3 Ways to Recover LOST.DIR Files from Android SD Card

What is the LOST.DIR folder on an Android SD card?

The LOST.DIR folder is a creation of the Android operating system that functions similarly to the Recycle Bin on Windows platforms. It allows you to recover deleted Android files, such as documents and photos.

The LOST.DIR folder usually gets created on your Android phone or tablet when it shuts down unexpectedly or if you encounter issues like these:

• Application suddenly crashes • Android OS gets unexpectedly stuck or frozen • Android SD card behaves abnormally or ejects abruptly • SD card is removed while reading or writing data on an Android device • Interruption during file or app downloads to the Android device

How to Recover Files from the LOST.DIR on an SD Card or Android Device (3 Ways)

When the Android system crashes or shuts down abruptly, all the lost files are collected in this folder. That is to say, if something unexpected happens, the Android system will restore the files on the next startup and place them into the Android LOST.DIR folder. Meanwhile, the file name extensions are replaced with numerical sequence names, making it impossible for you to recognize the files. If you delete the LOST.DIR folder, it will be automatically recreated on the next startup.

What will happen if you delete the < strong> LOST.DIR folder from an SD card? Well, basically, nothing will happen. But if you're looking for how to recover LOST.DIR files, read on for methods on LOST.DIR recovery. To retrieve LOST.DIR files from Android SD card, refer to Method 1 and seek help from a reliable SD card recovery tool. To get back LOST.DIR files from Android internal storage, check out Method 2 and use a practical Android file recovery utility for assistance.

• Method 1: How to Recover LOST.DIR Files from Android SD Card
• Method 2: Recover LOST.DIR Files from Android Device
• Method 3: Restore LOST.DIR Files by Adding File Extensions

Method 1: How to Recover LOST.DIR Files from Android SD Card

Since the LOST.DIR folder gets regenerated when an Android device is restarted, it's more pressing to recover lost files from the LOST.DIR folder before they're overwritten. To do this, download and install a reliable file recovery software on your computer. We recommend trying out a data recovery software, which simplifies the process into three easy steps.

Then, connect your Android phone or tablet's SD card to the computer and follow the tutorial steps below to recover all your lost files:

Step 1. Select the SD card to scan

• Download and install the Data Recovery Wizard tool on your Windows computer.
• Connect your SanDisk/Lexar/Transcend SD card to the computer using the appropriate method.
• Launch the SD card recovery software. On the left side, select "SD Card Recovery." This will display all connected drives. Choose your SD card and click "Scan."

Step 2: Check the scan results

Wait for the scan to finish. Select one or more file types to display, such as pictures or videos. Click "Preview" to check if they are the files you want.

Step 3: Recover Data from SD Card

• Preview the recovered files and click "Restore".
• Choose a location different from the original SD card to save the restored files.

Method 2: Recover LOST.DIR Files from Android Device

As you know, most of the Android devices no longer require an external SD card to expand the device storage. Around 90% of the Android devices contain only internal storage. So, how can you recover lost files from your Android device when you delete or remove files or clean up the LOST.DIR folder? A reliable Android Data Recovery software is your best choice.

With Android MobiSaver, you can recover LOST.DIR files and other important lost data in just a few simple steps:

Step 1: Connect your Android phone to the computer

Install and run MobiSaver for Android, then connect your Android phone to the computer with a USB cable. Click "Start" so the software can detect and connect to your device.

Step 2. Scan your Android phone to find the lost data

After connecting your Android device, the program will scan it quickly to find all existing and lost data. You can easily locate the lost files you want by selecting the right file type.

Step 3: Preview and recover data from Android phone

Preview all the recoverable files and quickly select the items you want to restore. Then, click the "Recover" button to get your chosen files back immediately.

If you don't want to use the computer, you can use the MobiSaver App Version tool.

Step 1: Launch the app on your phone and tap on the “Start Scan” button to scan the SD card.

The deleted files will appear on the screen.

Step 3: Click on “Preferences.” Here, you can set preferences for the software to scan and display specific file sizes, formats, and so on.

Step 4: After the scan is complete, select the files you want to display, then click "Recover." Click the eyeball icon to see all recovered files.

Method 3: Restore LOST.DIR Files by Adding File Extensions

Another way to restore LOST.DIR files is by adding a file extension. A file extension indicates the type of file, which can be opened by certain software. Follow these steps to add a file extension:

Additional Tip: How to Copy Restored Files to the LOST.DIR Folder

After the LOST.DIR files have been restored, you can save the recovered files to the LOST.DIR folder on your Android external SD card, then reboot your device. If you have more questions about LOST.DIR or Android data recovery, use the search function or browse the Android Data Recovery page for answers.

Users who wish to make the existing files within the LOST.DIR folder readable or recognizable may try the following tricks:

< strong >Step 1. Connect your Android SD card or device to the computer and copy the LOST.DIR folder to your desktop.

Step 2. Open the copied LOST.DIR folder and rename the file extensions to a recognizable format.

For example, change music files to .mp3, audio files to .mp4, and images to .jpg. You can repeat these steps for each file in the LOST.DIR folder, trying to make its contents recognizable and usable.

Conclusions

In this article, you learned what LOST.DIR is and how to recover files from it. If you still have questions, feel free to contact us. Aside from SD card recovery, a data recovery tool can also help you easily restore hard drive files, recover data from formatted drives, and fix MP4/JPG/JPEG/GIF files.

Frequently Asked Questions about LOST.DIR on Android Devices

Many Android users might come across a mysterious folder named LOST.DIR while browsing or checking the storage space on their Android devices. Some of you might have the same questions about this folder:

< li > Question 1. Is LOST.DIR a virus? < li > Question 2. Can I delete the LOST.DIR file? < li > Question 3. Can lost files be recovered? < li > Question 4. How can I prevent losing .dir files?

If you're in a hurry to know all about LOST.DIR or have the same query regarding this folder on your Android SD card or internal storage, relax. Read on, and you'll get the complete answer to all these questions.

1. Is LOST.DIR a virus?

LOST.DIR is not a virus. It's a folder created by the Android system to collect files that were lost due to a system malfunction. This way, you can recover these files after a system restart.

2. Can I delete the LOST.DIR file?

Yes! The LOSt.DIR folder is created when an Android device boots up. After the device starts, it retrieves all the caches from the device. So, in many cases, this folder is usually empty.

So you can delete this folder, but when you restart your Android device, the folder will come back.

3. Can lost files be recovered?

Yes, but recovering lost files from the LOST.DIR folder is not as straightforward as restoring files from the Windows Recycle Bin. This is because all files in the LOST.DIR are named with random numbers instead of their original names. You can't identify them one by one. To resolve this issue, you need a professional data recovery solution – like Data Recovery Software.

If the data have been physically overwritten on the hard drive, it is generally assumed that the earlier data are unrecoverable.

How to Stop the LOST.DIR Folder from Appearing on Android?

There are two ways to avoid LOST.DIR:

• Use the flash phone or format the SD card • Properly manage your smartphone – before removing the SD card, close all programs and manually power down the device to complete any read/write processes.