【Resolved】Accidentally deleted an entire folder while organizing files

1. Recover deleted files/folders using software 2. Restore deleted files/folders from the Recycle Bin 3. Recover deleted files/folders from previous versions 4. Restore deleted files/folders using File History 5. Recover deleted files/folders from Backup and Restore

While organizing your files, you accidentally deleted an entire folder!

Losing files due to accidental deletion is one of the worst things that can happen to anyone. In this tutorial, you will learn how to recover accidentally deleted folders in 5 ways when they were unintentionally removed. Folder deletion issues can occur anytime, maybe due to a hard drive failure. However, let's understand the problem better with a user case scenario.

A Windows 10 user accidentally deleted an entire folder of files while organizing them last month. He tried everything, but to no avail! One of the solutions providers advised him to try System Restore.

If the folder was very important and cannot be restored, then using top-notch professional data recovery software becomes essential. But first, let's look at five ways to recover deleted files and how to get back a deleted folder right away.

While organizing your files, you accidentally deleted an entire folder.

How to Recover Accidentally Deleted Files

In this step, if you accidentally delete an entire folder, don't worry. We'll guide you through a video on how to recover a folder on Windows 11/10/8/7. Here are the highlights:

• 01:13 - Recover files from the Recycle Bin
• 01:59 - Restore files with File History
• 03:39 - Run the Data Recovery Wizard

Method 1: Recover Accidentally Deleted Files/Folders Using Software

When folders get accidentally deleted, can you recover endless data with a 99.7% success rate? This is where a professional tool like the tools Data Recovery Wizard comes in. As a versatile data recovery software, it helps recover the following types of files:

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In addition to the above file types, the tools' hard drive recovery software also helps retrieve files from the following storage devices:

• Camera
• Personal computer
• USB flash drive
• Memory card

Download this top-rated data recovery tool and follow the steps below to restore your deleted files.

Step 1: Select the precise location from where the lost files were there and click on “Scan” button to proceed.

Step 2. After the scan is complete, select the "Deleted Files" and "Other Lost Files" folders on the left. You can then use the "Filter" feature or click the "Search File or Folder" button to look for your deleted files.

Step 3: Click on the "Recover" button to save the recovered files to a location other than the original one.

Method 2: Recover Accidentally Deleted Folders/Files from Recycle Bin

Has this ever happened to you: you were cleaning up your files and accidentally deleted an entire folder? If yes, then you will need to recover all deleted files or folders from the recycle bin now. If you didn't use "Shift + Delete" or empty the recycle bin, you can do so by following these steps.

Step 1: To open the Recycling Bin, double-click on its icon on your desktop.

Step 2: Browse through these files to find the folder you need, or search for the name of the deleted folder.

Step 3: To restore important files and folders, right-click them and choose Restore.

Method 3: Recover the accidentally deleted folder/file from previous versions

This is a quick and effective way to recover your data. You'll need to have System Restore points enabled for this method to work. Here's how to restore accidentally deleted files or folders using Previous Versions: 1. Navigate to the original location of the deleted file or folder. 2. Right-click on that location, then select "Restore previous versions" from the context menu. 3. A new window will open, displaying backup versions of that location at different points in time. 4. Review the list and find a point in time before the file or folder was deleted. 5. Click the "Open" button next to that time point. This will open a window containing the files and folders from that specific time. 6. Locate the file or folder you want to recover, right-click it, and choose "Copy" or "Move" to a secure location. 7. If necessary, paste these files or folders into their new desired location. Please note that this method may not work for all types of files, and if System Protection is not enabled or has insufficient space allocated on your drive to create restore points, you might not see earlier versions.

Step 1: Create a new folder.

Step 2: Name it the same thing.

Step 3: Right-click on the file now.

Step 4: Choose the option to reinstall the previous version.

Step 5: Select the folder that was modified most recently from the Previous Versions menu.

Step 6: Click on “Recover”.

Method 4: Recover Accidentally Deleted Files or Folders Using File History If you have enabled File History in your Windows system, you can follow these steps to restore deleted files or folders: 1. Click the "Start" button in the bottom-left corner of the screen to open the "Start menu." 2. Type "File History" in the search bar and select the "File History" application from the results. 3. Connect an external drive that contains your backup files (if you had set up a backup to a different location). 4. In the "File History" window, you should see backup versions of your files and folders. Scroll along the timeline on the left to find the point in time before the file or folder was deleted. 5. Locate the file or folder you want to recover, click it to preview its content, and ensure it's the correct version. 6. Click the "Restore" button in the bottom-right corner to restore the selected file or folder to its original location. If you don't want to overwrite existing files, choose "Restore to a different location" to save it elsewhere. 7. Close the "File History" window after the recovery is complete. Please note that this method only works for files and folders deleted after File History was enabled. If it wasn't enabled or there are no backups, you may need to try other recovery methods.

