You can easily recover permanently deleted files in Windows 10 using 6 effective methods, such as data recovery software - FastRecovery, Windows backup, CMD, etc., with step-by-step instructions below.
You may ask “Where do the permanently deleted files go if not in Recycle Bin?”. Actually, when you “delete” a file, your computer logically deletes it. Still, the file will stay in its original place. What is genuinely wiped is the pointer to the file. Meanwhile, the space is freed up, and ready to be used by another file.
So, before the space is overwritten, you can still get access to your deleted files. Even if you have emptied the Recycle Bin, you could also recover items deleted from Recycle Bin in 6 proven methods. Please check if you really deleted files permanently first.
Sometimes, users may just click the “Deleted” button when deleting files in Windows 10 but mistakenly think that they have permanently deleted files. Below are some permanent deletion operations:
Yeah, there are many useful methods to recover permanently deleted files in Windows 10. You can attempt to use data recovery software, Windows backup, CMD, etc., with step-by-step instructions below.
FastRecovery will be your second-to-none choice to restore permanently deleted files in Windows 11/10/8/7 SP1 & Server. It will scan your disks automatically to find all recoverable data. You can even recover files during the scanning process.
Now, click the download button to get started.
Step 1. Start FastRecovery, then click Deleted Files Recovery for quick recovery. You can also choose a more suitable alternative. All of them can help you retrieve data without causing any damage.
Step 2. Hover the mouse over the drive where you have permanently deleted files. Click Scan.
Step 3. This software will automatically run Quick Scan to find lost files. During scanning, you can click the Stop or Pause button if you select the wrong disk or something goes wrong. Scan time mainly depends on disk size and health, especially regarding bad sectors or file system corruption.
Step 4. Wait for the process to complete, then select files by Type (default) or Path, with options to sort, search, filter, and preview files.
👉Under the Type section:
👉 Under the Path section: Directly navigate to the original location where you saved deleted files. Sort files if needed.
Step 5. Select the files you want to recover and click Recover to start the file recovery process.
Please choose a location different from the source drive/partition to store your recovered data. Otherwise, your data will be overwritten.
The free edition can recover permanently deleted files in Windows 10 over 500MB. Once exceeded, please upgrade FastRecovery to the advanced editions.
Also, you can use FastRecovery to get data back from other devices, like recover files from external hard drives, USB drives, SD cards, etc.
To get back your permanently deleted files, you could also take advantage of an embodied Windows backup utility, File History, which will save copies of their files and allow you to restore them in data loss scenarios.
Step 1. Input Control Panel in the Windows search bar > start it > click System and Security.
Step 2. Click File History.
Step 3. Click Restore personal files.
Step 4. Select the deleted files you need and then click the green restore button.
The Previous Versions feature is another accessible feature to bring back permanently deleted files. You need to activate the File History or System Restore feature in advance.
Step 1. Start File Explorer. Then, navigate to the folder containing your permanently deleted files.
Step 2. Right-click on the permanently deleted files and select Properties > Previous Versions.
Step 3. Click Restore to recover the data as you like. For instance, if you choose a Word document, you can find previous version of Word documents. You can also click the drop-down menu next to Restore and select Open to preview them.
An exclusive built-in backup tool in Windows PC, Backup and Restore, can also help recover permanently deleted files in Windows 10. It supports backup & restore files on the local drives as file copies in case file loss occurs.
Step 1. Go to “Control Panel” > “System and Security” and select “Backup and Restore (Windows 7).”
Step 2. Click “Restore my files”. If you haven’t made backups yet, you cannot restore files using this app.
Step 3. Select the Browse for files/Browse for folders option to locate your wanted data.
Step 4. You can store your retrieved folders in your destination path or keep them in the original location.
Without backups, you can also restore permanently deleted files in Windows 10 using the command line utility. Microsoft has provided an official tool named Windows File Recovery, which requires you to have some computer expertise.
