[Solution]: How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files in Windows 10?

Summary: If you’ve deleted some data such as Excel files, Word files, photos, or other files by using Shift+Delete keys or emptied the Recycle Bin folder, this means that the files are permanently deleted from your Windows system. But now you want to recover permanently deleted files in Windows 10 and other versions like 8 and 7 from your system? In this post, we’ve mentioned the possible methods to recover such deleted files. You can try using Windows built-in Previous Versions to restore permanently deleted files in Windows 10/8/7. However, the best way to recover such deleted files is by using a specialized data recovery tool.

Methods to Recover Permanently Deleted Files in Windows 10?

Method 1: Use Previous Versions Option

Previous Versions are the earlier versions of the folder which existed prior to modification or deletion of file from it. These versions of a folder are automatically created by Windows, provided that the following settings had already been configured on your Windows system before the deletion of the file:

• [Windows 7]: System Protection is turned ON for the drive on which the deleted file existed and System Restore Point is created.
• [Windows 8]: System Protection is turned ON for the drive on which the deleted file existed and File History is enabled.
• [Windows 10]: System Protection is turned ON for the drive on which the deleted file existed and File History is enabled or System Restore Point is created.

[NOTE]: If the above conditions for your respective Windows system are not met, you’d not be able to restore permanently deleted files by using Windows Previous Versions. In such a case, jump directly to the ultimate file recovery solution.

Use Previous Versions to Restore Permanently Deleted Files in Windows 7 If you have the above-given settings configured, follow the given steps to recover permanently deleted photos, Excel files, Word files, etc. from Windows 10, 8 & 7.

Follow the steps given below:

• Right-click the folder from where you deleted your file, and click Properties
• Click the Previous Versions tab

Under this tab, you’ll see different versions of the folder based on the date it was modified.

• Select and open each version of the folder one by one and see which version contains the permanently deleted file
• Once you’ve found the file, copy and save it to the desired location

[Note]: You can also copy the entire folder version by selecting the required version of the folder and then clicking the Copy button. Once you click Copy, you’ll be prompted to select a location to save this version of the folder.

Use Previous Versions to Restore Permanently Deleted Files in Windows 8

File recovery steps:

• Open File Explorer window or navigate to This PC
• Type \\localhost\C$ in the address bar and hit Enter

[Note]: C in \\localhost\C$ denotes C drive. Replace C with the drive letter of the volume that contained the deleted files.

• Navigate to the folder from where you’d deleted the files
• Right-click the folder and click Properties

• Click the Previous Versions tab

This would list earlier versions of the folder. You can open each version of the folder to check which one of them contains deleted files.

• To open a version of the folder, select the folder and click the Open button
• Copy the deleted files you found on any version of the folder and save them at your desired location

Use Previous Versions to Restore Permanently Deleted Files in Windows 10

To do so, follow the steps given below:

• Right-click the folder which contained the deleted files and click Restore previous versions

This lists all the versions of the folder according to the date it was modified.

• Open each version of the folder one by one to see which version contains the deleted file

• Copy the deleted file that you found in any of these versions of the folder
• Paste the file at the desired location

If the Previous Version doesn’t help to restore the permanently deleted files, don’t use any hit-and-trial methods. Doing so may overwrite the deleted files and you’d never be able to recover them.

Additional Reading – How to Recover Shift Deleted Files From Windows 10?

Method 2: Use Stellar Data Recovery Software

You can use DIY and effective data recovery tools such as Stellar Data Recovery for Windows to recover permanently deleted files in Windows 10, 8, 7, and lower versions. It can recover all types of files such as photos, videos, excel files, word files, and so on.

Steps to recover deleted files by using Stellar Data Recovery software:

• Download and install the software on your Windows system, and launch it.

• From the main interface, select All Data

• Select the volume from where you deleted the files, and click Scan.

After the scan process completes, it lists all the files on the drive including the permanently deleted ones.

• Choose the deleted files, and click Recover.

• Browse a location where you want to save the selected deleted files.
• Once you’ve chosen the location, click Start Saving.

Select the location where you want to save the permanently deleted files in windows 10.

Watch the video to know more about “how to recover permanently deleted files in Windows 10”.

Conclusion

You can restore permanently deleted files on Windows 10, 8, and 7 by using the Previous Versions option. You can look into the previous versions of the folder from where you had deleted the files.  If you’re able to find the deleted files in any of the previous versions of the folder, you can copy them to the desired location.

However, if you’re unable to restore files by using Previous Versions, you need to use an effective data recovery tool such as Stellar Windows Data Recovery Software. The software helps you recover permanently deleted documents, videos, photos, audio files, etc. from Windows 10, 8, 7, and other lower versions.