How to Recover Deleted Files on Windows 11, Easiest Step First

Before you recover deleted files: stop writing to that drive

When Windows deletes a file for good, it usually marks the space as free instead of erasing it, so anything new saved to the drive can overwrite it. Microsoft's Windows File Recovery guide advises minimizing computer use to improve your chances, and notes that free space may be overwritten, especially on an SSD.

• Do not install programs, download files or save new work to the drive that held the file.
• Pause sync apps and large downloads, and skip cleanup, defragmenting and repair tools on that drive.
• If the file was on C:, Windows itself writes there constantly. Work quickly and install one recovery tool at most.

Check your drive type too. In Defragment and Optimize Drives (search for it from Start), the Media type column shows whether each drive is a hard disk or a solid state drive; the SSD section explains why that matters.

Step 1: Check the Recycle Bin and try Ctrl+Z

Most deletes in File Explorer go to the Recycle Bin. If you deleted the file moments ago, press Ctrl+Z in File Explorer, which Microsoft lists as the shortcut to undo the previous action.

1. Open Recycle Bin from the desktop.
2. Search for the file name, or switch to Details view and sort by Date Deleted.
3. Right-click the file and select Restore. It returns to its original folder.

Some deletes skip the Bin. Microsoft's keyboard shortcuts list says Shift+Delete deletes permanently without moving the item there. Files deleted from the command line, many USB flash drives and memory cards, or network folders, and files too large for the Bin, usually skip it too. If Storage Sense is on, it can also empty the Bin after the number of days set in Settings > System > Storage.

Step 2: Restore from OneDrive's recycle bin or version history

On many Windows 11 PCs, Desktop, Documents and Pictures sync to OneDrive. Files deleted on the PC normally go to the Windows Recycle Bin, but Microsoft says files deleted online, including online-only files, go to the OneDrive recycle bin. Sign in at onedrive.com, select Recycle bin, select the file and choose Restore.

Personal accounts can restore items deleted in the last 30 days, and work or school accounts in the last 93 days unless an administrator changed that setting. If you saved over a file instead, right-click it and choose Version history to restore an earlier version. Microsoft 365 subscribers can also roll back a whole OneDrive to a point in the last 30 days.

Step 3: File History and Restore previous versions in Windows 11

File History in Windows 11 only helps if it was on before the loss. It copies your libraries and Desktop to an external drive or a network location. Check under Control Panel > System and Security > File History; if it was never turned on, skip ahead.

1. In File Explorer, right-click the folder that held the file and choose Restore previous versions. On some builds it is under Show more options, or under Properties > Previous Versions.
2. Pick a version dated before the loss and use Open to check what it contains.
3. Choose Restore to and a different location, so the current version stays as it is.

Microsoft's File History guide warns that a plain Restore replaces the current version and cannot be undone. Menus vary by Windows version and build.

Step 4: Check your other backups and copies

A copy that already exists is safer than any recovery scan, so look before you scan:

• Windows Backup: if folder backup is on, your main folders sync to OneDrive, so Step 2 applies. See Microsoft's page on Windows Backup.
• External drives, backup software and other cloud services: restore to a different folder first, and check each service's own trash.
• Email, chat and work systems: search sent attachments for the file name, and ask IT before you try anything on a work computer.

Step 5: Recover permanently deleted files with the Windows File Recovery tool (winfr)

Windows File Recovery is Microsoft's free command-line app for files that are no longer in the Recycle Bin. Its Microsoft Store listing says it is available for Windows 10 version 2004 and later, and Microsoft's guide covers Windows 11. It works on local drives only: cloud storage and network file shares are not supported.

1. Plug in a separate drive, such as a USB drive, for the results. Microsoft requires the source and destination drives to be different.
2. Install Windows File Recovery from the Microsoft Store, open it from Start and select Yes when Windows asks to allow changes.
3. Type a command in this form: winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/mode] [/switches].
4. Enter Y to start; Ctrl+C stops it. Results go to a Recovery_ folder, named with the date and time, on the destination drive.

