How to Fix: Downloaded Files Disappear on Windows 10

Downloaded files disappear on Windows 10?

My files in download folder disappeared in Windows 10!

I downloaded some pictures and videos a few days ago, but today I can not find my downloaded files. All folders were great but the download folder's files disappeared in Windows 10, how can I get my stuff back? please help me.

Have you ever experienced a similar situation? It's very frustrating to lose something that is very important to you. Generally, there are plenty of people who like to save files downloaded from the Internet, such as pictures, documents, software, video files, etc., in the common Windows downloads folder. 

Actually, the downloads folder is not the right place to save files, it's just a destination for browsers to download and save downloaded files. Downloaded files are highly likely to be lost over time. In this article, we will explain in detail the reasons for files loss and how to fix the issue of “downloaded files disappear on Windows 10”.

What causes downloaded files disappear on Windows 10?

A variety of reasons may cause downloads disappeared on Windows 10. In this section we outline the common ones below. You can figure out the cause of the problem and try out some fixes to solve it.

Downloaded files being hidden. Due to wrong operation or other reasons, the downloaded files may be hidden.
Virus or malware. A virus or malware attack on your computer may result in files being deleted or where files are stored being modified.
Accidentally deleted downloads folder. The files or folders disappear from your computer may result from accidentally deleted downloads folder on Windows 10.
Files are corrupted. A downloaded file can also be invisible in the downloads folder if it is accidentally damaged.

Please read further and find the corresponding solution according to the reason why your downloaded files disappeared.

6 Solutions to find missing downloaded files on Windows 10

Downloads folder disappeared on Windows 10? Don't worry, here are 6 feasible solutions you can apply to get them back. Let's get more information together.

Solution 1: Search the downloaded files from your computer

If you're sure that you didn't delete the file but it's gone in the downloads folder, it's possible that the file's storage location has been modified due to a virus attack or other reasons. Also, you may have unknowingly saved the file to another location.

In this case, you can search your computer to quickly find the missing downloaded files. First of all, use the Win + E keyboard shortcut to open the Windows search box, then you can enter the filename of the disappearing file or you can search for its extension type. Open it and change it to the desired location.

Solution 2: Recover files from Recycle Bin

If you can't find the downloaded files you want on your computer, you can check the Recycle Bin. Since there's a good chance you've accidentally deleted them. You can easily recover deleted files from Recycle Bin as long as you haven't deleted them permanently or emptied the Recycle Bin.

Step 1. Open the Recycle Bin.

Step 2. Find the deleted files or folders in Recycle Bin. You could search the file names to get them quickly.

Step 3. Right-click the files or folders you want to recover and select the Restore option.

Solution 3: Show hidden files and folders

When the file you download may contain some virus-carrying software or advertisements, the Windows system will hide the file attributes. This means that the file or folder still exists on your computer. In this case, you can follow the steps below to learn how to show hidden folders on Windows 10.

Step 1. Open File Explorer, click on View.

Step 2. Select the View option and tick Hidden items. Then your hidden folders will appear.

Step 3. If you need more file viewing options, select Options > View > tick Show hidden files, folders, and drives option > click on Apply. 

Solution 4: Find the files from Quarantine Section

All antivirus or security solutions on Windows 10 will block the file or folder if the downloaded file contains a virus or malware. You may have missed a hint about it. Downloaded files are usually stored in Quarantine section, from where you can restore files and mark them as restored.

Step 1. Open the Protection history.

Step 2. Click the Quarantined items in the Filters options.

Step 3. Select the files downloaded and change their storage location.

Solution 5: Change Indexing Options

At the same time, Windows 10 provides a search function that uses an index to search files faster. When downloaded files not showing up on Windows 10 or files are suddenly lost, you can visit Indexing Options to troubleshoot the problem.

Step 1. Tap Indexing Options in the search box on the Windows taskbar.

Step 2. Click on the Advanced Options and tap Rebuild on the Index Settings screen.

Solution 6: Recover disappeared files with data recovery software

If using the above solutions still does't work, a professional data recovery software is available to help you get back your downloads folder missing on Windows 10. AOMEI Data Recovery for Windows can quickly scan all the files in your computer and help you locate the target file easily without complicated operation steps and other restrictions. 

With this software, you no longer have to worry about not backing up in advance or accidentally permanently deleting files, which can solve all the problems so that you have no worries.

▶ Recover deleted or missing files from your Windows computer with three simple steps.
▶ Restore lost or deleted data with high efficiency and speed.
▶ Support deleted file recovery, formatted hard drive recovery, lost partition recovery, virus attack recovery, system crash recovery, and so on.
▶ Recover deleted Word document, Excel, PPT, Photos, Video, Audio, and Compressed files from HDD, USB, SD cards, and other storage devices.

Download it and follow the steps below.

Step 1. Launch it on your PC, and select the partition your downloads folder is stored. Then click Start Scan.

Step 2. The program runs a quick scan and deep scan automatically to find deleted files and other missing data, and select the files you need.

Step 3. Click Recover x files to recover the downloaded files you’ve selected.

Wrapping up

In this guide, we demonstrate the common causes of downloaded files disappear on Windows 10, and also outline 6 reliable solutions to help you effectively recover them with ease. Hope you already have a clear understanding of how to fix similar issue on your computer now.

Most importantly, it is essential to equip your computer with a professional data recovery tool- AOMEI Data Recovery for Windows. This tool can quickly and deeply scan the deleted or lost files with an advanced scanning algorithm and finish the retrieval process in a short time.