Deleted a File on Windows? Try Windows File Recovery

If a file has vanished from the Recycle Bin, do not assume its data is already gone—but pause before writing more to the affected drive. Windows marks deleted-file space as available, and another write may reuse it. Microsoft recommends minimising or avoiding computer use while you try to recover the file.

Windows File Recovery is a command-line app that can attempt to recover deleted files from local internal, external and USB storage. It cannot restore cloud files or network shares, and a scan is never a guarantee. Start with the Recycle Bin and any backup you already had; use this tool only when those copies do not solve the problem.

This guide follows Microsoft’s Windows File Recovery instructions available on 16 March 2026 for Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Check for an existing copy first

1. Open the Recycle Bin and search for the file. If it is there, restore it.
2. Check a backup made before the deletion. If you had File History enabled, use that copy first; our File History guide explains how to check its saved folders and restore a version.
3. If the file was in cloud storage or a network folder, use that service’s restore or recycle-bin feature. Windows File Recovery does not scan cloud storage or network file shares.

A backup is a better first route because it restores a saved copy without searching for leftover data on the source drive.

Protect the source drive

If no backup or Recycle Bin copy exists, stop saving, downloading, installing or copying files to the drive that lost the data. Microsoft explains that Windows marks deleted-file space as free, so normal computer activity can overwrite it.

Before running a scan:

• In File Explorer, open This PC and note the drive letter where the file was stored.
• Right-click that drive, select Properties, and check its file system. NTFS, FAT and exFAT use different recovery modes.
• Choose a destination drive that is different from the source. Microsoft says the source and destination must not refer to the same physical partition. A separate physical drive is a safer choice when available; if your PC has only one drive, connect a USB or external drive. Do not create a new partition after losing the file.

If the missing file was on the Windows drive, some system activity is unavoidable while Windows is running. Keep the search narrow and remember that the utility is a best-effort option, not a forensic recovery environment.

Choose a recovery mode

Microsoft’s guide recommends a mode based on the source drive’s file system and what happened to the file:

• Recent deletion on NTFS: Regular mode.
• Older deletion, formatting, or corruption on NTFS: Extensive mode.
• FAT or exFAT: Extensive mode.

The modes are not interchangeable labels for “easy” and “better”. Regular is intended for recent deletions on NTFS. Extensive is the option for FAT and exFAT, and for older or formatted NTFS cases. Extensive searches can take longer.

Run a focused search

Install Windows File Recovery from the Microsoft Store if it is not already installed. Open the app from Start and approve the administrator prompt. It opens a Command Prompt window.

The command uses a source drive, a different destination drive, a mode and one or more filters. For example, suppose a document was recently deleted from an NTFS Windows drive, the account folder is Alex, and an external drive is E::

winfr C: E: /regular /n "\Users\Alex\Documents\Quarterly Statement.docx"

Replace Alex with the folder name under C:\Users on your PC, and change both drive letters and the path to match your situation. Keep quotation marks around a path that contains spaces. If you know only the file type, Microsoft also documents filters such as /n *.docx; use a separate /n filter for each type.

For an exFAT USB drive assigned F:, with a different destination drive E:, a photo search could look like this:

winfr F: E: /extensive /n *.jpg /n *.jpeg /n *.png

Use that example only if those are the actual drive letters and file types you need. If the source is the Windows drive, use a narrow /n filter so the scan focuses on the user file or folder instead of returning unrelated system files.

When the command asks whether to continue, enter Y. Windows File Recovery creates a folder named Recovery_ followed by the date and time on the destination drive. An Extensive scan may take a while, depending on the source drive.

Check the result—and know when to stop

Open the new Recovery folder on the destination drive and look for the file. Open the recovered copy before relying on it; a filename in the results is not proof that the document is complete or usable. Keep it on the destination while you inspect it.

If Regular mode found nothing on an NTFS drive, Microsoft suggests trying Extensive mode if the file type is supported. Before another scan, confirm the source letter and filter. A typo can search the wrong location or exclude the file. Extensive mode may take longer and return extra files, so use the narrowest filter that fits.

If the file still does not appear, its space may already have been reused or the remaining data may not be recoverable with this tool. No mode can promise a usable copy. Once you recover what you need, keep a separate backup so the next restore does not depend on a scan.

Sources and further reading

• Microsoft Support, Windows File Recovery
• Microsoft Windows Insider Blog, Windows File Recovery – Winter 2020 Update