How to Recover Deleted Data from a Desktop Computer

You hit Shift+Delete, emptied the Recycle Bin, or formatted the wrong folder, and now files you needed are missing. It's a sinking feeling, especially after a day's work. Here's the reassuring truth: deleting a file doesn't erase its data. Windows just marks that disk space as available to reuse. Until something writes over it, your files are still there, recoverable.

That single fact shapes everything below. The faster you stop using the computer, the more you can get back. Every new file you save, every program you install, every page your browser caches, nudges closer to overwriting the very data you want.

The methods below run from quickest to most thorough. Work through them in order and stop the moment your files come back.

Method 1: Check the Recycle Bin

Always start here. It takes under a minute. Open the Recycle Bin from your desktop, sort by Date Deleted so recent items rise to the top, find your file, right-click it and choose Restore. Windows returns it to its original folder. You can also drag files out to any folder you like.

If you used Shift+Delete, deleted via Command Prompt, removed files from an external drive, or already emptied the bin, the files skipped the Recycle Bin. Move on to Method 2.

Method 2: Restore from File History

File History quietly backs up your libraries, desktop and folders when it's switched on. A lot of people have it running without realising.

1. Type File History in the Start menu and open Restore your files with File History.
2. Browse to the folder that held your data.
3. Use the left and right arrows to step back to a backup from before the deletion.
4. Select your files and click the green Restore button to return them to their original location.

No File History backups? Shadow Copy might still have a snapshot.

Method 3: Recover from a Shadow Copy snapshot

Windows System Protection can keep restore-point snapshots of your folders even when File History is off. Right-click the folder that held your files and choose Restore previous versions. If snapshots appear, pick one dated before the deletion and click Restore.

If the folder shows no previous versions, you can list snapshots directly from an elevated Command Prompt and copy files out of one:

:: List shadow copy snapshots on your C drive
vssadmin list shadows /for=C:

:: Copy your files out of a snapshot to a safe location
robocopy "\\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy1\Users\You\Documents" "D:\Recovered" /e

Method 4: Use free recovery software

If the data was permanently deleted or lost to a quick format, and no backup exists, signature-based recovery is the answer. These tools scan the raw disk for file signatures and rebuild files around them, independent of the file system.

Free, trusted options include PhotoRec (open source, cross-platform) and Recuva (Windows). Despite the name, PhotoRec recovers far more than photos: documents, videos, audio, archives and hundreds of other file types.

Install the software on a different drive, and recover your files to a different drive. Never write recovered files back onto the disk you're scanning.

1. Run the tool from a separate drive or a USB stick so nothing installs onto the affected disk.
2. Select the affected drive and choose a deep scan rather than a quick scan.
3. Filter results by file type and preview where possible.
4. Save recovered files to a healthy external or second internal drive.

One timing note worth knowing: on a regular hard drive this works for weeks after deletion. On an SSD, a feature called TRIM clears deleted blocks within minutes, so recovery is far more time-sensitive. If your data was on an SSD, see our dedicated guide on recovering data from an SSD, where timing changes the whole approach.

Recovering specific file types and devices

The four methods above cover most situations on a desktop. For particular file types or storage devices, these focused guides go deeper:

• Recover deleted video from a computer for MP4, MOV and other video formats.
• Recover deleted WMV files for Windows Media Video specifically.
• Recover deleted files from a flash drive for USB sticks, where files skip the Recycle Bin.
• Recover data from an SSD, where TRIM makes speed critical.
• Recover data from a drive that won't boot, using an enclosure or live USB.

How to avoid losing data again

The easiest recovery is the backup you already have. Once your files are safe, set up a routine so a deletion never becomes a crisis. The 3-2-1 rule is the standard: three copies of important data, on two types of storage, with one off-site or in the cloud. On Windows, turning File History on and pointing it at an external drive handles most of this automatically and runs in the background.

Got your data back? Copy it somewhere safe and switch on File History before you close this tab. What's the one folder you'd be most upset to lose next time?