Folders serve as organizational tools for sorting various types of files on your computer. For instance, you might have one folder dedicated to music and another for videos or movies. Similarly, you could have a separate folder for your business documents. The system can be as detailed as youd like.
However, its crucial to recognize that folders are not immune to accidental deletions or lossesâjust like individual files. When you inadvertently delete a folder, the ramifications are greater since youre erasing multiple files at once, not just one.
The silver lining here is that, much like individual lost or deleted files can often be recovered, so can entire folders, whether youre using a Windows or macOS system. This article will guide you through the process of restoring deleted folders on your computer.
We’ve all been there – you delete a folder by accident and then desperately try to get it back, Recovering deleted folders in Windows 10 is possible if you act quickly and use the right methods
As a writer who depends on organized folders for my work, I’ve had to recover deleted folders several times. After some trial and error I’ve found some techniques that work to salvage those important deleted folders. In this article I’ll walk you through the steps based on my own experience.
Check the Recycle Bin
When you delete a folder in Windows 10, it gets sent to the Recycle Bin unless you permanently deleted it by pressing Shift+Delete So the first thing you should always do is check the Recycle Bin for the deleted folder
To view the Recycle Bin, open File Explorer and click on the Recycle Bin icon, usually located on the left sidebar. You’ll then see a list of all recently deleted files and folders.
If you find the deleted folder here, right-click on it and select Restore to recover it to its original location. This is the easiest way to get back a deleted folder.
Use Previous Versions
If the deleted folder is not in the Recycle Bin, your next option is to look for previous versions. Windows automatically creates restore points and file versions as a backup.
You can access previous versions by right-clicking on the parent folder (where the deleted folder used to be) and selecting Restore previous versions.
A window will open showing available restored versions of that folder from earlier points in time. Browse through the timeline to find a version from before the folder was deleted. Once you find it, double click to open the folder and copy out the deleted folder to recover it.
Use Backup Software
Another option is to recover the deleted folder from a backup. If you use backup software like File History, you may be able to restore the specific folder from a backup point before it was deleted.
Open the backup program, browse to the point in time before the folder was deleted, and find the folder. You can then restore or copy it out of the backup into its original or a new location.
Use Undelete Software
If you can’t find the folder in the Recycle Bin, Previous Versions, or backups, then you’ll need dedicated undelete software.
Undelete utilities can scan your drive and recover data that was deleted. I recommend using a free option like Recuva or TestDisk to try to find traces of the deleted folder.
Be sure to install the undelete app on another drive, not on the same drive where the folder was deleted. Then scan the drive and with luck, the software should find the deleted folder for you to recover it.
Use Command Line Utilities
As a last resort, you can try using command line utilities built into Windows 10 for file recovery.
For newer versions of Windows 10, the Windows File Recovery tool can restore deleted files and folders. You can download it from the Microsoft Store.
Then in the command prompt, type winfr and hit enter. Specify the drive you want to scan and destination to save recovered files. Add filters if you know the folder name or path.
For example:
winfr C: D: /n *yourfoldername*This will scan drive C and output any recovered folders with yourfoldername into drive D.
Prevention Tips
While it is possible to recover deleted folders through the above methods, prevention is always better. Here are some tips to avoid needing folder recovery in the first place:
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Be very careful when deleting any folders and use Shift+Delete only when absolutely necessary.
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Set up an automatic backup solution like File History to create regular backups.
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Enable Previous Versions on important folders under Properties > Previous Versions.
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Consider using OneDrive or Dropbox to sync key folders to the cloud.
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When deleting large batches of files, use the trash can icon in the ribbon rather than deleting from the right-click menu.
Method 2: Restore with âPrevious Versionâ â Works on Windows 10
If youâre running Windows 10 OS on your computer, thereâs a âPrevious Versionâ feature that works for recovering lost and deleted folders. This method works through File Explorer, which makes it easier.
- Click on âMy PCâ
- Right-click on your primary hard disk drive (Local Disk (C:)) and select âRestore Previous Versionsâ
- Select the most recent version you believe should contain the folder youâre seeking to get back
- Click OK and wait for the restore to be complete
Video Tutorial on How to Recover Deleted Files on Windows 11/10/8/7 Easily
There are practices you can follow to have fallback data you can always refer to when you mistakenly delete a file. These are simple practices, and they work on all computers. While these practices donât mean you will never lose files due to quite different data loss scenarios, but they will make situations easy for you when such things happen.
How to Recover Deleted Folders in Window 10? [4 Solutions]
How to restore deleted folders in Windows 10?
If you delete your folders using the right-click on Windows 10, you can find Recycle Bin on Windows 10 and restore your deleted folders. Step 1. Ensure you have not deleted the folders with the Shift + Delete shortcut, and you should know the differences between shift delete and delete. You cannot find a shift-deleted folder in the Recycle Bin.
How do I restore a deleted file?
This wikiHow article teaches you how to restore a file you’ve deleted from your Windows or macOS computer. Quickly and easily recover deleted files on your computer by restoring them from the Recycling Bin or Trash. If you’re using Windows 10 or 11, use Windows File Recovery or File History to restore your deleted files.
How do I recover a deleted file in Windows 11?
Open the Microsoft Store and browse to the Windows File Recovery page. Click the Get button to download the program. To recover a deleted file, open Windows File Recovery from its Start menu shortcut. In Windows 11, you may need to click the All Apps link in the Start menu to find the shortcut.
How do I recover deleted files from a backup?
As long as you back up your computer, you should be able to restore deleted files from one of your recent backups. If you run out of options, you can use file recovery software like Recuva (Windows) or Disk Drill (Mac) to increase your chances of recovering the file.