Microsoft recommends Regular mode (/regular) for files recently deleted from a healthy NTFS drive, the format most Windows 11 internal drives use. Use Extensive mode (/extensive) for files deleted a while ago, formatted or corrupted disks, and FAT or exFAT drives such as many SD cards. If you are unsure, start with Regular.

• winfr C: E: /regular /n \Users\<username>\Documents\ searches your Documents folder and writes the results to drive E:.
• winfr C: E: /extensive /n *.docx runs a deeper search for Word documents.
• End folder paths with a backslash, and put paths that contain spaces in quotes.

Open every recovered file before you trust it, because names and contents can come back incomplete. ASL Recovery Center, described at the end of this guide, is a desktop alternative with on-screen guidance.

SSDs, TRIM and permanently deleted files

On a hard disk drive, a permanently deleted file usually remains until new data overwrites it. SSDs behave differently: Windows can tell the drive which blocks were freed, a feature called TRIM, and the drive may clear them soon afterward. Microsoft's Store listing describes SSD recovery as limited by TRIM.

To check, run fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify in Command Prompt opened as administrator. According to Microsoft Learn, a value of 0 means these delete notifications are enabled, the NTFS default. Changing the setting will not bring back cleared data.

So "permanently deleted" means the file skipped or left the Recycle Bin, not that the data is certainly gone. On a hard drive it may be recoverable until it is overwritten. On an SSD with TRIM, or an encrypted drive without its key, it often is not. The same applies when you need to recover permanently deleted files on Windows 10.

When to stop and get professional help

Recovery software assumes the drive itself is healthy. Power off and stop if you notice any of these signs:

• Clicking or grinding sounds, or a drive that disappears and comes back.
• A drive that was dropped, got wet or is not detected at all.
• Disk errors, or a prompt to scan and repair the drive. Decline repairs until the data is copied.
• Data that is irreplaceable, needed as evidence, or stored on a RAID array or NAS.

A professional recovery service can work on failing hardware in ways home software cannot. Get a written quote first and ask what happens if nothing is recovered. To plan a larger attempt and see what recovery cannot promise, read our guide to Windows file recovery workflow and limits.

Where ASL Recovery Center fits

ASL Recovery Center is a paid Windows app, sold for $49.99 as a one-time purchase on the Microsoft Store, and a separate product from Microsoft's Windows File Recovery. It runs on your own computer with no account and no upload, opens the source drive read-only, and refuses to save recovered files to the same physical disk, because it checks the actual hardware rather than the drive letter.

In one desktop app it offers Recycle Bin recovery that leaves the Bin untouched, a deep scan of the drive's file records, structure-checked carving, and a preservation image for an unstable drive. Overwritten parts of a file are reported as gaps, and each run writes a record of what was read and where the output went.

Its product page states the limits plainly: nothing recovers overwritten data, recovery after a delete on most modern SSDs is often impossible, it does not bypass BitLocker or other encryption, and it does not rebuild RAID arrays or repair damaged file systems. See how ASL Recovery Center works and its full list of limits.

Frequently asked questions

Can I recover permanently deleted files on Windows 11?

Often, if the space has not been reused. Check your backups first, then try Windows File Recovery with the output on a different drive. On an SSD with TRIM enabled, it is often impossible.

What is winfr?

winfr is the command for Windows File Recovery, Microsoft's free command-line tool. You give it a source drive, a different destination drive and a mode, for example winfr C: E: /regular.

Is the Windows File Recovery tool free?

Yes. It is a free download in the Microsoft Store. It has no graphical interface, and Microsoft says it does not support cloud storage or network file shares.

Where does File History save backups in Windows 11?

On an external drive or a network location that you choose when you turn it on. It only holds copies made after it was switched on.

How long do deleted files stay in the Recycle Bin?

Until you empty it, until Storage Sense clears older items on the schedule you set, or until the Bin fills its allotted space and Windows removes older items.

Do these steps work to recover permanently deleted files on Windows 10?

Mostly. File History, OneDrive and Windows File Recovery also apply to Windows 10 version 2004 and later, though menus differ. Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025.

Related guides

• Permanently Delete Files on Windows: File Shredder Guide
• Windows File Recovery: Workflow, Options and Limits
• Plan a reproducible file recovery review

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