How to Recover Deleted Files from NTFS Partition/Drive/External Hard Drive/Formatted NTFS Drive

Updated on Jun 13, 2024 | by Edwards

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Part 1. How to Recover Deleted Files from NTFS Drive
Method 1. Restore Deleted Files from Recycle Bin
Method 2. Use the Command Prompt to Recover Files from NTFS Partition/Drive
Method 3. Use Software to Retrieve Deleted Files from NTFS Partition/Drive
Part 2. FAQ for Data Recovery from NTFs File System
1. How to Recover Files from Formatted NTFS Drive
2. Is It Possible to Recover Files from Damaged/Corrupted/Crashed NTFS drive?
3. What Is the NTFS File System?

Yes, it is possible to restore deleted files from an NTFS partition. You can use data recovery software to scan the NTFS drive and recover deleted files. Some popular options include EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, Recuva, and Disk Drill. These tools can help you recover files that were deleted due to accidental deletion, formatting, or other reasons. However, the success of the recovery depends on various factors, such as the type of file, the amount of data written over the deleted files, and the condition of the NTFS drive.

You can recover deleted files from an NTFS file system, whether it's an internal NTFS partition on a Windows PC, an NTFS external hard drive, or a formatted NTFS drive. The process can be performed on NTFS partitions, external hard drives, formatted, corrupted, or damaged drives, and the following guide will walk you through the steps to recover files from these types of NTFS storage devices.

Part 1. How to Recover Deleted Files from NTFS Drive

Method 1. Restore Deleted Files from Recycle Bin

If you've deleted files from an NTFS partition or drive on your computer, start by checking the Recycle Bin to retrieve the deleted files.

Click the recycle bin to open it.
Scroll down to find the deleted files from the NTFS partition.
Select the desired files, click "Restore", and the NTFS files will be recovered.

Method 2. Use the Command Prompt to Recover Files from NTFS Partition/Drive

If it hasn't been too long since you deleted files from an NTFS partition or drive, you can try using the Command Prompt (CMD) to recover the data. This method may be effective if the files were deleted recently, as the operating system may still have a record of their location on the disk.

Press Win+R > type cmd > press Enter
The command to run a check disk on a specific drive is: chkdsk "drive letter" /f. To run this command, open the Command Prompt, type "chkdsk [drive letter] /f" and press Enter.
To get the command lines back, hold down the Y key until they reappear.
C:\ (or whatever drive letter you're using) Press Enter. This will open the Command Prompt and you'll be able to see the files that have vanished.
To recover deleted files from an NTFS partition, you can use the command [drive letter]:\attrib –h –r –s /s /d *.*. This command will restore the hidden, read-only, and system attributes to all files and subfolders on the drive, effectively recovering deleted files.

Please replace the "drive letter" with the real NTFS hard drive letter.

Method 3. Use Software to Retrieve Deleted Files from NTFS Partition/Drive

When files are deleted from an NTFS disk, they are not truly lost until the space they occupied is reused by the operating system. In the meantime, NTFS data recovery software can help restore access to the deleted files by re-establishing the logical connection to the data. This means that as long as the deleted files have not been overwritten, NTFS disk recovery software can recover them with just a few clicks.

Click the DOWNLOAD button to get the latest version of the NTFS data recovery software. Once downloaded, double-click the .exe file to install it on your PC. This top-rated hard drive recovery software is fully compatible with Windows PCs and operating systems.

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Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

When you open the app, a window will appear. Choose which NTFS drive you wish to scan. To scan the NTFS partition or drive, click the "Scan" button. The software will begin scanning the NTFS hard drive to recover the data from the NTFS file system.

how to recover deleted files from ntfs partition

The software will scan the NTFS partition for missing or deleted files, which takes a few minutes. After the scan, you can view and filter the files. Select the file type you want to recover and click "Recover" to save the files on your computer.

Part 2. FAQ for Data Recovery from NTFs File System

1. How to Recover Files from Formatted NTFS Drive

When an NTFS drive is formatted, the data is not erased, but rather the space becomes accessible for new data. To recover files from a formatted NTFS drive, you can use data recovery software to scan the drive and retrieve the old data.

Stop using the NTFS drive/partition immediately to prevent overwriting existing data, as data recovery applications may not be able to retrieve data from a formatted NTFS hard drive.
Download Deep Data Recovery on your computer, launch the NTFS data recovery software, click "Next", select the formatted NTFS hard drive to scan, and then click "Scan". After the scan, you can preview and recover files from the formatted hard drive.

2. Is It Possible to Recover Files from Damaged/Corrupted/Crashed NTFS drive?

If the NTFS drive is damaged, corrupted, or crashed, the data recovery process may vary depending on the extent of the damage. However, in general, the process involves using specialized software or hardware tools to scan the drive, identify recoverable data, and copy it to a safe location.

If the NTFS hard drive is physically damaged, try to clone it to another external hard drive first. You can find a YouTube video on how to do this at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F2nh35jq58.
If the damaged NTFS hard drive can't be recognized by your computer, contact the seller to have it repaired.
If your NTFS hard drive is corrupted or crashed, start by formatting it or using Windows' built-in hard disk tools to fix it. Once that's done, try using Deep Data Recovery to recover your files from the damaged drive.

3. What Is the NTFS File System?

NTFS (New Technology File System) is the standard file system for Windows operating systems, offering advantages such as large file transfer and file encryption. Its benefits also include the ability to work on multiple file operations simultaneously, making it ideal for handling large amounts of data. This makes NTFS a valuable tool for PC users dealing with data storage issues.