How to Extract and Restore Specific/Individual Files from Windows 10/8/7 Backups

Summary

Need a simple way to find specific files from your Windows image backups? Don’t know how to extract individual files or folder from Windows 10/8/7 backups? Don’t worry. You can follow this article to restore single file or folder from Windows backup with Windows Backup and Recovery tool or file recovery software with simple clicks on your own.

"Hi guys, do you know how can I recover or extract single specific files from Windows image backups? 

I'm having this issue that I lost very important document file in my PC and I've tried many ways to restore it. But the problem is that I've saved new files to the storage devices where I lost the file. Yes, the document has been overwritten. 
I remembered that I've created a Windows backup in my PC before losing the document. So I want to know if I can recover or extract a specific file from Windows backup? And how?"

As we all know that Windows Backup and Recovery tool can help us create a system image with simple clicks. And important files, folders, and even whole partition data can also be backed up as images by using Windows Backup and Recovery tool. So can we extract or restore specific or individual files from Windows backup? Sure! Here below, you'll find two effective methods to extract individual files from Windows image backup and you may just follow to restore wanted files from your Windows 10/8/7 backups now:

Method 1. Restore specific files from Windows 10/8/7 backup

Here in this method, we'd love to recommend you try powerful file recovery software from EaseUS which allows you to effectively find and restore specific files from Windows 10/8/7 backups within 3 simple steps:

Before you start finding specific files from Windows PC with EaseUS file recovery software, you have one more thing to be done - to mount Windows backup image:

For Windows10/8/8.1 users:
1. Type: Computer Management in the search box and hit Enter.
2. Go to "Actions" > Select Attach VHD.
3. Click "Browse" to navigate your Windows Backup files > Select the drive you want to attach and click Open.
4. Windows will attach the Virtual Hard Drive VHSDX file as a new drive with a light blue icon.
If there is no drive letter attached to this drive, assign it with a new letter so to make it accessible by right-clicking the virtual drive partition and select "Change Drive Letter and Path..."
5. Now you can access the virtual drive and find wanted files from it. 

For Windows 7 users:
1. Open Disk Management > Click Action > Select Attach VHD.
2. Click Browse > Locate the Windows image backup files with the .vhd file extension.
3. The mounted VHD Windows image will appear as a new drive in your PC, select Open folder to view files when AutoPlay appears.
4. You can browse to find specific files from the Windows backup image by then.

If you don't want to search and find files one by one to find the specific files among a huge number of Windows backup files, your best shot is to let EaseUS file recovery software help. It will scan and find your target files within 3 simple clicks:

If the files are less than 2GB, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free Edition will do the job.

Step 1. Connect your device to PC.

If you lost files on an external storage device, connect the storage device to your computer firstly.

Step 2. Run this software and scan the lost file.

Run EaseUS file recovery software - Data Recovery Wizard on your PC, specify the location where you lost files and click "Scan" to scan those lost files.

Step 3. Preview and restore file.

After the scanning, you can find and double-click to preview your lost files here:

• Delete Files: All your deleted files are listed here.
• Drive (with your device name): It loads all lost files here.
• Lost Partition Files: Check first if your hard drive is formatted or partition gets deleted.
• Extra Files: All files that lost names or paths on your drive can be found here.

Step 4. Choose and restore files.

Finally, select the found files, click "Recover" and navigate to save them to a secure location on your PC or another external storage device.

After this, you can directly use the restored files from Windows backup images without any problems. 
Note: Do remember to unmount the Windows image backups by right-clicking the virtual drive and select Detach VHD in Disk Management.

Method 2. Extract individual files from Windows backup

For Windows 10/8/8.1 users:
1. Click Start > Settings > Update & security.
2. Click Backup > More options > Scroll down the page and click "Restore files from a current backup".

3. Browse through different versions of backups and search by name to find the files or folder you are looking for;
4. Select the specific files you want to restore and tap or click Restore to restore the file to its original location.

For Windows 7 users:
1. Click Start > Type: backup and select Backup and Restore.
2. Click "Restore My Files" > Locate and find the individual files or folders you want to restore and click Next.
3. Select the location where you want to restore the target files to;
4. Choose what to do with any pre-existing copy of files: Copy and Replace, Don't Copy or Copy, but keep both files;
5. View restored files and click Finish to close the dialog box.