How Do I Recover Permanently Deleted Files from Windows 10

Theo Lucia updated Jul 07, 26

5 min(s)

TL;DR:

You can recover permanently deleted files in Windows 10 using built-in backups or data recovery software, provided you immediately stop writing new data to the affected drive to prevent overwriting.
    ● Restore from File History, Backup and Restore, or Previous Versions first, which requires System Protection or backup features to be enabled prior to deletion.
    ● If backups are unavailable, use the command-line Windows File Recovery tool or third-party software like Recoverit Data Recovery to scan the drive.
    ● Always save recovered files to a different storage drive, and note that files deleted on SSDs are much harder to retrieve due to the TRIM feature.

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Permanently deleted files in Windows 10 can sometimes be recovered if the storage space has not been overwritten. The main recovery options are File History, Backup and Restore, Windows File Recovery, and professional recovery software. Fast action matters, because continued use of the drive can reduce the chance of permanently deleted file recovery.

Try these recovery methods in order to maximize the chance of getting permanently deleted files back on Windows 10.

Step 1
Stop writing new data to the drive. Avoid installing apps, saving files, downloading content, or restoring recovered files to the same partition. Overwritten sectors often make permanently deleted file recovery unsuccessful.
Step 2
Check backup sources first. Open File History or Backup and Restore in Windows 10 and look for an earlier version of the deleted file or folder. Restoring from backup is usually the safest Windows 10 file recovery method.
Step 3
Use Previous Versions if available. Right-click the original folder location, select Restore previous versions, and review older copies. Previous Versions may work if System Protection or File History was enabled before deletion.
Step 4
Try Windows File Recovery. Use Microsoft’s command-line recovery tool to scan the affected drive, but install and save recovered files to a different drive whenever possible. Choose the recovery mode based on the file system and deletion scenario.
Step 5
Use data recovery software if no backup exists. Scan the affected drive and recover found files to another device. A full scan is often better for permanently deleted file recovery after Shift+Delete, formatting, or emptied Recycle Bin cases.

Option	Best For	Limitation
File History	Backed-up personal files	Must be enabled earlier
Previous Versions	Folder-based restoration	Not always available
Windows File Recovery	Built-in advanced recovery	Command-line only
Recovery software	Deleted, formatted, inaccessible files	Success depends on overwrite level

Common Issues and Fixes

No files found after scan — Likely cause: storage sectors may already be overwritten. Fix: stop using the drive immediately and run a deep scan from another disk.
Recovered files are corrupted — Likely cause: partial overwrite, file fragmentation, or incomplete recovery. Fix: try another scan mode or recover older backup copies if available.
Previous Versions tab is empty — Likely cause: System Protection or File History was never enabled. Fix: use Windows File Recovery or data recovery software instead.
Windows File Recovery returns limited results — Likely cause: incorrect recovery mode or file system mismatch. Fix: verify whether the drive uses NTFS, FAT, exFAT, or ReFS and rerun with the proper parameters.

Quick tips to improve permanently deleted file recovery success:

SSDs may be harder to recover from because TRIM can erase deleted data quickly.
External drives and USB devices should also be recovered to a separate destination drive.
Formatted partitions may still allow recovery if no large files were written after formatting.
Recovered filenames and folder paths may be missing after deep scans, especially on damaged or older file systems.

💡Protip:

Before trying recovery, avoid installing tools, downloading files, or saving recovered data to the same drive where the files were deleted. New writes can overwrite permanently deleted files that may still be recoverable.