How to Recover Deleted Files Using The New Windows Recovery Tool

After the release of Windows 10 2004 Build last month, Microsoft has added a new Windows Recovery Tool to recover deleted files on Windows 10 computers. While there are plenty of data recovery programs, the unique part about this tool is that it’s native to Windows so it works much better than third-party software. Basically, the chances of data recovery will be much higher than any other tool. The only downside is that the new Windows Recovery Tool is a command-line program which is not everyone’s cup of tea. Anyway, I have tried my best to simplify the instructions so that you can get your files back easily. With that in mind, let’s go ahead and learn how to recover deleted files using Windows Recovery Tool.

Recover Deleted Files Using Windows Recovery Tool

Before I begin the guide, let me tell you that Windows Recovery Tool works with HDD, SSD, external hard drives, USB drives, and even SD cards which is just amazing. Apart from that, you should be on Windows 10 2004 build (June 2020 update) and above to be able to use this feature. With that out of the way, let’s now jump to the steps.

1. First of all, download the Windows Recovery Tool (free) from Microsoft Store.

2. After the installation, open Command Prompt using the Administrator privilege. Now, run winfr and it will show you all command-line syntax of Windows File Recovery. Do not worry, here I am going to explain everything in detail.

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3. The simplest way to recover files is to use the below syntax. Just type winfr and enter the drive that you want to search for deleted files. Next, enter the drive where you want to store the recovered files. For example, here I am searching the whole C drive for deleted files and storing the recovered files on the G drive.

Note: If the process is taking too much time then you can press Ctrl + C to abort the operation instantly.

winfr C: G:

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4. After running the above command, you will be asked to press “Y” to continue the scanning process. Once you do that, your files will be recovered and stored in a custom folder in G drive. This is the easiest way to recover deleted files using the new Windows Recovery Tool.

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5. If you want to scan for a particular file format then follow the below syntax. Here, I am searching for deleted PDF files in C drive and storing the recovered files in G drive.

winfr C: G: /r /n *.pdf

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For DOCX files:

winfr C: G: /r /n *.docx

You can use the same syntax for MP3, MP4, DOC, PPT, ZIP, and other file formats.

6. If you want to find a file based on its name then use the below syntax. Easy peasy!

winfr C: G: /r /n *filename*

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7. If the combination of /r and /n doesn’t yield satisfactory results for you then you can use an advanced “Signature” mode to recover deleted files. You need to replace /r /n with /x /y for deep scanning.

winfr C: G: /x /y:PDF

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7. In case, you want to scan a particular folder for deleted files then follow the below syntax. For instance, here I am searching for deleted files on the desktop which is located under the C drive. The recovered files will be stored in G drive. You can also use this command to recover a whole folder.

Note: Don’t forget the backslash (\) at the end of the folder.

winfr C: G: /n \Users\yourusername\Documents\

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8. And if you want to scan a particular file format in a specific folder then here is the syntax to follow. This will retrieve PDF files from the Documents folder which is located under the C drive. And the restored files will be saved in G drive.

winfr C: G: /n \Users\yourusername\Documents\*.PDF

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can We Recover Permanently Deleted Files in Windows 10?

Yes, you can. But it’s strongly recommended that you recover the deleted files as soon as possible. It will ensure that the deleted files are not overwritten.

Q. How Do I Recover a Deleted File in Windows?

You will have to install Windows Recovery Tool and then use Command Prompt to start the recovery process. I have explained the instructions in detail above so go through that.

Q. How Do I Recover Permanently Deleted Files From My Computer?

Windows Recovery Tool has two modes: Segment and Signature. Segment is set by default and it works most of the time. However, if it fails to recover the permanently deleted files then you can use the Signature mode. It will surely help you retrieve permanently deleted files on your Windows PC. Go through the tutorial for more details.

Q. Where Do Deleted Files Go?

When you delete a file, it does not get erased from the hard disk completely. Only the pointer to the file is removed from the end-user so no one can access it. However, the file is available in the hard disk sector and it will remain there until it’s overwritten by another set of data.

Utilize the New Windows Recovery Tool to Retrieve Deleted Files and Folders

So that is how you can recover deleted files using the new Windows Recovery Tool. I know the process is somewhat complex, but once you get the gist, you can easily get your files back. And if you want to learn more about this new tool then you can head over to Microsoft’s guide over here. Anyway, that’s all from us. If are facing any issues then do comment down below and let us know.

comment Comments 3
  • Michael Cole says:

    Pass 1: Scanning and processing disk Scanning disk: 12% wish you would show each step till the end and the final output to the recovery folder

  • Amaan says:

    Just Finished Formatting The HDD Cuz Laptop Had Some Issues. Still Im Not Able To Recover A Single File From The Drive !
    Please Help Me Getting All The Files And Folders Back Please Sir.

    • Arjun Sha says:

      Let me know the drive name from where you want to recover files and the destination where you intend to save the recovered data. And do mention the particular file formats that you want to recover.

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