Recover Deleted or Lost RTF Documents | Updated Guide

Wondering how to recover deleted or lost RTF files or documents from Windows or Mac systems. Then you have ended up in the right place. This updated guide will show you how to recover deleted RTF files with ease.
Try Remo File Recovery Software to flawlessly recover RTF files lost due to any reason from any storage devices and any version of Windows and Mac.

Written by John Harris / Updated on June 24, 2025

You have saved many RTF (Rich Text Format) files on your desktop. Since these files provide universal exchange of text files between different Word processors in different operating systems, you prefer using RTF file format for most documents. Moreover, RTF files safely transmit text documents and require a small memory space for storage. So creating .rtf files is easy, and also converting them to other file formats such as .doc or .docx can be done by just changing the file extension.

The RTF(Rich Text Format) was intended to help people share documents with users who don’t use Word application. This makes it very useful to share and use the file across other platforms such as macOS.

However, RTF files, just like any other file can get deleted from your storage medium due to unfortunate circumstances. There are many ways by which .rtf files gets deleted, let’s see few reasons behind it –

  • You accidentally deleted an important RTF document while deleting other files
  • Deleting .rtf files and immediately emptying Recycle Bin or Trash without checking its contents
  • Accidentally deleting RTF files from memory card, pen drive, etc, when they are connected to the desktop / laptop.
  • Your files might get lost during transfer or move due to any interruptions.
  • Some third-party app deleted RTF files from your desktop

Some users might have lost their RTF files after using CCleaner to erase some unwanted files to increase storage space. If you are one of those who has encountered the same issue. Then refer to this article to find out how to recover files deleted by CCleaner.

You might be of the opinion that RTF files once deleted from the storage device cannot be recovered. But that is not true; as it is possible to get back the .rtf files. The deleted RTF files reside in the drive itself with a deleted tag. So as long as you do not write new data on the drive, deleted RTF files can be recovered with help from a File Recovery tool.

Fortunately, there are other ways to recover lost or deleted RTF documents. Follow the information given in the article to know more.

How To Recover Deleted RTF Files?

You can recover deleted RTF files from the Recycle Bin of your Windows system. But if you didn't find them in the Bin then we suggest you try any of the DIY methods to recover files from any version of Windows.

Method 1: Recover Accidentally Deleted RTF Files From Recycle Bin

The first thing you have to do when you delete an RTF file is to check the Recycle Bin. Any deleted file from the computer can easily be recovered through Recycle Bin.

In order to recover deleted RTF files from the Bin folder follow these steps.

  • Open the Recycle Bin and type the name of the file in the Search Box.
  • Type the name of the RTF document and select the file from the displayed list of all deleted files.
  • Right-click on the deleted RTF file and click on the Restore button.

The above solution will help you recover deleted RTF files, only if it is available in Recycle Bin. If you are unable to recover deleted files from the above method, there can be chances that your RTF file is deleted permanently.

Worry not, you can also try restoring them from the backups, File History or Previous Versions, etc.

Method 2: Retrieve Deleted or Lost RTF Documents using Remo File Recovery Tool

Files that are missing from the computer can be very tricky to be traced and recovered. However, by utilizing the right data recovery software not just lost RTF files but files of any format can be recovered effortlessly.

Remo File Recovery Software is the best option to recover deleted, lost or missing RTF files easily.

user review on trustpilot after recovering deleted rtf files using remo file recovery tool
Source: Trustpilot

The deep scan algorithms thoroughly scan the selected drive sector by sector to recover files of any type effortlessly. This tool is useful in restoring deleted RTF documents from internal or external storage devices such as memory cards, USB drives, and flash drives. Download Remo to easily recover Rich Text Files on Mac or Windows.

Download Now Buy Now

How To Recover RTF Documents That Are Permanently Deleted Using Remo File Recovery Software?

Step 1: Download and install the tool on your system.

Step 2: Open Remo File Recovery Software, choose the drive or folder to retrieve deleted or lost RTF files, and click Scan.

launch the tool to recover deleted rtf files

Step 3: Remo begins locating your data with a Quick scan, followed by a Deep scan. Use the Dynamic Recovery View to preview and restore recovered files during the scan.

click on the dynamic recovery view option to preview the recovered rtf files

Step 4: After scanning, a complete list of recovered files and folders from the selected drive appears on your screen.

Step 5: Use the Advanced Filter to quickly find RTF files.

use the advanced filter option to sort, filter and find the deleted rtf files

Step 6: Preview recovered RTF files using the built-in Preview option before saving them

Step 7: Select the files and folders to recover, click Recover, and choose a location to save the RTF files

click on the recover button to save the recovered rtf files to the desired location.

Remo starts the recovered data saving process.

completion of the rtf file restoration process on windows

You have successfully recovered all of your RTF files.

Why Should Remo File Recovery Software Be Your Go-To Tool When It Comes To File Recovery?

Remo File Recovery Tool recovers files when other deleted file recovery methods fail.

It works with all versions of Windows, including Windows 11, Windows 10, XP, Vista, and various Windows Server editions, as well as Mac versions like Ventura, Monterey, Big Sur, and older ones.

The tool identifies and recovers over 500 file types, such as Audio, Video, Text, Office files, etc.

Remo is compatible with all storage devices, computers, and laptops.

Download Remo to explore its full capabilities.

Additional info: Click the link to learn how to recover deleted or unsaved MS Word files using Remo File Recovery Tool.

Conclusion

Data loss can happen unexpectedly, and without quick action to restore deleted files, you risk permanent loss. Regular data backups are essential for safety. If you lack a backup, try DIY file recovery methods like checking the Recycle Bin, restoring from backups, using File History or Previous Versions, or employing the Microsoft Windows File Recovery tool.

If these manual methods fail to recover RTF files, use Remo File Recovery Software to restore deleted or lost RTF files from any drive.

Why Choose Remo?

100% safeSecure

100% SatisfactionGuarantee

10 Million+Downloads

Free TechSupport

Live Chat24/7 Support

Top