A Guide to Recover Lost Data on Windows PC

A Guide to Recover Lost Data on Windows PC: We back up all the data from our smartphones on our PC believing that it’s safe but even PCs can encounter system crashes and data loss. It can be a terrifying situation if we do not have a backup or don’t know how to perform file recovery on Windows 10 or earlier versions. There can be several reasons for data loss. You may face accidental deletion of data, run into a malware attack, power surge, or system crash. There are a few manual methods that you can try to recover lost data before installing the best file recovery software.

Recover Data from Recycle Bin

This is the first place where we can look for lost data. If it is not permanently deleted, it will reside here. You can easily recover lost data from the Recycle Bin folder.

Step 1. Press (Win + D) to access your Desktop. You can also click on the Start button, type Recycle Bin and click to access the folder.

Step 2. Double-click on the Recycle Bin icon to open it.

Step 3. Click on the View menu and select Large Icons under the Layout section. It will show you thumbnails of all the deleted items.

Step 4. Press and hold the Ctrl key and click to select the files that need to be recovered. Click on the Restore the selected items button on the top ribbon. It will recover lost data back to its original location.

Restore Deleted Files Using Previous Version

Windows operating system has this inbuilt feature to perform file recovery on Windows 10 and earlier versions. This feature will only work if System Restore and recovery options are enabled and your data is backed up regularly.

Step 1. Press (Win + E) to access Windows Explorer.

Step 2. Go to the folder from where you lost your files.

Step 3.Right-click on the folder and click on the ‘Restore Previous Versions’ option from the dropdown list.

Step 4.The Folder Properties window will open. It will look for previous images of the folder. If it has ever created any image of the folder, it will list out previous versions of the folder with the date and time of creation.

Step 5. Select the recent version that you believe should have all the files and click on the Restore button. Once done, click on Apply and Ok buttons to load the files back on the computer. Open the folder and check if you have successfully recovered the files back.

Restore Files from Backup

Windows operating system has an inbuilt system Backup and Restore utility. If you have enabled automatic backup, it will take regular backup and safeguard your files. You can always restore your files from an old backup.

Step 1. Click on the Start button, type backup settings in the search bar and click on the Backup Settings app. The Settings window will open on your screen.

Alternatively, you can press (Win + I) to access the Settings window, click on the Update & Security option and then click on the Backup tab in the left-hand side panel to reach this screen.

Step 2. Ensure that the ‘Automatically back up my files’ is turned ON.

Step 3. Click on the Go to backup and restore (Windows 7) link under the looking for an older backup section. It will open another window to backup or restore files.

Step 4. Select the latest backup point and click on Restore My Files. Follow the restore wizard to recover lost data on Windows.

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Use Windows Recovery Software

The above methods may not assure that you will be able to recover your entire data if it is not backed up properly. There are dozens of free data recovery software for Windows PC however chances of recovery are less. Only the best data recovery software for Windows can help you automate the process and recover accidentally deleted data.

Advanced Disk Recovery is one of the best file recovery software for Windows 11 and earlier versions. It has an advanced scan algorithm to perform a quick scan or deep scan and list out all the recoverable files. You can perform file recovery on Windows 11 and earlier versions to recover accidentally deleted files from corrupt, crashed, or infected storage devices.

Advanced Disk Recovery can help you recover lost data from Internal/External HDD, SSD, 4K Drives, USB Drive, SD Card, and other storage devices. It has great compatibility with over 1000 types of documents, photos, music, movies, archive files, emails etc. You can sort files by name, date, size, file extension, or location. It not only recovers lost data but also helps you to take periodic backups of your important files.

Using this utility is absolutely easy! You just need to download and install the file recovery software on your computer. Select the hard drive partition or the removable media and click on the Start Scan Now button. It will list out the scan results and dig out all the recoverable files from the selected storage device. You can select and preview the recoverable media or directly click on the Recover button to bring back your files.

Wrapping Up

Data loss is a critical situation and only a few lucky users can recover their data if they know the methods of file recovery on Windows 10 or earlier versions. Manual methods may not be effective enough to recover lost data on your device. The best data recovery software can ensure that your data is always backed up and can be recovered even from crashed, corrupt or formatted storage devices. Recover it up with Advanced Disk Recovery!