How to Recover Deleted Files on Windows 8/8.1 – 3 Genius Ways

User: How can I recover deleted files in Windows 8?

"I accidentally deleted some important files from my Windows 8 computer. When I realized that I had mistakenly erased the required files, I thought it was all over. I'm at my wit's end and need an effective solution to recover permanently deleted files from Windows 8. Please help!"

It happens to most of us. You delete a file and then realize you need it back. Apart from accidental deletion, you might lose data due to:

• Accidental deletion or formatting
• Virus or malware attack
• System crash
• Missing files or folders
• Unreachable or access denied files and folders, and more...

Whether you're looking to recover deleted files on Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, or you've lost data for some other reason, the solutions in this article should help.

Method 1: Restore Deleted Files from Recycle Bin in Windows 8

When you delete a file, it usually goes to the Recycle Bin. If you accidentally delete some files, they can be easily restored as long as they are still in the Recycle Bin. To restore deleted files from the Recycle Bin:

Step 1: Right-click on the Recycle Bin icon and select "Open."

Step 2. Now, you can either select specific files or the entire content to restore them back to their original location. Right-click on the file and choose “Restore” to get back your lost Windows files.

Method 2: Restore Permanently Deleted Files in Windows 8 with Software (Recommended)

What should you do if your deleted files are not in the recycle bin? How to recover permanently deleted files or folders on a Windows 8 PC or laptop? When you empty the recycle bin or use Shift+Delete or format to permanently delete files, they don't disappear immediately. As long as they are not overwritten, they can still be recovered.

To permanently recover deleted files in Windows 8, you'll need a professional data recovery software. tools Data Recovery Wizard excels in this aspect and is capable of retrieving lost files under various circumstances. This reliable data recovery tool can:

• Restore deleted, formatted, and inaccessible data in various data loss scenarios.
• Recover lost Word documents, photos, audio, music, and emails safely and completely from any storage device.
• Recover deleted files from the recycle bin, hard drive, memory card, SD card, flash drive, digital camera, and camcorder.
• Retrieve lost data on Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP and Windows Server 2019 - 2003.

Now, you can download this powerful yet easy-to-use file recovery software for Windows 8 and follow the tutorial below to easily retrieve your deleted files.

Note: To ensure a higher rate of data recovery, install the Tools data recovery software on a disk other than the one where the original lost files were located.

**Step 1.** Launch the tools Data Recovery Wizard on your Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, or Windows 7 PC. Select the disk partition or storage location where you lost data and click "Scan".

Step 2: The software starts scanning the disk to find all lost and deleted files. Once done, click on Filter > Type to specify the type of lost file.

Select the type of data to recover

Step 3: Preview and recover lost Windows files. You can double-click to preview the scanned files. Then, select the target data and hit the “Recover” button to save them to another secure location on your computer or an external storage device.

Method 3: How to Recover Deleted Files in Windows 8.1 Using a Backup If you have previously created a system backup for Windows 8.1, you can use that backup to restore deleted files. Follow these steps: 1. Click the "Start" button and type "Control Panel" in the search box, then open it. 2. In the Control Panel, select "System and Security." 3. Under "System and Security," click on "Backup and Restore." 4. In the "Backup and Restore" window, click on either "Restore my files" or "Restore all users' files" on the left side. 5. Next, follow the on-screen instructions to choose your backup source. This could be an external hard drive, a network location, or another backup storage area. 6. In the backup list, select the backup from the date when the file was still present before deletion. 7. Browse through the backup files as prompted to locate the deleted file you wish to restore. 8. Once you find the file, click the "Restore" button to initiate the recovery process. 9. Wait for the restoration process to complete. Once finished, your deleted file should be restored to its original location. Please note that this method may not work in every situation, especially if you haven't been regularly creating system backups. If this method does not help you recover your file, you might consider using professional data recovery software.

If you had created a backup earlier using the Windows Backup utility, you can restore deleted files from an earlier version of Windows. To recover permanently deleted files from File History in Windows, follow these steps:

Step one: Navigate to the folder or location where you deleted the file, right-click, and select “Properties” from the drop-down menu.

Step 2. Click on the "Previous versions" tab to see if any are available.

Conclusions

We've outlined the three most effective methods to recover deleted files on Windows 8. If you only temporarily deleted a file, you can easily restore it from the Recycle Bin. To recover permanently deleted files on Windows 8, your best bet is to use a powerful data recovery tool like Data Recovery Wizard. It can retrieve lost files from any storage device, such as HDD, SSD, USB, SD card, or flash drive.

Computer users can lose data unexpectedly due to various unforeseen reasons. You should create a file image on an external hard drive to protect your data. Backing up in advance allows you to restore a system image from the external hard drive when needed.

Frequently Asked Questions on How to Recover Deleted Files in Windows 8

Below are some common issues related to file deletion in Windows 8. Get more useful guidance here.

Where Do Deleted Files Go in Windows 8?

Where do deleted files go? When you delete files on a Windows 8 computer, they first go to the Recycle Bin and stay there for some time. After the due date, these files will be permanently removed. Then, you need a file recovery program to get your data back.

How do I use the Command Prompt in Windows 8 to recover permanently deleted files?

The Windows File Recovery tool can be used in Windows 8 to restore permanently deleted files from the command line.

Step 1: Run the Windows File Recovery tool on your PC.

Step 2. Type the command: winfr source-drive: target-drive: [/switches].

How can I recover deleted files on Windows?

To recover deleted files in a Windows system, you can try the following methods:

• Restore from Recycle Bin
• Recover from a Previous Version or Backup
• Recover with Data Recovery Software