Recover Deleted Files Windows 11: From Bin to File Recovery

Deleting the wrong file is one of the most common computer accidents, and in most cases it is fixable if you act quickly and in the right order. This guide shows how to recover deleted files in Windows 11, starting with the easy places a file goes after deletion and ending with Microsoft’s own recovery tool for files that seem gone for good. It also explains what makes recovery harder, so you do not accidentally overwrite the file you are trying to save.

The steps apply to Windows 11 version 24H2, 25H2 and 26H2.

First: stop writing to the drive

When a file is deleted permanently, Windows marks its space as free but does not wipe the data straight away. Microsoft’s Windows File Recovery page explains that the deleted data can still exist, but any use of the computer can create files that overwrite that free space at any time.

So, until you have recovered the file:

• Do not install recovery programs on the same drive.
• Avoid large downloads, updates or copying files to that drive.
• If the file was on a USB stick or SD card, stop using it and put it aside.

Step 1: The Recycle Bin

Files you delete with the Delete key or the bin icon go to the Recycle Bin first.

1. Open Recycle Bin on the desktop. If it is missing, see show desktop icons in Windows 11, or type Recycle Bin in the File Explorer address bar.
2. Use the search box or sort by Date deleted to find the file.
3. Right-click it and select Restore. It returns to its original folder.

Files skip the Recycle Bin when you press Shift+Delete, when they are deleted from a USB stick, memory card or network share, or when they are too big for the bin. In those cases, go to the next steps.

Step 2: Undo, if you only just did it

If you deleted or moved the file a moment ago in File Explorer, pressing Ctrl+Z undoes the last action. It works for the most recent operations while File Explorer is still open.

Step 3: Restore previous versions (File History)

If File History was turned on, it has been copying your files to an external drive or network location. Microsoft’s File History page describes how to restore:

1. Open File Explorer and go to the folder that used to contain the file.
2. Right-click the folder and select Properties, then the Previous Versions tab. (For a file at the top level of a drive, right-click the drive instead.)
3. Pick a version from before the deletion; a folder version from yesterday should contain a file deleted today.
4. Select Open to browse it, or use the arrow next to Restore and choose Restore to to save it somewhere else.

Microsoft warns that restoring in place replaces the current version and cannot be undone, which is why Restore to a different folder is the safer choice. If the list is empty, no File History copies or restore point copies exist for that folder. Our File History guide explains how to turn it on for next time.

Step 4: OneDrive and other cloud storage

If the file was in a OneDrive folder (including Desktop, Documents or Pictures when OneDrive folder backup is on), a cloud copy may still exist:

1. Sign in to OneDrive on the web.
2. Open Recycle bin in the left pane.
3. Select the file and choose Restore.

Microsoft says you can restore files deleted within the last 30 days for personal accounts and 93 days for work or school accounts, unless an administrator changed the retention setting. Files deleted from the cloud do not appear in the PC’s own Recycle Bin. OneDrive also keeps version history for files that were changed rather than deleted.

If you use Windows Backup, the same idea applies: restore from the backup copy on the new or reset PC. See Microsoft’s Windows Backup page and our guide to transfer files to a new PC.

Step 5: Windows File Recovery (last resort)

Microsoft’s Windows File Recovery is a free command-line app from the Microsoft Store. It tries to recover files deleted from local drives, including internal drives, external drives and USB devices, that cannot be restored from the Recycle Bin. It does not work for cloud storage or network shares.

How to use it:

1. Install Windows File Recovery from the Microsoft Store. Ideally, install it before you need it; installing apps writes to the system drive.
2. Search Start for Windows File Recovery, open it and select Yes when asked.
3. Plug in a different drive to receive the recovered files. Microsoft says the source and destination must be different drives.
4. Run a command in this format: winfr source-drive: destination-drive: /mode /switches

Microsoft’s guidance on modes:

Situation	Mode
NTFS drive, file deleted recently	/regular
NTFS drive, deleted a while ago, after formatting, or a corrupted disk	/extensive
FAT or exFAT drive (many USB sticks and SD cards)	/extensive
Not sure	Start with /regular

Two examples from Microsoft, adapted:

winfr C: E: /regular /n \Users\<username>\Documents\
winfr C: E: /regular /n *.pdf /n *.docx

The first recovers a Documents folder from drive C to drive E; the second recovers PDF and Word files. Recovered files appear in a folder called Recovery_ followed by the date and time on the destination drive. Extensive mode can take a long time on large drives; press Ctrl+C to stop.

Microsoft is frank about limits: on SSDs, free space may already have been overwritten, so recovery is not always possible. Most Windows 11 PCs use SSDs, so a backup is far more reliable than recovery.

When to stop and call a professional

If the drive itself is failing (clicking, not detected, read errors), stop running tools on it. Every scan stresses a failing drive. Check its state first with check SSD health in Windows 11 or, if it is not showing up, SSD not detected, and consider a data recovery service for irreplaceable files.

Make next time easy

• Turn on File History to an external drive, or OneDrive folder backup.
• Keep System Restore on; it protects system settings, not personal files, but previous versions can use its copies.
• Before a reset or reinstall, copy your files somewhere safe; see reset this PC.