Before using this tool, you need to figure out your file system, the source drive & target place, recovery mode & switches.
🔹To check your File System, go to This PC > right-click on the drive that contains the deleted files> click Properties.
🔹To decide which mode to use, please refer to the chart below.
| File system | Scenarios | modes |
| NTFS | Deleted recently | Regular |
| NTFS | Deleted for a while | Extensive |
| NTFS | Formatted disk | Extensive |
| NTFS | Corrupted disk | Extensive |
| FAT and exFAT | Any | Extensive |
🔹To filter the scanning range, use these switches.
| Switches | Meaning | Supported mode(s) |
| /n | Filter the scan range: scans for a specific file with its file name/path/type, etc. | All |
| /y: | Recover specific extension groups. | Signature |
| /k | Recovers system files. | NTFS Segment |
For details, check tutorial on how to use Windows File Recovery.
Step 1. Go to Microsoft Store > search for Windows File recovery > click Get.
Step 2. Click Open. Choose recovery mode & switches according to your scenario. If your files are just permanently deleted, choose Regular Mode. If the files are deleted for a while, use Extensive Mode.
winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/mode] [/switches]
Now, let’s take an example, if you have just permanently deleted your files by “Shift+Del”, now you are going to recover jpg files from a folder named “pics” under C: Drive to D: drive. Then you need to input the following command and type y to continue.
Winfr C: D: /n \Users\pics\*.jpg
Step 3. Wait for the recovery, then a recovery folder will be created in the destination drive you have chosen.
It is advisable to start Windows File Recovery in Microsoft Store.
The default recovery mode is Regular Mode.
If the Windows File Recovery stuck at 99%, please check the troubleshooting tutorial to fix it.
Similarly, check "Windows File Recovery there was an error parsing your command" for troubleshooting when needed.
Windows also provides a list of commands you can use, such as chkdsk, atttrib, etc., to recover hidden files in Windows 10. Sometimes, your files are simply hidden instead of permanently deleted.
Step 1. Open a Command Prompt window by typing cmd in the search box and selecting Run as administrator.
Step 2. Type chkdsk C: /f / r and press Enter.
Step 3. Type Y to continue. It will scan and fix any disk error
Step 4. Type attrib –h –r –s /s /d C: *.* and press Enter to show hidden files or folders.
You can easily recover permanently deleted files in Windows 10 with the above methods. Among them, using data recovery software will be the easiest method. It will directly scan your disk for recoverable files and allows you to filter and locate your files quickly by specifying a specific type (e.g.: recover PDF files), date modified, and size.
If you are worried about any precious data loss in the future, the best practice is to backup them immediately after recovery. To keep all the changes made later, it's suggested to set a scheduled backup task, such as daily, weekly, monthly, etc. Try effective Windows backup software - AOMEI Backupper Standard to help you!
Where do files go when permanently deleted? Before answering this question, you need to understand how the process works.
When permanently deleting a file, the pointer to this file will be removed, like taking down a product from the shelves; thus, users cannot access the file. The space then becomes available for new data. Importantly, the file is still recoverable until it is overwritten by new data.
Yes, even after emptying the Recycle Bin, deleted files are recoverable as long as the files haven’t been overwritten by new data. So, it is suggested stop using the affected drive after permanent deletion and start data recovery as soon as possible.
To recover permanently deleted files without software, you could turn to the Windows built-in backup features, like File History, Previous Versions, Backup and Restore, etc.
Without backups, it would be better to choose reliable data recovery apps, like FastRecovery, to restore your data.
To recover permanently deleted files without backup, the easiest method is to use a professional data recovery software for Windows, such as FastRecovery, which offers a suite of recovery options to meet different user needs. With it, you can scan for deleted files quickly or search the entire disk thoroughly.
To recover Shift Deleted files on Windows 10, restoring files from backup created by File History, Previous Versions, Backup and Restore, etc., is an excellent choice. This method only works if a backup exists and was created before the data loss occurs.