Recover lost files on Windows 10 (2024)

1. If necessary, download and launch the app from Microsoft Store.

2. Press the Windows key, enter Windows File Recovery in the search box, and then select Windows File Recovery.

3. When you are prompted to allow the app to make changes to your device, select Yes.

4. In theCommand Prompt window, enterthe command in the following format:

   winfrsource-drive: destination-drive:[/mode][/switches]

5. There are 2 basic modes you can use to recover files: Regular and Extensive.

   Regular mode examples

   Recover your Documents folder from your C: drive to the recovery folder on an E: drive.Don’tforget the backslash (\) at the end of the folder.

   WinfrC: E: /regular /n \Users\<username>\Documents\

   Recover PDF and Word files from your C: drive to the recovery folder on an E: drive.

   WinfrC: E: /regular /n*.pdf /n *.docx

   Extensive mode examples

   See Also

   How to retrieve deleted text messages on Android3 Easy Ways to Recover Deleted Files Android without RootEnd-to-End Encrypted Data iPhone Reset: A Quick GuideHow to Recover From Ransomware

   Recover any file with the string "invoice" in the filename by using wildcard characters.

   WinfrE:C: /extensive/n *invoice*

   Recover jpeg andpng photos from your Pictures folder to the recovery folder on an E: drive.

   WinfrC: E:/extensive/n \Users\<username>\Pictures\*.JPEG/n\Users\<username>\Pictures\*.PNG

   The source and destination drives must be different. When recovering from the operating system drive (often C: ), use the/n <filter> switchesto specify the user files or folder.
   Microsoft automatically creates a recovery folder for you called, Recovery_<date and time> on the destination drive.

6. When you are prompted for confirmation to continue, enterYto start the recovery operation.Depending on the size of your source drive, this may take a while.To stop the recovery process, pressCtrl + C.

The following information can help you decide which file system you have and which mode to use.

File systems

There are several file systems supported by Windows that vary depending on the storage device or operating system.Recovering files from non-NTFS file systems is only supportedby extensivemode.To see which file system you have, right click a drive in File Explorer and selectProperties.

Deciding which mode to use

Use the following table to help you decide which mode to use. If youare not sure, start withRegular mode.

General syntax

The following table summarizes what each advancedswitch is used for.

Advanced syntax

The following table summarizes what each advancedswitch is used for.

File extension filter list

The following file types are filtered from results by default. Use the /e switch to disable this filter or the /e:<extension> filter to specify file types not to filter.

_, adm, admx, appx, appx, ascx, asm, aspx, aux, ax, bin, browser, c, cab, cat cdf-ms, catalogItem, cdxm, cmake, cmd, coffee, config, cp, cpp, cs, cshtm, css, cur, dat, dll, et, evtx, exe, fon, gpd, h, hbakedcurve, htm, htm, ico, id, ildl, ilpdb, iltoc, iltocpdb, in, inf, inf_loc, ini, js, json, lib, lnk, log, man, manifest, map, metadata, mf, mof, msc, msi, mui, mui, mum, mun, nls, npmignore, nupkg, nuspec, obj, p7s, p7x, pak, pckdep, pdb, pf, pkgdef, plist, pnf, pp, pri, props, ps1, ps1xm, psd1, psm1, py, resjson, resw, resx, rl, rs, sha512, snippet, sq, sys, t4, targets, th, tlb, tmSnippet, toc, ts, tt, ttf, vb, vbhtm, vbs, vsdir, vsix, vsixlangpack, vsixmanifest, vstdir, vstemplate, vstman, winmd, xam, xbf, xm, xrm-ms, xs, xsd, ym

Can you give some tips to help me use the correct syntax?

• Always use drive letters in the source and destination path,don’tforget the colon (:) after the drive letter, and make sure there is a space between the source and destination.

• When you specify just a folder name, such as /n \Myfolder\, add a backslash (\) at the end of it.

• If a file or folder name has spaces, surround it with quotes. For example:

winfrC: E: /regular /n "\Users\<username>\Documents\Quarterly Statement.docx"

What does <username> mean in the command examples?

In the File Explorer address bar, enter C:\users to see a list of potential users on your computer. There may be several users on your computer, including you, the administrator, and the default account. When you see <username> in a file path, it is a placeholder for the current username on your computer.

Why am I getting this message: "Source and Destination cannot refer to the same physical partition?"

The source and destinationdriveor partition path should not be the same. If you only have one drive, use a USB or external hard drive as your destination path. Don’t create a partition after losing data, because this reduces the chance of a successful recovery.

Why does the recovery operation take so long?

​Depending on the size of the disk, it may take some time to recover the file, especially ifyou are using Extensivemode.

Why are additional files recovered from my operating system drive?

Behind the scenes, Windows is constantly creating and deleting files. By default, Windows File Recovery filters out these files, but some slip through.To prevent this, use the /n <filter>as per examples in this article.

What is the $Recycle.Binfolder?

ForNTFSand segment modes, you may also see lost files recovered from the Recycle Bin (files either in the recycle bin or that were permanently deleted) with the name $files.xxxand stored in a folder called $RECYCLE.BIN.

What happens if the destination drive is full?

If you see the following message: "Destination disk is full, please free up space before resuming: (R)esume, (S)kip file, or (A)bort," free up drive space on the destination drive, and then choose one of the options.

