were searching for it again?

If you want to recover deleted files Windows 11, this operation has some excellent tricks that can help you undelete files on Windows 11 and retrieve items you thought were lost forever.

Common File Loss Issues in Windows 11

There are many causes of file loss in Windows 11, some of which are hard to anticipate. Drawing from many Windows 11 users' encounters with lost files, the following is a summary of common issues I've encountered:

😨Accidental Deletion	In Windows 11, it's common for users to delete important files or data accidentally. This can happen when cleaning up the system to free up space or mistakenly selecting the wrong files when intending to delete something else.
🗑️Empty Recycle Bin	Users often empty the Recycle Bin on Windows 11 to free up space, but this can lead to data loss if the files weren't meant to be permanently deleted. Once the Recycle Bin is emptied, the files are removed from the system and cannot be easily retrieved.
❌Use Shift Delete	In Windows 11, using the Shift + Delete command permanently deletes files, bypassing the Recycle Bin. It's common for users to apply this command without realizing the files won't be recoverable from the Recycle Bin.
📱Software Issues	Data loss can occur on Windows 11 due to software issues like system crashes, application malfunctions, or software conflicts. Such incidents can lead to unintended modifications, file corruption, or deletion.
🔨Physical Damage of Storage Devices	Windows 11, like any other OS, can experience data loss due to physical damage to the system's storage devices. This could be due to a hard drive failure, damage to the device, or other hardware-related issues which may make the data unreadable.
⏫Upgrading Error	Data loss can occur if the upgrade to Windows 11 isn't carried out correctly. Interruptions during the upgrade, such as power failure or system crashes, can result in file loss.
⚙️System Restore or Factory Reset	When users perform a system restore or factory reset on Windows 11, all the data on the system can be wiped out to restore the system to its original state. Users may lose their personal files, applications, and settings.
◀️Windows 11 Insider Program Rollbacks	For users who participate in the Windows 11 Insider Program to test beta versions of the operating system, rolling back to a previous stable version can lead to data loss.

In the 9 ways below, we'll examine the most practical methods for retrieving erased files on Windows 11 because every method differs in a data loss scenario.

1. 1. Recover from a Recycle Bin
2. 2. Undelete Files with Recovery Software
3. 3. Use File History on Windows 11
4. 4. Use Windows File Recovery Tool
5. 5. Try Undo Delete Feature
6. 6. Restore Windows 11 with CMD
7. 7. Recover from Older Backup
8. 8. Windows 11 Recovery from Local Backups
9. 9. Retrieve Lost Data from a Cloud Backup

Recover Deleted Files in Windows 11 from Recycle Bin

In Windows 11, the system keeps recently deleted files. Unless you have permanently deleted them or emptied the Recycle Bin without checking the items, you can open it and find the accidentally deleted files. If you haven't emptied it, you can recover deleted files from the Recycle Bin to their original location.

To recover the Recycle Bin in Windows 11, right-click on it and select "Open." Find the files you want to recover. Right-click the file, choose "Restore," or drag and drop it anywhere to restore it.

If you need to restore multiple files, choose "Restore the selected items" or "Restore all items" on the top toolbar.

Undelete Files on Windows 11 with Data Recovery Software

The real data loss situation many Windows 11 users face when searching for how to recover deleted files is that the deleted files are neither on the computer nor have backup files available for recovery. In this case, don't be discouraged. You can recover shift deleted files by using reliable data recovery software.

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is professional for undeleting files from your Windows and Mac computers. It supports recovering deleted files from all storage devices, such as HDD, SSD, USB drive, pen drive, SD card, digital camera, camcorder, video player, music player, and more.

Free download of EaseUS Windows 11 data recovery software to recover deleted files in Windows 11 in three steps.

Step 1. Choose the exact file location and then click the "Search for Lost Data" button to continue.

Step 2. After the process, locate the deleted or lost files in the left panel using the "Path" or "Type" feature. Or, you can apply the "Filter" feature to find the deleted files.

Step 3. Click the "Recover" button and save the restored files – ideally, it should be different from the original one. You can choose a cloud storage, such as OneDrive, Google Drive, etc., and click "Save" to save your recovered files.

If you still have problems, watch this Windows 11 file recovery video.

• 00:00 - Lost Windows 11 Files
• 01:13 - Recover Files with Recycle Bin
• 01:59 - Restore Files with File History
• 03:39 - Run EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard

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Restore Deleted Files on Windows 11 Using File History

Windows offers users a free backup utility - File History and recommends that users back up files to an externally connected drive, such as a USB drive, or you can save them to a drive on a network.

Once you enable File History on Windows 11, you'll have a complete backup of your files over time. When you accidentally delete important files, or if the original files are corrupted or damaged, you can restore them from previous versions.

Step 1. Connect the external storage device that contains backup files to your computer.

Step 2. Open the Control Panel box. Select "System and Security". 

Step 3. Click "File History" from the results list.

Step 4. Take the following instructions to restore files in Windows 11 from previous versions. 

