Recover Lost/Hidden User Folder from C Drive

The "C:/Users" Folder Missing in Windows 7/8/10

When installing the Windows operating system, the user folder is set by default on the C drive. This folder contains several subfolders that store commonly used data such as user profile settings, contacts, favorites, downloads, music, documents, videos, and games.

Considering there might be some of these large files in the User folder, it surely takes up a large amount of space and easily leads to low disk space on C drive. In this case, users tend to handle the high disk usage issue with the Users folder in the following ways.

• Moving the user folder to another drive, such as E:, F:, G:.
• Hiding the user folder, which doesn't really make sense.
• Deleting the user folder and all its subfolders outright.

All the above operations can lead to missing C:/Users folder, even data loss in Windows 10/8/7 PC. If you have the same issue, please follow the recovery solutions for User Folder Disappeared here.

Recover Lost/Deleted/Hidden User Folder from C Drive

Since the Users folder on C drive is a system folder, it's not recommended to move it to avoid unexpected system errors. If you want to free up space on C drive by deleting some files but accidentally remove the User folder, you can use the reliable data recovery wizard tool in Solution 1 to get back the lost User folder. If the User folder is missing due to being hidden, you can make it visible with the methods in Solution 2.

Two Ways to Recover Lost/Hidden User Folders

Solution 1: How to Recover Deleted User Folder

After deleting the User folder, first check the Windows Recycle Bin. If the folder has been permanently removed from the Recycle Bin, quickly retrieve your lost User folder with the help of the Data Recovery Wizard tool. Its wizard-based interface guides you through a simple process to restore the deleted User folder swiftly.

Aside from folder and file recovery, this data recovery tool also supports RAW partition recovery, lost partition recovery, virus attack recovery, data recovery after emptying the recycle bin, and formatted hard drive recovery, among others. Now, download and use the folder recovery tool to restore your lost user folders in just three steps.

Step 1: Select the folder where you lost your files

Launch the Data Recovery Wizard. Under “Select Location,” choose “Select Folder.” Click “Browse,” locate the missing folder, and click “OK” to scan for lost folders.

Select the folder to scan

Step 2: Look for and preview the found files in the lost folder

If you remember the folder name, type it in the search bar to quickly locate the lost file. Then, open the found folder and double-click to preview the scanned files. Alternatively, you can utilize the "Filter" feature to search for a specific file type.

Select the files to recover

Step 3: Restore and save the lost folder

Finally, select the folders and files you need and click “Recover” to save the retrieved data to a new secure location on your computer.

Solution 2: How to Recover Missing User Folder in Windows 10/8/7

If Windows has hidden the C:\Users folder, you can make it reappear in its original location. It's still there and unharmed; it just isn't showing its path. You'll need to change a File Options setting to make it visible again.

All versions of Windows work similarly in this respect, so the steps below will be demonstrated using Windows 10.

Step 1: Open the Control Panel and locate "File Explorer Options."

Second, click on it, and in the “View” section, find “Hidden files and folders.”

Step 3: Check “Show hidden files, folders, and drives.”

4. Click "Apply," then return to "My Computer." You should now see the "Users" folder on your C: drive.