[Free] Ctrl + Z Deleted My Files, How to Recover

Ctrl + Z deleted my files by accident? Don't worry, this post will provide 4 effective ways to show you how to recover deleted files for free on Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7.

Kelsey

By Kelsey / Updated on May 29, 2024

Share this: instagram reddit

Help! Files disappeared after Ctrl + Z

 

"I accidentally pressed Ctrl+Z and found a file in the folder was deleted. Why Ctrl + Z deleted my files? Is it possible to recover files deleted by Ctrl + Z?"

There are many Windows keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V, Ctrl + Z, etc. Although they can be very useful when creating new files and transferring data, there are times when improper use may cause important data and files to be lost.

Have you ever encountered when creating a new document or editing a document, accidentally pressing Ctrl+Z, causing the document or file content to disappear? In this case, the following methods can help you successfully recover mistakenly deleted files.

Why did Ctrl + Z delete files?

Why does pressing Ctrl + Z delete files/folders? Ctrl+Z is a shortcut in most apps that can help you undo your last action. It's handy when you accidentally delete a file or type something wrong and want a quick fix. However, if you press Ctrl + Z twice or more times, or accidentally press this shortcut, your files may also be removed.

Can Ctrl + Z restore deleted files? Of course, Ctrl + Z can delete files as well as undo delete files. If you want to undelete a file that has been removed by accident, the Ctrl + Z shortcut can also help you.

How to Recover Ctrl + Z deleted my files - 4 ways

In the following, we outline four methods by which Ctrl + Z deleted folders and files can be recovered smoothly. However, it should be noted that once you find that the files are deleted, you should perform recovery solutions as soon as possible.

▶ Solution 1. Recover Ctrl + Z deleted files with file recovery software

If you have run other operations after pressing Ctrl + Z, or the file has been deleted for a long time and has not been stored in the Recycle Bin, the only way you can recover Ctrl + Z deleted files and folders is with the help of a professional file recovery tool.

MyRecover is the most useful deleted file recovery software. It can easily help you undelete accidentally deleted files and also recover permanently deleted files from computer or restore files from an emptied Recycle Bin. Except for recovering data from computers, it can also recover data from USB flash drives, SD cards, Memory cards, SSDs, and more external storage devices. Please refer to the following steps to see how do I recover lost files from Ctrl + Z using MyRecover.

Download Software Windows 11/10/8/7/Server
Secure Download

Step 1. Select the drive.

Hover the mouse over the hard drive/partition containing your deleted files, and click Scan.

Select Location To Scan

Step 2. Scan the target drive.

There would be three folders on the left - Deleted files, Recycle Bin, and Other Missing Files. Tick the three folders, and open directories one by one to find your needed files. You can also utilize File Search or File Filter to locate your deleted items quickly.

Scanning Drive

Note:✎...
MyRecover supports you to recover hundreds of kinds of files. You could recover documents(Word files, Excel files, PDF files, PPT files, etc.), pictures, videos, audio, and ARCHIVE files, with ease.

Step 3. Click Recover files.

Pick the files and folders you wish to recover, and click the Recover files position. Then, specify a path to save the recovered Ctrl+ Zdeletedmyfiles effortlessly.

Select Deleted Photos To Restore

▶ Solution 2. Use Ctrl + Y to recover lost files

Besides MyRecover, you can also try some other built-in methods that come with Windows. Sometimes, these methods may quickly help you get back the files you only deleted.

The corresponding shortcut to Ctrl + Z is Ctrl + Y, to reverse your last undo. But this method only works if you have not done anything since you deleted the file, including opening files, opening other paths repeatedly, etc.

If you press Ctrl + Z multiple times, you can press Ctrl + Y multiple times accordingly to recover files deleted by Ctrl + Z.

▶ Solution 3. Undo Ctrl+Z Delete

In addition to using shortcut keys, you can also use Undo delete to get back accidentally deleted files. This method is similar to the first method and only works if you have no other operations.

How to recover files deleted with Ctrl + Z? Right-click the location where your files are deleted, and then choose the Undo Delete option to get back Ctrl + Z deleted files.

Undo Delete File Windows

▶ Solution 4. Restore Ctrl + Z deleted files from Recycle Bin

In most cases, deleted files on the computer will go to the Recycle Bin. You can restore deleted files from Recycle Bin directly. But if there are no files you need in the Recycle Bin or you have used Ctrl + Delete to delete the file, you can turn to the fourth method to retrieve permanently deleted files.

Step 1. Double-click the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop to open the Recycle Bin folder.

Step 2. Find your accidentally deleted files or folders, and right-click them to select Restore to perform Ctrl + Z deleted folder recovery easily.

Recycle Bin Restore

In the end

If you have not performed other operations after file deletion by pressing Ctrl + Z, the easiest way to recover deleted files is to use Ctrl + Y or directly get it with Undo delete. Otherwise, we strongly recommend that you use MyRecover to retrieve deleted files as soon as possible.

Restoring files quickly after data deletion can increase the chances of successful data recovery. The longer the interval, the higher the probability that deleted files will be overwritten by new files, and the lower the possibility of successful recovery. Moreover, you can use this recovery software to recover files from formatted hard drives, recover files from system crashes, etc.

FAQs on how to recover Ctrl+Z files

The Ctrl shortcut key on Windows brings great convenience to users. When it is used in combination with other keys, it can perform many useful functions, as mentioned at the beginning of the article. Here we talk more about Ctrl+Z.

✦ What does Ctrl+Z do in File Explorer?

Pressing the Ctrl+Z key combination can restore the content you last clicked, typed, or changed to the previous state. This is faster than clicking the "Edit" > "Undo" function! If you accidentally delete a file in Windows Explorer or File Explorer, pressing Ctrl+Z can instantly restore the deleted file without opening the Recycle Bin.

✦ What happens if you press Ctrl+Z?

As mentioned before, pressing Ctrl+Z can undo the last action you performed. Ctrl+Z also works in many situations where the "Undo" option is not available.

✦ How to recover deleted files via Ctrl+Z?

You can use two methods in this article to recover deleted files via Ctrl+Z. The best way to recover deleted files in Windows 10 is to use MyRecover for help.

Kelsey
Kelsey · Editor
Kelsey is an English editor of AOMEI Technology. She is passionate about helping people find effective ways to deal with all problems in computer. She has great insights into data backup and recovery, disk partition and clone, and other data protection measures. She likes learn computer skills to improve herself and enjoy quality time with family and friends.