4 Effective Ways: How to Recover Lost/Deleted Data on Windows 10

Data loss on PC or laptop is common due to various reasons. Reading this article to learn how to recover lost data on Windows 10 can help you get back your lost/deleted files easily.

Lora

By Lora / Updated on April 2, 2024

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Common data loss scenarios on Windows 10

Data loss is an event in which data is destroyed, deleted, corrupted, or unreadable by users and software applications, which may render some or all of the data elements unavailable to the user or their corresponding software applications. Data may be lost or destroyed in storage, transmission, processing, or some unintentional operation.

Below are some common scenarios that can lead to data loss.

● Accidental deletion or damage of data files.
● Viruses or malware attack.
● Operating system failure.
● Unintentional formatting.
● Hardware/software corruption.
● Malfunction of logical failure of a storage device.
Missing files after Windows 10 update.

Can lost data be recovered on Windaows 10?

If you delete files, your computer doesn't completely delete them right away. Most of the time, deleted files go to the Recycle Bin and are still stored on your drive, but marked as inaccessible data and waiting for new data to be overwritten.

Therefore, you can restore files by checking the Recycle Bin first. However, if you accidentally emptied the Recycle Bin, you'd better stop using the drive from which you lost data and recover your files as soon as possible with the solutions below.

How to recover lost/deleted data on Windows 10 in effective ways

Now, we will show you the detailed steps of 4 effective methods one by one. You can choose one to recover lost files according to your condition.

1# Recover permanently deleted files Windows 10 free software

The first is to recover lost/deleted data using software, no matter how you lost data, you can take this option to restore your data. For example, you want to recover deleted files on Windows 10 after emptying the Recycle Bin, or lost/deleted files were never backed up.

For this, we recommend you to use a professional top data recovery utility - MyRecover. With this tool, you can easily get back your recently or permanently deleted /lost files.

MyRecover shining points:🔥
⚡ The tool supports permanently deleted file recovery, formatted file recovery, and other situations data recovery like disk formatting, system crash/reinstall, virus attack, and more.
🐢 It retrieves deleted/lost data by maintaining its format, filename, and path.
🔊 It can scan and restore more than 200 types of data, including pictures, videos, audios, emails, etc.
🏆 It allows you to recover data from C drive, external hard drive(HDD SSD) , SD card, USB flash drive, and other storage devices.
😬 It is perfectly compatible with Windows 7/8/10/11 and Windows Server.

Follow the below how-to guide to recover lost data from PC or laptop on Windows 10.

Step 1. Download and install MyRecover and run it on your computer.

Download SoftwareWin 11/10/8/7/Server
Secure Download

Step 2. Hover the mouse over the drive saved deleted files before, and click Scan to scan.

external hard drive start scan

Step 3. It will automatically scan the disk using Quick scan and Deep scan modes, if you find the data you want to recover, you don't need to wait for the scanning process to complete and then click the Recover x files button.

recover lost data

2# How to recover deleted files on Windows 10 using Command Prompt

Command Prompt, or also known as CMD, is available on most Windows operating systems. It is a powerful Windows built-in tool that enables you to take full control over your computer and can complete data recovery after any data loss scenarios like unintentional deletion, virus attack, accidental storage formatting, etc. So, when you lose data on your computer, you can use Attrib Command Prompt to restore it.

Steps: Press Windows + R to launch Run > type "cmd" in the dialogue box > hit Enter > type the command in the window: ATTRIB -H -R -S /S /D G:*.* and hit Enter. (Replace the G in the command with the letter of your drive where you lost data.)

attrib cmd

3# Restore deleted files with File History

File History is a built-in tool of Windows. If your files are not in the Recycle Bin, you can use this tool to restore permanently deleted files from previously backups.

Step 1. In the search box, type Control Panel and open it, click System and Security.

system and security

Step 2. Click File History.

file history

Step 3. Make sure your File History is on, select Restore personal files.(Or you can open File Explorer, and click the History option on the Home tab. On the next screen, click Configure File History settings, and select Restore personal files.)

restore personal files

Step 4. Select all the files you need to recover, and then click the green button.

restore deleted file

4# How to restore lost data on PC Windows 10 with backup and restore

The last method is to use backup and restore feature to recover lost data on PC Windows 10. Backup and Restore is a data protection tool on Windows enabling you to back up your computer data and restore the backup when needed. Follow the steps below to learn how to retrieve deleted files in Windows 10:

Step 1. Open Control Panel, click Backup and Restore (Windows 7) in the System and Security tab.

backup and restore windows 7

Step 2. In the Backup and Restore window, click Restore my files in the Restore section.

restore my files

Step 3. Click on Browse for files or Browse for folders to find the files/folders you want to recover. You can also click Search and type a file name or folder to find. Then, choose to restore them to the original location or a new location, and click Restore.

browse for files or folders

Conclusion

Now you know how to recover lost data on Windows 10 with or without software. In fact, CMD is a bit technical, and it may not be easy for ordinary users to handle. File history and backup restore require you to make backups in advance. Therefore, it may be the wisest choice to get back lost or deleted data using MyRecover.

As you can see, make regular system backups are the most important for data recovery and protection. So, to better data protection, you should foster the habit of backing up data. You can let one of the best free backup software for Windows- AOMEI Backupper Standard, help you.

Lora
Lora · Editor
Lora is an editor of AOMEI Technology. She is also a tester and editor of AOMEI Data Recovery Tools. -- "Keep testing, write the most useful tutorials for helping people recover the lost data for Windows and phones" is the most meaningful thing for her. Dedicated to creating helpful tutorials, she hopes her tutorial can assist users to effortlessly solve data loss problems on their personal computers and mobile phones.