File History is another essential feature for Windows 10 users to back up their data, which can save files, audio, images, videos, workspace folders, and OneDrive offline files stored on your computer. The steps below illustrate how to organize the accidentally deleted files when restoring a folder:

Step 1. Open the search box and look for "Control Panel." Then, choose "System and Security."

Step 2. Click Restore my files from File History.

Step 3. Select Restore my files.

**Step 4** To put these recovered folders back where they belong, choose Restore.

If necessary, choose Restore > Restore To to save the recovered document to a different location.

Method 5: Recover Deleted Folders/Files from Backup and Restore

Did you accidentally delete a folder while organizing your files? Don't worry! You can recover a fully deleted folder using the "Backup and Restore" feature in Windows 7. Follow these steps:

Step 1. Launch the Control Panel by typing it in the search box. From there, you need to choose “System and Security” > “Backup and Restore (Windows 7).”

Step 2. On the Recovery tab, choose Recover My Files.

Step 3: Select “Search for files” from the menu, and look for the file you want to recover.

4. You can save these recovered folders to the original location or any other location of your choice.

How do I back up files/folders?

“While organizing your files, you might accidentally delete an entire folder,” and this can happen anytime. That's why backups are so important! File recovery, however, aims to restore information after a significant loss of data. A central data crash can be caused by hardware or software issues, accidental deletion, or human error (such as a malware, virus, or spyware attack).

Are you a Windows 11 user wondering how to back up your files? Here are the best methods to backup your files on Windows 11:

• Windows Backup and Restore
• Cloud drives
• Windows File History
• Backing up data to an external hard drive

Conclusions

The most common mistake is data loss, which is unavoidable. The only solution here is to use the right strategy to recover deleted files. Creating a backup is the first method to restore lost or misplaced files. However, if you don't have a backup, the above solutions can come in handy.

Among all the solutions mentioned above, the best option is to use the Data Recovery Wizard by tools. It is safe, quick, efficient, reliable, and durable.

Frequently Asked Questions on Recovering Accidentally Deleted Folders

You should refer to the FAQs for a more in-depth understanding of this topic.

1. How to recover a file after executing Ctrl Z? In most operating systems and applications, pressing Ctrl Z undoes the last action, typically reverting changes made to a file. To restore these changes or retrieve the undone file, try the following methods: 1. **Redo Function**: Many programs (like Microsoft Word, Excel, etc.) have both an "Undo" (Ctrl+Z) and a "Redo" (Ctrl+Y) feature. If you've already undone the action, press Ctrl+Y to redo it. 2. **Version History**: If using a cloud service (such as Google Drive, OneDrive) or an application with version history support, check if you can find the undone content in the file's previous versions. 3. **System Restore Points**: In Windows, you can check for System Restore Points, which might help you recover an earlier version of the file. 4. **File Recovery Software**: If none of the above work, consider using file recovery software like Recuva or tools Data Recovery Wizard. These tools scan your hard drive to locate deleted or lost files. 5. **Backup Check**: Make sure to check your backup systems, such as external hard drives, USB drives, or any form of regular backups, to see if there is a backup version of the file. Keep in mind that not all situations allow for successful file recovery, especially without backups. Thus, regularly backing up your data is crucial.

With the help of Data Recovery Wizard, you can restore various types of files after pressing Ctrl+Z. Below are the steps to perform manual Ctrl+Z deleted file recovery:

Step 1: Open File Explorer and navigate to the folder where you previously stored the lost file.

Step 2: Right-click the folder and select "Undo Delete."

Step 3: Your recently deleted file should now be restored, just like using Ctrl+Z.

2. How to recover permanently deleted files in Windows 10?

The tool Data Recovery Wizard has been around for some time. It's worth a try to see if it can help you recover your data. Follow the steps in this guide to recover deleted files in Windows 10.

Step 1. Launch tools Data Recovery Wizard and select the partition or disk where your corrupted file is located. Choose "Scan" to look for lost files.

Step 2. After the scan is finished, select the files you want to recover. You can use the filter options to view files of a specific type. Typing the file name in the "Browse for file or folder" box is the quickest way to locate your desired files.

Step 3. Preview your recovered files in advance. When you're done, select the files you want to restore and click "Recover" to save them to a location other than where the lost information was.

3. Are deleted files really gone?

Where do deleted files go? When you send a file to the Recycle Bin and then empty it, the files are completely removed from Windows. If your Recycle Bin is empty, you cannot recover the files without data recovery software.

4. How to recover accidentally deleted files in Windows 10?

If you accidentally delete a file in Windows 10, it goes straight to the Recycle Bin. To restore deleted files, follow these steps:

Step 1. Open the Recycle Bin by right-clicking on its icon.

Step 2: You can view the deleted file by selecting "Open" from the menu.

Step 3: To retrieve a file, you must check the box next to its name.

Step 4. To restore the selected file to its original location in Windows 10, right-click it and choose Restore.