Where Can I Find Deleted Files on Windows 11/10

You can find deleted files on Windows 11/10 in the following locations: the Recycle Bin, the File History folder, and the System Restore folder. The Recycle Bin is the most common place to find deleted files, but the File History folder and System Restore folder may also contain deleted files, especially if you have enabled these features on your Windows device. You can access these locations through the File Explorer or by searching for them in the Start menu.

They're in the recycle bin.
They are deleted and can be recovered with a file recovery tool, such as Deep Data Recovery.
They are permanently deleted and you can't find them forever.

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You can recover deleted files on your computer if you know the right steps to take. Sometimes you may delete a file and need it again someday, or Windows PC may delete your files without your knowledge. Corrupted files or malware may equally delete them, so data recovery is an essential skill to learn.

Where Can I Find Deleted Files on Windows 11/10?

To recover deleted files in Windows, check the Recycle Bin first, and if the file is not there, you may need to perform a file recovery process.

Quick Navigation: Method 1: Restore Deleted Files from the Recycle Bin; Method 2: Find deleted Files on Your Computer with Software (100% effective)

Method 1: Restore Deleted Files from the Recycle Bin

In computer science, a recycle bin is a temporary storage for files that have been deleted from the computer but not permanently erased, allowing for easy restoration or permanent deletion. It's the first place to check when files seem to be missing.

How to find and restore deleted files from the recycle bin

If you're wondering where to find deleted files on your Windows 10, the first step is to check the Recycle Bin. If you've accidentally deleted a file, it's likely still there, waiting to be restored. To find deleted files and restore them, follow these steps: [insert steps here].

To access the Recycle bin, locate its icon on the desktop, right-click on it, and select "Open" or double-click on it.
To recover a deleted file, start by locating the file on your computer. If you can't find it on your computer, check the recycle bin. If the file has been deleted, it should be in the recycle bin.
Restore the file. Right-To restore a file, click on the file you want to restore and choose "Restore" from the options. Alternatively, you can double-click on the file and select "Restore" from the menu.

where can i find deleted documents on my computer

To restore a deleted file from the recycle bin, follow these steps: go to the recycle bin, select the file you want to restore, right-click on it, and choose "Restore." This will move the file back to its original location on your computer.

Note: When a file is deleted and sent to the recycle bin, it stays there for 30 days before being automatically deleted, freeing up space. This is because deleted files still occupy some space, so the system deletes them after 30 days to reclaim space. To avoid losing files deleted by mistake, it's a good idea to regularly check the recycle bin.

If you can't find the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop, you can find it in the "This PC" (or "Computer") section of the File Explorer, or by searching for "Recycle Bin" in the Start menu. To put it on the desktop, simply drag and drop the Recycle Bin icon from the File Explorer or Start menu to the desktop. Alternatively, you can right-click on the desktop and select "Personalize," then click on "Themes" and finally click on "Desktop icon settings" to add the Recycle Bin icon to the desktop.

On some Windows 11/10 computers, the recycle bin may not appear as an icon on the desktop, making it difficult to recover files. However, there are three ways to restore the recycle bin: (insert the three methods here).

1: Using Desktop Icon Settings

To access the "Settings" on your Windows computer, follow these steps: Click on the "Start" button, which can be found on the left-hand side of the screen, or press the Windows key on your keyboard. This will open the Start menu, where you can find various options, including "Settings".
Choose "Personalization" then proceed to "Themes".
Right-click on the desktop, select "Personalize", and then choose "Themes".
From "Themes", proceed to "Desktop Icon setting".
Select the recycle bin checkbox if it's not checked and click "Apply".

2: Tablet mode options

To start, click on the Start button or press the Windows key on your keyboard. Then, navigate to the "Settings" option.
In settings, go to "System" then select "Tablet mode".
Once you arrive at the tablet mode, you will see two options: "Hide app icons on the taskbar in tablet mode" and "automatically hide the taskbar in tablet mode".
When both options are disabled, desktop icons will be displayed as expected.

3: Create a Recycle bin shortcut

To create a recycle bin shortcut on the desktop, right-click on an empty space on the desktop, select "New" and then "Shortcut". In the "Create Shortcut" window, type `C:\Windows\System32\recycle.bin` and click "Next".

Open "File Explorer", Go to "View" and select "Option".
Go to "Folder options", then select "View" and choose "Show hidden files, folders and drives" to view hidden files and folders.
Click on "Apply" then "OK".
Go back to File Explorer and navigate to the drive where Windows is installed.
Right-To create a shortcut to the Desktop on the Recycle Bin, click on the Recycle Bin and select the "Desktop" option from the context menu that appears. This will create a shortcut to the Desktop on the Recycle Bin.

The shortcut will allow you to do everything the original desktop icons do, so you don't have to worry about it.

Method 2: Find deleted Files on Your Computer with Software

If you can't find your deleted files in the recycle bin, they may have been permanently deleted. You can try using a third-party software called Deep Data Recovery to recover lost data. This software can scan any type of Windows-based hard drive or external hard drive, and recover all types of files without destroying any data.

It has important features like:

Deleted file recovery on Windows or macOS
Formatted drive recovery
RAW drive recovery
Partition recovery
Files recovery in other scenarios such as virus attacks.

These features help you recover data lost in different ways, for different drives, and can be helpful in different situations. Download the best file recovery software to find deleted files on Windows 11/10.

Choose the location to scan

After launching the data recovery software, choose a location in your computer where you want to find a deleted or hidden file. The software will then scan for the file type chosen and list deleted and hidden files in that location.

To recover a file, first preview the available files and select the one you need to be recovered.

After scanning, the program displays the results, allowing you to preview and select the desired files to recover. The scanning time may vary depending on the number of files found. Once you've selected the files, click "Recover" to save them on your computer.

Using a third-party software, you can follow a process to find deleted files on your computer or other drives that you need. This process allows you to recover lost data, giving you a second chance to retrieve important files that were accidentally deleted.

Tips: How to Increase Data Recovery Success Rate

Here are some tips on increasing your success rate of data recovery:

Stop using the computer when you find files deleted or lost

File recovery deals with the data structure, and continuous computer usage can damage the original file structure, making it harder to find deleted files on a Windows PC. To recover deleted files, it's essential to refrain from using the computer for anything else, as this can alter the file structure further. The goal is to keep the file structure untouched until the recovery process is complete.

Do data recovery as fast as possible

When data is lost, prioritize data recovery to maximize the chances of retaining the original file structure, which in turn increases the likelihood of recovering deleted files on Windows versions including 11, 10, 8, and 7.

Do not install any app before recovery

Data recovery software can be risky to use after installing other apps, as it can alter the file structure and make it difficult or impossible to recover deleted files. This can lead to either the recovery process not working properly or the data being unrecoverable.

Save recovered files in a different drive

To recover data from a drive, transfer it to another drive as soon as possible to prevent a second crash, which can complicate data recovery. Use a reliable macOS or Windows 11 data recovery software to find deleted files.