Quick answer: Before installing anything, check the Recycle Bin, the OneDrive recycle bin and Restore previous versions on the folder the file was in. If none of those has it, use Microsoft’s free Windows File Recovery app from the Microsoft Store, for example winfr C: E: /regular /n *.docx, saving the results to a different drive. Use the PC as little as possible until then, because new data can overwrite deleted files.
Applies to: Windows 11 and Windows 10, for files deleted from internal drives, external drives, USB sticks and SD cards. Windows File Recovery can’t recover files from cloud storage or network shares.
In this guide
Stop using the drive first
When Windows deletes a file it only marks the space as free. The data stays there until something new is written over it, so every download, install or saved file lowers your chances. Microsoft’s own advice is to minimise or avoid using the computer until you’ve tried recovery.
- Don’t install recovery software onto the drive you’re recovering from.
- Save recovered files to a different drive, such as a USB stick or external disk.
- Don’t create new partitions or format the drive. If Windows offers to format a card or USB drive that won’t open, select Cancel.
- Act quickly on an SSD. SSDs clear deleted blocks in the background, so recovery from them often fails even when you try straight away.
1. Check the Recycle Bin
- Open Recycle Bin from the desktop, or type
shell:RecycleBinFolderin the File Explorer address bar. - Sort by Date Deleted or search for the file name.
- Right-click the file and select Restore. It goes back to its original folder.
Files deleted with Shift + Delete, from the command line, or from USB drives and SD cards usually skip the Recycle Bin, so go to the next steps for those.
2. Check the OneDrive recycle bin
If the file was in a OneDrive folder such as Desktop or Documents with backup turned on, deleting it locally also deletes it online, but OneDrive keeps a copy for a while. Sign in at onedrive.com, select Recycle bin, select the file and choose Restore. Personal accounts usually keep deleted items for 30 days; work and school accounts can keep them longer. If OneDrive is paused or showing errors, see how to stop OneDrive from syncing to check its state.
3. Restore a previous version
This works if File History or a restore point had a copy of the folder before the file was deleted.
- In File Explorer, go to the folder that held the file.
- Right-click the folder and select Restore previous versions. On Windows 11, select Show more options first.
- Pick a version from before the file was deleted. To look inside without changing anything, expand Open and select Open in File History.
- Copy the file you need out of the old version, or expand Restore and choose Restore to to save it to another location.
Careful: plain Restore replaces the current folder with the old one, and Microsoft warns this can’t be undone. Restore to is safer. If the list says There are no previous versions available, Windows has no saved copy of that folder, so move on to the next method.
4. Use Windows File Recovery
Windows File Recovery is Microsoft’s free, command-line recovery app for Windows 10 and Windows 11. It scans the drive itself, so it can find files that never went to the Recycle Bin.
- Install Windows File Recovery from the Microsoft Store.
- Plug in a second drive to save the recovered files to. The source and destination must be different drives.
- Press the Windows key, type Windows File Recovery, open it and select Yes when asked.
- Type a command in this form and press Enter:
winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/mode] [/switches]Some examples, where C: is the drive that lost the files and E: is the drive that will receive them:
winfr C: E: /regular /n \Users\<username>\Documents\
winfr C: E: /regular /n *.pdf /n *.docx
winfr E: C: /extensive /n *invoice*- Replace
<username>with your user folder name, and keep the backslash at the end of a folder path. /nfilters by file name, path, type or wildcard. When scanning the Windows drive, always add a filter so you don’t recover thousands of system files.- Type
Yto start. Press Ctrl + C to stop a scan. - Recovered files appear in a folder called
Recovery_<date and time>on the destination drive.
If you see Source and Destination cannot refer to the same physical partition, you used the same drive for both. Use a USB stick or external drive as the destination.
Which winfr mode to use
| Drive’s file system | What happened | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| NTFS (most PC drives and large USB drives) | Deleted recently | /regular |
| NTFS | Deleted a while ago, drive formatted, or drive corrupted | /extensive |
| FAT or exFAT (SD cards, many USB sticks) | Any | /extensive |
If you’re not sure, start with /regular, then try /extensive if nothing turns up. To see a drive’s file system, right-click it in This PC and select Properties.
Other free recovery tools
If you’d rather not use the command line, free tools such as PhotoRec (open source, from CGSecurity) can scan drives and memory cards too. Download any recovery tool only from its developer’s own site, install it on a different drive from the one you’re recovering, and be wary of “free” tools that only show previews until you pay. For a card or USB stick that’s physically failing, or files that are worth a lot, a professional recovery service is the safer choice; running scans on a dying drive can make it worse.
Avoid losing files next time
- Turn on File History: Control Panel > System and Security > File History, select a drive and choose Turn on.
- Back up Desktop, Documents and Pictures to OneDrive, so deleted files sit in its recycle bin.
- Keep an external drive copy of photos and other files you can’t replace.
- Keep your BitLocker recovery key somewhere safe; see where to find a BitLocker recovery key. Without it, an encrypted drive can’t be read at all.
Related guides
- How to stop OneDrive from syncing (without losing files)
- How to format an SD card in Windows 11 and 10 (4 ways)
- Where are Sticky Notes stored in Windows 11? (Backup and restore)
- Dell BitLocker recovery key: where to find it and why it appears
Official sources: for more detail, see these pages:
Frequently asked questions
Is Windows File Recovery really free?
Yes. It’s a free Microsoft app from the Microsoft Store, with no file limits. The catch is that it only has a command-line interface.
Can I recover files after emptying the Recycle Bin?
Often, yes, as long as the space hasn’t been reused. Try Restore previous versions first, then Windows File Recovery. Recovery is much less likely on an SSD.
Can I recover files from a formatted SD card?
Sometimes. Use Windows File Recovery in /extensive mode, and don’t write anything to the card first. A full or overwrite format usually makes recovery impossible.
Why are the recovered files corrupted?
Part of the file’s space was already overwritten. Try /extensive mode in case another copy survived, but some files can’t be fully recovered.
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