Accidents happen. In our haste, we sometimes delete important folders containing crucial files. You could also lose important folders due to malware infections or system glitches. Regardless of the cause, recovering these folders quickly is crucial, especially if they contain sensitive or irreplaceable data.
If you're a Windows user who has faced this situation, don't panic. You can easily recover deleted folders and their contents. Whether you've accidentally hit the delete button or fallen victim to a system glitch, we’ll share some methods to guide you through the retrieval process. The sooner you act to restore deleted folders, the better your chances of retrieving their contents in full.
Windows offers a few different ways to recover deleted folders. The options available depend on when the folder was deleted and how your system has been used. But in most cases, you should be able to recover deleted folders using any of the following methods.
Once you notice that you've accidentally deleted a folder, the first option to try is Window's Undo delete functionality. To use the feature, follow these steps:
This will instantly roll back the last deletion. However, the Undo delete option has limitations. It only works if no other changes have been made since deleting the folder.
Any copy moves or additional deletions will prevent the Undo option from restoring that folder. So, this method works best right after a deletion before you take any other actions.
If a folder was recently deleted, you can likely restore it using the Recycle Bin. To do this:
However, there are a few limitations when using the Recycle Bin. If you permanently deleted the folder using Shift + Delete, it won't have been sent to the Recycle Bin, which means you can't restore it from there. Also, the Recycle Bin has been emptied since deleting the folder. In that case, the folder will no longer be available for recovery from the Bin folder.
Suppose you've previously created a backup of your folders using the Windows 7 Backup and Restore tool. In that case, you can still access it to restore deleted folders in the recent version of Windows. To do this,
After the restore process is completed, the files and folders from that particular backup will be retrieved, including any deleted ones it contained.
The major limitation when relying on backups for restoring deleted folders is that you can only restore folders that were backed up before being deleted. So, whether you've set up a backup option or not, if the backup interval is not frequent enough to sync your folder before it is deleted, this option might not be viable. Essentially, backups can only restore folders they contain snapshots of from before the deletion occurred.
File History is a backup feature in newer Windows versions that can help restore deleted folders. It continuously saves versions of your files and folders over time. To use File History to restore a deleted folder:
The major limitation with the File History method is that the feature must have been enabled and configured correctly before the folder you wish to restore was deleted. Without this, you won't have the option of using this method to restore your folders.
Sometimes, even if you've correctly configured the feature, there might not be a version of the folder that contains the files you want if the deleted folder was not backed up in time. Also, this method relies on external drives or network locations to save versions of your files and folders, which can fail or become corrupted.
Another efficient folder recovery method is restoring a previous copy of a folder. The Previous Versions feature in Windows allows you to recover modified or deleted folders that were previously saved in a specific location. It's a part of the System Protection feature, which creates restore points and backups of files and system settings. Here's how to use it:
Windows will restore the selected previous version of the folder. The folder will reappear in its original location once the process is complete. Restoring an earlier version of a deleted folder using this method requires that System Protection was enabled and actively creating restore points before the folder was deleted.
Even at that, sometimes the restored folder may not contain all of the recent changes you made to the files in that folder. The restored folder will only reflect the state of the files in the folder when System Protection captures a snapshot of the files.
When all options fail, one last card to play is Remo Recover! Remo Recover is a powerful, easy-to-use data recovery software that can recover lost or deleted folders on your Windows computer. Few applications can match Remo Recover's efficiency as a folder recovery tool.
It features a dual scan mode that caters to different data loss scenarios–Quick Scan for fast folder recovery and Deep Scan for severe data loss. An automated Deep Scan ensures maximum data recovery. Remo Recover also features an interactive recovery option that saves recovered folders mid-scan; there is no need to wait until the full Scan completes.
The intuitive interface makes recovery simple, even for novices. To get started with Remo Recover:
Download the Remo Recover – data recovery software.
Recovering deleted or lost folders on your computer can seem intimidating, but following some best practices can significantly improve your chances of getting back lost data from Windows. Here are some key points you should keep in mind:
While deleted folders can often be recovered using several data recovery software or techniques, there are certain conditions where folder recovery becomes virtually impossible. Some of them include;
Losing important folders containing your cherished files can be disheartening. Windows provides several helpful methods to restore deleted folders and recover lost data. The key is to act quickly before the deleted files get overwritten. Initiate the folder recovery process immediately using the Undo option, Recycle Bin, backups, File History, or previous versions. If these fail, use advanced data recovery software like Remo Recover to recover the deleted folders.
Following best practices like regular backups and avoiding overwrites can also aid successful folder recovery. However, folder recovery may not be possible in certain unforeseen situations like encryption, physical damage, or firmware errors. Seek help from data recovery experts when dealing with data you cannot afford to lose.