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.
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:
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.
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
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*
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
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\
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
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