I was not able to recover the file, now what?

If you usedRegular mode, try again inextensivemode if the file type is supported.It'spossible that the free space was overwritten, especially on asolid-statedrive (SSD). If you need help, contact your administrator.

1. If necessary, download and launch the app from Microsoft Store.

2. Press the Windows key, enter Windows File Recoveryin the search box, and then select Windows File Recovery.

3. When you are prompted to allow the app to make changes to your device, select Yes.

4. In the Command Prompt window, enter the command in the following format:

   winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/switches]

   The source and destination drives must be different. When recovering from the operating system drive (often C: ), use the /n <filter> and /y:<type<(s)> switches to specify the user files or folder.

   Microsoft automatically creates a recovery folder for you calledRecovery_<date and time> on the destination drive.

   There are three modes you can use to recover files: Default, Segment, and Signature.

   Default mode examples

   See Also

   How to Recover Deleted Encrypted Files from Android

   Recover a specific file from your C: drive to the recovery folder on an E: drive.

   winfr C: E: /n \Users\<username>\Documents\QuarterlyStatement.docx

   
   Recover jpeg and pngphotos from your Pictures folder to the recovery folder on an E: drive.

   winfr C: E: /n \Users\<username>\Pictures\*.JPEG /n \Users\<username>\Pictures\*.PNG

   
   Recover your Documents folder from your C: drive to the recovery folder on an E: drive.

   winfr C: E: /n \Users\<username>\Documents\

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

   Segment mode examples (/r)

   Recover PDF and Word files from your C: drive to the recovery folder on an E: drive.

   winfr C: E: /r /n *.pdf /n *.docx

   
   Recover any file with the string "invoice" in the filename by using wildcard characters.

   winfr C: E: /r /n *invoice*

   
   

   Signature mode examples (/x)

   When using signature mode, it's helpful to first see the supported extension groups and corresponding file types.

   winfr /#

   
   Recover JPEG (jpg, jpeg, jpe, jif, jfif, jfi) and PNG photos from your C: drive tothe recovery folder on an E: drive.

   winfr C: E: /x /y:JPEG,PNG

   
   Recover ZIP files (zip, docx, xlsx, ptpx, and so on) from your C: drive to the recovery folder on an E: drive.

   winfr C: E:\RecoveryTest /x /y:ZIP

5. When you are prompted for confirmation to continue, enter Y to start the recovery operation.

   Depending on the size of your source drive, this may take a while.

   To stop the recovery process, press Ctrl+C.

The following information can help you decide which file system you have and which mode to use.

File systems

There are several file systems supported by Windows that vary depending on the storage device or operating system. Recovering files from non-NTFS file systems is only supported in signature mode. To see which file system you have, right click a drive in File Explorer and select Properties.

Deciding which mode to use

Use the following table to help you decide which mode to use. If you're not sure, start with the default mode.

Signature mode extension groups and file types

The following table summarizes the extension groups and the supported file types for each group when you use the /y:<type(s)> switch

General syntax

The following tablesummarizes what each basic command line parameter and switch is used for.

Advanced syntax

The following table summarizes what each advancedswitch is used for.

Can you give some tips to help me use correct syntax?

Here are some suggestions:

• Always use drive letters in the source and destination path, don’t forget the colon (:) after the drive letter, and make sure there is a space between the source and destination.

• If a switch has a colon, such as /y:, don’t add a space between the colon and the rest of the value.

• When you specify just a folder name, such as /n \Myfolder\, add a backslash (\) at the end of it.

• If a file or folder name has spaces, surround it with quotes. For example:

  winfr C: E: /n "\Users\<username>\Documents\Quarterly Statement.docx"

• To stop the recovery process, press Ctrl+C.

What does <username> mean in the command examples?

In the File Explorer address bar, enter C:\users to see a list of potential users on your computer. There may be several users on your computer, including you, the administrator, and the default account. When you see <username> in a file path, it is a placeholder for the current username on your computer.

Why am I getting this message: "Source and Destination cannot refer to the same physical partition?"

The source and destination drive or partition path should not be the same. If you only have one drive, use a USB or external hard drive as your destination path. Don’t create a partition after losing data, because this reduces the chance of a successful recovery.

Why does the recovery operation take so long?

​Depending on the size of the disk, it may take some time to recover the file, especially if you are using signature mode.

Why are additional files recovered from my operating system drive?

Behind the scenes, Windows is constantly creating and deleting files. By default, Windows File Recovery filters out these files, but some slip through. To prevent this, use the /n <filter> switch in default and segment modes and the /y:<type(s)> switch in signature mode.

What is the $Recycle.Bin folder?

For default and segment modes, you may also see lost files recovered from the Recycle Bin (files either in the recycle bin or that were permanently deleted) with the name $files.xxx and stored in a folder called $RECYCLE.BIN.

What happens if the destination drive is full?

If you see the following message:"Destination disk is full, please free up space before resuming: (R)esume, (S)kip file, or (A)bort",Free up drive space on the destination drive, and then choose one of the options.

I was not able to recover the file, now what?

If you used default or segment mode, try again in signature mode if the file type is supported. It's possible that the free space was over-written, especially on a solid state drive (SSD). If you need help, contact your administrator.