Easy Ways to Recover Deleted Files on Windows PC (Complete Guide)

Accidentally deleting important files is one of the most common problems Windows users face. Whether it’s documents, photos, videos, projects, or work files — losing data can be stressful. The good news is that Windows PCs offer many ways to recover deleted files, even if they’re not in the Recycle Bin.

This guide covers the simplest and most effective methods to recover deleted files on PC safely.

1. Check the Recycle Bin (First Step)

Before trying any advanced recovery tool, always check the Recycle Bin.

Windows usually stores deleted files here until you manually empty it.

Steps:

Open Recycle Bin

Search for your file

Right-click → Restore

Your file will return to its original location.

2. Use Windows File History (Built-in Backup Tool)

If you had File History enabled earlier, you can restore old versions of files.

How to use File History:

Open the folder where the file was located

Right-click → Restore previous versions

Choose the correct version

Restore

This feature is extremely useful for restoring overwritten or modified files.

3. Use OneDrive or Cloud Backup

Windows often syncs Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders with OneDrive.

Steps:

Open OneDrive

Go to the Recycle Bin (inside OneDrive)

Restore deleted items

Cloud backups save many users from permanent data loss.

4. Use CMD to Recover Hidden or Lost Files

Sometimes files are not deleted — they become hidden or corrupted.

Command to recover files:

Open Command Prompt and run:

attrib -h -r -s /s /d C:\*.*

Replace C: with the drive where files were stored.

5. Use Third-Party Software (Highly Effective)

If files are permanently deleted, recovery software can help you restore them.

Best recovery tools:

Recuva (free)

EaseUS Data Recovery

Disk Drill

Stellar Data Recovery

These tools scan your hard drive and recover files even after formatting.

6. Recover Files From Backup Drive

If you have ever created a manual backup on USB or hard drive, check there.

It’s always the safest long-term method.

7. Check Temporary File Folders

Windows sometimes stores temporary copies of working files.

Search in:

%temp%

AppData\Local

AppData\Roaming

AppData\LocalLow

You might find unsaved or auto-saved versions of files here.

Why Avoid Overwriting the Drive?

If you keep using your PC after deleting a file, Windows may overwrite the deleted data.

This reduces the chance of recovery.

Tips:

Stop downloading files

Avoid installing new apps

Don’t save new data on the same drive

Recover files ASAP

Final Thoughts

Recovering deleted files is possible in most cases as long as you act quickly.

Using built-in tools like Recycle Bin, File History, OneDrive, and advanced tools like Recuva makes the process easy. With the right steps, you can always recover deleted files on PC safely.