Data management, and especially data recovery, has become of paramount importance to businesses. As more and more people use computers and data these days, it is essential to ensure the security of your data as a top priority.
However, you don’t need to worry if you accidentally delete some data from your device. In fact, you can still recover a USB drive on Windows and a hard drive, among other storage devices, as long as your data has not been overwritten by new files. If you are using Windows 10/11, read on to learn the best ways to recover lost or deleted files. But first, let's look at some situations that lead to data loss in Windows 10/11.
Situations that may lead to data loss
Human error
Windows 11 is generally intuitive and very user-friendly. However, since it is still new, many users have not yet had time to get familiar with it. This makes it more likely that some people will make mistakes that lead to data loss.
Software Questions
Software compatibility with operating systems is a critical issue that Microsoft understands and takes seriously. However, there is a possibility that some software may not be compatible with the system, which can cause bugs in your system. In this case, your system may crash or shut down abruptly, without you having time to save your work. So you may lose files, whether on a USB drive or even on a hard drive.
Data corruption
Software and hardware issues can make a file unopenable. When such data corruption occurs, you may not have enough time to repair the damage and you may lose your files.
Hardware malfunction
Modern data storage devices have become more versatile and are designed to ensure data storage and integrity preservation. However, some devices can be easily damaged by hardware failures, resulting in severe data loss.
Unpredictable disasters
Accidents such as an unexpected water spill can easily damage your storage device and make your data inaccessible. Recovering from such losses can be difficult, although it is always possible to try to recover the lost files.
How to Recover Deleted Files in Windows 10/11
Now let’s see some of the best methods that you can use to recover deleted files on Windows 10/11.
Method 1: Using a Recycle Bin
Windows 11, just like Windows 10, has a Recycle Bin. However, the Recycle Bin is slightly redesigned and lets you know how to recover a replaced file. Follow the steps below to recover files on PC using Recycle Bin.
- Locate the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop and double-click it.
- Select the files you recently deleted and want to recover.
- Right-click on any of the selected files and press the “Restore” option.
- You can also drag and drop your selected files to your desired folder for direct recovery.
Method 2: Recover Deleted Files Using Undelete Feature
Windows computers have an undo feature that makes it easy to retract any action. This feature is a reliable solution to recover data from the hard drive, making it convenient to recover deleted files on Windows 11 computers, especially to undo actions performed inadvertently.
If you are working on Windows 11 and accidentally delete a slide, for example, while organizing a presentation on PowerPoint, press “CTRL + Z” on your keyboard, and you will get your slide back. Similarly, if you are working on a folder, you can right-click on an open space in the folder and choose the “Undelete” option to restore the files you deleted.
Method 3: Restore Files Using File History
The File History feature is popular on Windows 10 and is also available on Windows 11, offering one of the best data recovery solutions. It is a backup feature that allows you to easily restore copies of your backed up files. The good news is that you can use File History to recover permanently deleted files that are not present in the Recycle Bin. Here are the steps to recover data using File History:
- Launch the Start menu and type “Control Panel”.
- Open the “Control Panel” and navigate to “System and Security” and then to “File History”.
- Locate “Restore Personal Files” in the left sidebar and click on it.
- Go back in time until you have a backup copy that contains the files you want to restore.
- Select the files to restore and press the green recover button to complete the recovery process.
Method 4: Use Third-Party Data Recovery Software to Recover Deleted Files
If you accidentally deleted files in Windows 11 but can't recover them using any of the methods described above, it might be time to try using third-party data recovery software.
Disk Drill developed by CleverFiles is one such data recovery software that will help you recover many types of data on Windows 11. You just need to download and install the software from the official website, launch it, scan your hard drive for deleted files and select the recovery files from the preview.
