Deleted File Recovery on Windows 11

Windows 11 was more than just an aesthetic and feature update. Microsoft has pushed data security limits to the next level by including TPM 2.0 and UEFI Secure Boot as mandatory requirements for Windows 11.

Manufacturers will likely include Modern Standby and BitLocker encryption in their Windows 11 computers and SSDs with enabled trim command.

In Simple Terms: All these features will ensure great security for your data and difficult for data recovery, You will need to unlock the encryption by providing the correct password, without a correct password you can’t recover data from Windows 11.

It’s a very uncertain ground but we are not saying it is impossible, We have compiled a list of feasible solutions that can get your deleted files back on Windows 11, Some work when your actions are quick and some require to be enabled, and some needs

While data recovery on Windows 11 isn’t guaranteed, it’s not entirely impossible either. We’ve compiled a list of practical solutions to help you recover your deleted files.

Some methods work best if you act quickly, while others require specific features to be enabled. And, yes, some need separate recovery tools.

Choose the approach that clicks with you. Dive in and let’s find your missing data!

8 Ways to Recover Deleted Files on Windows 11

1. Undo Delete

This is a Windows native feature to recover accidentally deleted files, You can Press Ctrl+Z on the same folder to restore the deleted files or right-click on the same folder and choose the Undo Delete option.

This will restore the file as it was, This solution will work only for the files that you deleted on the previous action but not long ago.

2. Recycle Bin

You can locate the deleted files in the Recycle bin and restore them to their original location. The shift-deleted files or the formatted files will not be present here, You need specialized recovery software to recover the data from such cases.

• Open the Recycle bin, select the files and folders, and right-click on it.
• Choose the Restore option.

3. Recover Deleted Files on Windows 11 using Data Recovery Software – SFWare Data Recovery Tool

If you were unable to recover your deleted files through any of the above-mentioned solutions then you will need a specialized data recovery tool like SFware data recovery software to recover the deleted data from Windows 11. The tool is simple, safe, and efficient for performing file recovery on your Windows 11

The chances of recovering the deleted files are higher with any recovery software if they haven’t been overwritten. The tool is compatible with all Windows 11 file systems, including FAT32, NTFS, and exFAT, supporting the recovery of permanently deleted files, or files deleted by CCleaner or other cleaning software,  from Windows 11.

Step 1: Download and Install the SFWare recovery tool.
Step 2: Launch the software, select the drive from which the files were deleted, and click on Start Scan.
(You can also choose a particular folder or Recycle Bin to recover the deleted data)

Step 3: Locate the deleted files in the Lost and Found Files and Lost Partition folders (use the Filter and Search box to make the process easier)

Step 4: Double-click to preview the recovered files.

Step 5: Once the recovery is completed, You can select the files and click on Save to restore them at your preferred locations.

4. Windows File Recovery

Microsoft has its file recovery software, which you can download from the Microsoft Store. The tool features a command-line interface and modes that may be challenging for beginners.

We recommend trying it if you are familiar with this tool or under the assistance of a technical expert.

The command looks like this: winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/mode] [/switches]

To recover the deleted files: Download and Launch the tool and type the command below:

Command to recover photos folder on C drive to E

winfr C: E: /regular /n \Users\<username>\Photos\

You can choose different folders, source drives, and destination drives.

All the above solutions will work without you being required to take up a prior setup of any kind of backup using Windows 11 utilities.

5. Previous Versions

Retrieving deleted files on Windows 11 is easy with features like this and you need to have a backup of your file or folder in the File History or the System Restore feature. Here’s how it’s done:

• Right-click on the folder with deleted files and select Properties.

• Go to the Previous Versions tab, check for the previous versions, and open it to confirm it.
• Select the version of your choice and click on Restore.

6. File History

File History is a built-in backup tool on Windows 11 that backs up folders such as Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos, and the Desktop folder.

You can add other files to these folders if you want a backup of them. This feature is useful when you lose files due to accidental deletion, corruption, or damaged data. However, you must have enabled it before the data loss to use this feature for file recovery on Windows 11.

• Open the Control Panel and search for File History.

• Click on Restore personal files.

 

• Check the timeline, choose the files you would like to get back and click on Recover.

7. Backup and Restore

You can recover using the backup and restore feature on Windows 11 that lets you create an image of the computer.

• Open the Command prompt and search for Backup and Restore.
• Click on Restore My Files
• Click on Browse, choose the files you need, and click on Add.
• Click on Next.
• Click on Restore to save the files in their original location or specify the new location and then click on Restore.

8. Secondary Backup

If you have taken a backup in a cloud storage Like Onedrive, Google Drive Dropbox, etc, or any other physical drive you can recover deleted files from it as well.

Command Prompt for “Data Recovery on Windows 11”

With the command prompt, You are not exactly performing deleted file recovery instead you are fixing issues that stop you from accessing the files.

NOTE: While this tool won’t fix all the errors on your device, it can identify and repair common logical errors and save you from data loss.

1. CHKDSK

This command scans the file system detects errors like directory errors, bad sectors, and cross-linked files, and repairs them

• Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
• Type: chkdsk D: /r (Replace D with your drive letter) and press Enter.

This will scan and repair the drive and fix minor errors in it.

2. ATTRIB

This command will change the attribute of the file if it is set to hide from malware attacks.

• Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
• Type: attrib -h -r -s /s /d D:\*.* (Replace D with your drive letter) and press Enter

Tips to Protect Your Files on Windows 11.

Apart from the universal solution of backing up files, here are some other things that you can do to protect your data:

Confirm Before Deleting: Keep an eye on when you press the delete key or while clicking on yes while deleting multiple files or cleaning up the drive.
Enable Backup features: Make use of features like File History to keep a backup of the files ready at all times.
Set Read-only: Mark important files and folders as read-only to avoid data tampering and deletion.
Antivirus: Keep Updating the Windows Defender or Install a reliable antivirus tool to keep the data safe from viruses and malware attacks.
Data Recovery Software: In case of corruption issues or formatting issues you can use reliable data recovery software as a part of a data management tool.

Conclusion:

Windows 11 is indeed a very big step up from Windows 10 apart from the data recovery that is very difficult in the new OS, You can recover the deleted files only if you act fast.

We hope any solutions listed in this article helped you get your deleted files back on your Windows 11 computer.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Where do deleted files go in Windows 11?
The regularly deleted files will be in the Recycle Bin, and the shift-deleted files won’t be present there, you will need a data recovery tool to recover them back.

2. Can I recover deleted files on Windows 11 without software?
You can recover deleted files using:
– Recycle Bin.
– Undo feature.
– File History.

3. How to recover unsaved Word documents on Windows 11?
You can use features like Autosave and AutoRecovery to save unsaved Word documents, it applies to Deleted Excel and PPT files as well.