How to immediately recover files that has been deleted accidentally in Windows 11:
Sometimes, we accidentally delete important files and then start to panic! It has happened to all of us once or twice. But no need to worry any further because with Windows 11, you can find your accidentally deleted files again by following these methods:
- From the Recycle Bin: users can find the deleted file in the Recycle Bin and recover it from there. All you need to do is go to the Recycle Bin from the desktop and then select the files that you need to recover. You can move the file to a selected location using Drag and Drop. Another option is to select the ‘Restore’ option.
- With undo delete: Go to the folder from where you have deleted the file and press CTRL+Z. Another way is to click on anywhere in the folder and then select ‘Undo Delete’.
How to recover deleted files using File Recovery?
Windows has a file recovery facility that can recover deleted files from locations such as local disk drives, USB flash drives, and memory cards. Window’s File Recovery incorporates two modes of recovery- one is the ‘Regular’ mode, which can recover your files that have been lost recently; another option is the ‘Extensive’ mode, and it is usually used for complicated situations, for example, if you wish to recover a file that has been deleted quite a while back or from a corrupted disk. File recovery can support two file systems: NTFS and FAT or Ex FAT. Another important factor to note is that you need to leverage Windows’ File Recovery immediately after deletion because if it gets overwritten by a new file, you won’t be able to find the deleted file again. Also, it’s a time-consuming process.
Recover lost files after an upgrade by following these methods:
Method 1. From a temporary profile:
Sometimes, if you have logged in to your Windows 11 account using a temporary profile after an upgrade, you will probably notice that some of your files are missing. In that case, you need to go to the start menu and select ‘Settings.’ Then go to ‘Accounts’ and select Sync your settings.
If you receive a message or alert like “You have signed in with a temporary profile,” restart the system and log in again with your old profile. Then, after logging in successfully, sync your settings.
Note: To avoid losing files from your temporary profile, back them up to an external storage device as a precautionary move before rebooting.
Method 2. From the administrator account:
Sometimes, after performing a Windows 11 upgrade, you might get your administrator account disabled by default. If this happens, the files from that account might be missing. To recover these lost files, follow these steps:
- Go to Local Users and Groups from the Computer Management, situated on the left side of the pane.
- Double-click Users. Double-click the Administrator and go to Properties.
- Ensure the option Account remains disabled.
- Select Apply and then OK. Now, sign in with the admin account.
- You will find your lost files.
Method 3. Troubleshooting Windows 11 Search:
If you are unable to locate files by using Windows Search, you might have to rebuild the search index:
- Go to the Indexing option from the Search box.
- Select the Advanced option.
- Now select Rebuild from the Troubleshooting sub-pane. It will rebuild a fresh index and delete the current one.
If you still cannot find some of your files, it could be because Windows selected some files as hidden during the update. In that case, follow these steps:
- Go to File Explorer.
- Click on the Views tab.
- Check the Hidden items from the Show/ Hide option.
Method 4. Recover files with native backup:
Sometimes, you need to restore missing files from your native Windows 11 backup. There are two native features available on Windows:
- File History: it automatically maintains backup of files that are saved in the frequently used folders. Users can select the external destination backup drive or customize those folders that are going to be included or excluded. These methods can only backup selected or specified folders. In case you want an end-to-end backup of files, please use a third-party backup solution.
- Backup and Restore (Windows 7): it backs up files on an external drive or selected location. It also builds a system image.
Note that File History can restore only individual files; on the other hand, Backup and Restore perform only full restores.
OneDrive users can also backup and sync files from there.
Method 5. Restore to a previous version:
If you have lost vital data due to an upgrade, you can restore it by going back to the previous version of Windows and copying the lost files from there. Then, reinstall the upgraded version again. It’s worth giving it a try but remember that the files you created after upgrading to Windows 11 will be removed as soon as you go back to the previous version.