6 Proven Methods for Windows Lost Partition Data Recovery [2022]

Can I recover data from lost partition on Windows 10?

“I manage my hard drive into two partitions, which are Win 10 (D:) and Win 10 (E:). But now my Win 10 (D:) partition just disappeared. I had lots of important files in it. Can I recover them from the lost partition on Windows 10?”

What are the common causes of partition loss?

What are the causes of partition loss? Why does your partition just disappear without you knowing it? Here we summarize common causes of partition loss.

• Accidental deletion. Unintentionally, formatting or deleting the wrong partition is among the most common partition deletion causes. 
• Partition table damage. The partition table is essential for the OS to understand the partitions. As a result, a corrupted partition table will result in partition loss. 
• Improper partition resizing. When you tweak the size of created partitions, unforeseen events like sudden interruptions can throw the partition into limbo.
• Unexpected OS shutdowns. Unexpected OS shutdowns caused by power outages, infected applications, or irregular BIOS upgrades can lead to computer malfunctioning and affect a hard drive’s partitions.
• Virus attacks. Malware and virus often infect computers and infect the hard drive, leading to partition deletion.

Windows lost partition data recovery [2 scenarios]

There are two scenarios of Windows lost partition data recovery, one is when the whole partition is lost/deleted as well as the data in it, and another is when the partition still exists but the data in it is lost/deleted. Choose the appropriate method according to your own situation.

Scenario 1. The whole partition is lost as well as the data in it [2 methods]

When the entire partition is lost/deleted, as well as the data on it, you can recover data from a lost partition on Windows 10 using the two methods listed below.

Method 1. Recover the entire lost partition via AOMEI Partition Assistant

If you have lost or deleted the entire partition, AOMEI Partition Recovery Wizard is the most effective way to recover the partition and its data. Let’s look at how to recover data from a hard disk partition that has been lost or deleted.

Step 1. Download, install and run AOMEI Partition Assistant.

Step 2. Click on Partition Recovery Wizard on the left panel and select the disk you want to restore. Click on Next.

Step 3. Select a search mode. It is recommended that you select Fast Search the first time because it saves time. Then, click on Next.

Step 4. AOMEI Partition Assistant will show you the list of all lost or deleted partitions. You can select the one you want to recover. And then, click on Proceed.

Step 5. When the partition recovery process is completed, you will be informed by the Congratulations window. Click Finish.

Step 6. Then go to Windows File Explorer to check whether the deleted or lost partitions and data were recovered.

Method 2. Assign a drive letter to the lost partition to make it visible

Sometimes, you can see the lost partition in Disk Management but marked with an asterisk. This means your drive letter has been occupied by another drive leading to the partition missing. You can try to reassign a drive letter to make your lost partition visible again in File Explorer. Here we provide you with two options, Disk Management and Command Prompt.

Option 1. Use the Disk Management utility

Step 1. Press Win + R, and type in “diskmgmt.msc” to open Disk Management.

Step 2. Locate the storage device with the lost partition. Right-click on the lost partition and select Change Drive Letter and Paths.

Step 3. Tick Assign the following drive letter and choose a letter. Click OK to proceed.

Option 2. Use the Command Prompt

Step 1. Run Command Prompt as administrator.

Step 2. Input “diskpart” in the interface and then press Enter.

Step 3. Input “list disk” to view all the disks on your computer.

Step 4. Input “select disk X” to select the drive which contains the lost partition. “X” refers to the number of the drive on your PC.

Step 5. Then input “list volume” to see all the existing volumes on the drive.

Step 6. Locate the volume which doesn’t have a volume letter, input “select volume Y”. Please replace the “Y” with the real number of the volume.

Step 7. Then input “assign letter = Z”. Use a letter different from all the letters of the existing volumes.

Scenario 2. The partition exists but the data in it is lost [4 methods]

If the partition still exists on your computer but the data in it is lost or deleted, then you can use the following 4 methods to recover your lost or deleted data.