Recover Deleted Files Windows 11 with Windows File Recovery

In addition to restoring lost files from backup, you can use Windows File Recovery, a command-line tool that helps to recover deleted or formatted files from HDD, SSD, USB flash drives, memory cards, and even SD cards. Windows File Recovery supports Windows 10 2004 and above, including Windows 11.

You should note that this program can't recover all lost file types, and you need to apply it as soon as possible after the files have been removed. Download the app from the Microsoft Store. Then, follow these basic steps:

Step 1. Press the Windows key + X and select"Command Prompt (Admin)" from the listed results.

Step 2. Type winfr into the command prompt and press Enter. This will display all the syntax and options for using the Windows File Recovery tool.

Step 3. Configure the drive from which the files were deleted and identify where you want to keep the restored files. To avoid overwriting, it is recommended that you use another external storage device to save the recovered files.

Use the command below to recover files from a specific drive:

winfr source-drive: destination-drive: /n file-type /r /f filename

Step 4. Press Enter to execute the command and wait patiently for the recovery to finish. The time required for recovery depends on the file size and disk health.

Try Undo Delete Feature on Windows 11

The Undo Delete feature is a quick and easy solution for recovering accidentally deleted files on Windows 11.

If you've just deleted a file and want to get it back, right-click in the folder where the file was and select "Undo Delete" or press "CTRL + Z." If you haven't made any other changes since deleting the file, it will be restored to its original location.

Restore Deleted Files Windows 11 with CMD

If you have permanently deleted files and can't recover them from the Recycle Bin, you can try restoring them with Command Prompt. Here are the steps:

Step 1. Open the Start menu, type cmd, then right-click on the Command Prompt and select "Run as administrator".

Step 2. Type cd and press Enter to navigate to the root directory.

Step 3. Type chkdsk drive letter: /f' and hit Enter. (e.g., If the deleted file is on the C drive, type chkdsk C: /f)

Step 4. Next, type ATTRIB -H -R -S /S /D "drive letter":. and press Enter.

Step 5. This command will recover the deleted files to a new folder on the specified drive.

Recover Permanently Deleted Files from Older Backup

Windows 11 has a built-in feature called File History that allows you to restore files from an older backup. Here's how to use it:

Step 1. To access settings, press Windows Key + I. Then, select "System" > "Recovery."

Step 2. Select the "Restart Now" button from the recovery choices.

Step 3. Go to Advanced Options> See more recovery options > System Image Recovery.

Windows 11 File Recovery from Local Backups

If you've created local backups of your files on an external drive, you can recover deleted files from there:

• Connect the external drive containing the backup to your computer.
• Navigate to "Settings" > "Update & Security" > "Backup".
• Click "More options" under "Back up using File History".
• Click "Restore files from a current backup".

Retrieve Lost Data from a Cloud Backup

OneDrive, Microsoft's cloud backup service, is built into Windows 11. If you've backed up your data to a cloud service, you can easily recover deleted files:

• Log in to your OneDrive account.
• Click the "Recycle Bin" on the left pane to display all deleted files.
• Find the file you wish to recover, right-click on it, and select "Restore".

Where Do Deleted Files Go on Windows 11

When you delete files in the above ways, you only remove the entry, not the files themselves. The Windows operating system marks the space available but does not completely erase files. They are still there somewhere.

If you must undelete Windows 11, stop using your device to avoid overwriting data. Then, take any of the following methods to recover deleted files on Windows 11. Each plan is written down when it is applicable. Choose what works best for you. 

Recover Deleted Files in Windows 11 FAQs

If you have any other questions about undeleting files on Windows 11, check out the following frequently asked questions.  

1. Are deleted files gone forever in Windows 11?

When you delete a file, it isn't gone forever. Normally, the deleted files will go to the Recycle Bin. Even if you emptied it or the deleted files bypassed it, they are still on your hard drive. However, you can't see them. You can use powerful data recovery software to recover files.

2. How to recover permanently deleted files in Windows 11?

You have two ways to restore permanently deleted files in Windows 11:

• Restore from backups that come from File History
• Retrieve permanently lost files or folders by using data recovery software

Check the above step-by-step tutorial.

3. How to recover permanently deleted files in Windows 11 using CMD?

You can recover permanently deleted files in Windows 11 using CMD with Windows File Recovery. You can launch CMD and input the Winfr syntax to get data back. However, this tool is suitable for pros, as wrong commands may lead to more data loss and worsen things.

It is recommended that you apply a user-friendly file recovery tool, like the EaseUS data recovery program, that allows you to get lost files for accidental deletion, hard drive formatting/corruption, or partition loss in simple steps.

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Conclusion

There are four practical solutions to recover deleted files in Windows 11. If you delete files, they will go to the Recycle Bin, and you can restore files easily. If the data is permanently lost and you've created backups before, you can use Windows backup to retrieve files.

EaseUS data recovery software supports data recovery without backup. No matter how you delete files, you can use this tool to get them back quickly. No technical skill is needed. Even if you are new to a computer, you can recover data.