Method 1. Use the AOMEI Data Recovery tool to recover lost data in the partition

To recover lost data in the partition, the first method is to use the professional freeware MyRecover. This is the most direct and time-saving method, as ADR has a simple and intuitive graphic user interface that even a green hand can operate.

Step 1. Download, install and launch MyRecover on your computer.  

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

Step 3. Then the scanning process will start automatically. You don’t need to wait for the process to complete if you find the data you want to recover.

Step 4. Choose the data that you want to recover. Click Recover xx files and choose a destination path to save the restored data.

Method 2. Restore lost data in partition via Backup and Restore utility

If you have the Windows built-in Backup and Restore utility enabled, then you can also restore lost data in a partition from a Windows backup.

Step 1. Input Control Panel in the Windows search bar, and start it.

Step 2. Click System and Security and then Backup and Restore (Windows 7).

Step 3. Click Select another backup to restore files from.

Step 4. Select the backup and then click Next.

Step 5. Search for your missing files by using the Browse for files or Browse for folders option.

Step 6. Choose a location to save the backup, select your files and click Restore to recover them.

Method 3. Using File History to retrieve lost data in the partition

The third option is to get back lost data in the partition from the backup copies of your files with File History. But the prerequisite is that you have the File History service enabled.

Step 1. Go to Control Panel > System and Security > File History.

Step 2. Click Restore personal files.

Step 3. Select the files you need to recover and then click the Restore button.

Method 4. Recover lost data in partition via Windows File Recovery

The final method option to recover data from a hard drive lost partition is to use Windows File Recovery, a command-line utility of Microsoft. Before starting, there are two things you need to know:

• The tool is only compatible with Windows 10 versions 2004 and up.
• The results of Windows File Recovery are unpredictable. Some of your data might not be recoverable.

Preparation work before using Windows File Recovery:

 To use this tool, check out your File System first. Go to This PC > right-click on the drive that contains the data you want to restore before > click Properties.

In addition, you need to use recovery mode and switches to get back your files. To decide which mode to use, refer to this table.

Switches are used to filter the scanning range, thus can save the scanning time.

Step 1. Download and install Window File Recovery on your computer from Microsoft Store and then open it.

Step 2. Open Powershell or Command Prompt (run as administrator). In the Command Prompt, enter commands in the following command format:

winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/mode] [/switches]

For example, if you need to recover deleted pdf files from F: drive (the external hard drive) to D: drive, then the command will be like:

winfr F: D: /regular /n *.pdf

Bonus tip: Make a partition backup with AOMEI Backupper

To prevent partition data loss, the best way is to make a habit of creating disk partition backups. Professional backup freeware AOMEI Backupper allows you to back up an entire partition’s data in just a few simple steps. It also supports file backup, system backup, and disk backup.

• Backup partition automatically. It supports daily, weekly, and monthly schedule backup, so you can choose to backup the partition with one of them.
• Incremental backup. By default, this software supports incremental backup, which backup only changes since the last backup.
• Diverse backup. Support backup system, file/folder, partition, and the entire disk to an internal or external hard drive, USB drive, Network, and Cloud drive.
• Other useful tools. It enables you to create bootable media from a CD or USB disk, allowing you to boot your computer from the bootable media to a backup hard drive even if the system crashes.

Step 1. Download, install and launch AOMEI Backupper for Windows on your computer. 

 Step 2. Under the Backup tab, select the Partition Backup option.

Step 3. You can set a Task Name to help you distinguish backups from each other. Click Add Partition or Volume to choose the partition you want to back up. You can also choose a location to save your backup. After, click Start Backup.

Step 4. Click Start Backup to carry out partition backup and wait until the operation is complete. Click Finish to exit the interface.

Conclusion

A deleted/lost partition isn’t necessarily a data catastrophe. In most cases, you’re able to perform Windows lost partition data recovery with the help of data backup or recovery programs. In this post, we offered you six proven methods. No matter whether you need to recover the lost data in the partition or to recover the whole lost partition, you can find a suitable method here. Besides, you are also recommended to use AOMEI Backupper to back up your disk to avoid data loss in the future.