How to Retrieve Files After Restoring Windows 10 to Factory Settings

Overview of Resetting Windows 10 to Factory Settings

When a Windows 10 computer gets stuck, frozen, crashes, or fails to work, users often resort to refreshing it. But an unknown system issue might prompt users to reset the computer to its factory settings.

Unlike a Windows 10 refresh, a Windows 10 reset changes your computer to the state it was in when it was brand new. This means that your Windows 10 laptop or desktop will be restored to the condition it was in when you first turned it on. As such, if you didn't back up your system before resetting, you will lose all your files permanently, including photos and documents, as well as a ton of data downloaded from the internet. But is there any chance of getting your lost files back after a Windows 10 reset? (If you're also a Mac user, you may also be interested in how to reset your Mac without losing data.)

Is it possible to recover data after performing a factory reset on Windows 10?

Can files be recovered after a Windows 10 factory reset? The answer is yes, but recovery should be done as soon as possible after performing a Windows 10 factory reset. Otherwise, the chances of recovery decrease significantly due to data overwriting.

In this article, you'll learn two different methods to recover files after resetting Windows 10. Please refer to the information in the table below:

Data recovery software enables Windows 10 users to restore files after a Windows 10 reset. It supports various types of file recovery, including graphics, audio, documents, videos, emails, and more. Download and try it now.

How to Recover Files After a Factory Reset with Data Recovery Software Feeling anxious after accidentally performing a factory reset or losing your files for other reasons? Don't worry, as it's possible to retrieve those important documents with the help of reliable data recovery software. Follow these steps to guide you through the process: 1. **Choose a Data Recovery Tool:** First, download and install a reputable data recovery software such as Recuva, tools Data Recovery Wizard, or Disk Drill. Make sure you select a software compatible with your device (e.g., Windows, Mac, Android, or iOS). 2. **Download and Install:** Visit the official website of the software you've chosen and download the latest version. Follow the installation wizard to complete the setup. 3. **Connect Your Device:** If you performed a factory reset on your computer, you can proceed with data recovery directly on it. For mobile devices, connect them to your computer using a USB cable. 4. **Launch the Software:** Run the data recovery software you just installed. It will usually guide you through the next steps. 5. **Select the Recovery Location:** In the software interface, choose the location where you want to recover files. If unsure, select "Full Disk Scan." 6. **Scan Your Device:** Click "Start Scan" or a similar button. The software will begin searching for lost files. This might take some time, especially for larger hard drives. 7. **Preview and Recover Files:** Once the scan is complete, the software will display the recoverable files. You can preview certain file types to confirm their correctness. Then, select the files you wish to restore and click the "Recover" button. 8. **Save Recovered Files:** Choose a secure location to save your recovered files, ensuring you don't overwrite any other potentially recoverable lost files. Keep in mind that not all files can be recovered, depending on whether they have been overwritten and the condition of the hard drive. Always back up important files before performing a factory reset to prevent data loss.

The Data Recovery Wizard tool has recently been optimized to provide an all-rounded file recovery solution for the latest Windows 10 operating system, with an extremely user-friendly interface. It can recover lost files from various storage devices under complex circumstances. For instance, you can retrieve deleted files from the recycle bin in Windows 10, reformatted hard drives, RAW drives, and lost partitions, among others. Most importantly, it enables you to restore files after a factory reset on Windows 11 or any other Windows operating system.

Moreover, its free version helps users recover up to 2 GB of data. Here's a three-step guide on how to use the tool to recover files after resetting Windows 10.

Step 1. Run the Disk Drill data recovery wizard on your computer. Select the drive with the lost files and click “Search for lost data.” If the missing files were on an external storage device, connect it to your computer first.

Step 2: The software will quickly scan for deleted files and then automatically perform a deep scan to find more lost files. Once the scanning is done, you can use the "Filter" to quickly locate files of a specific type.

Step 3: Hit the “Preview” button or double-click on the files for an overall preview. Finally, select the needed files and hit “Recover” to save all of them at another secure location in one go.

How to use File History to recover files after a Windows 10 factory reset

File History is a default tool on Windows 10 that backs up your personal files in the Desktop, Documents, Videos, and Downloads folders. By default, it saves and protects your files once an hour. Once you've turned on File History, you can use it to restore your files after performing a factory reset.

Step 1: Search for “File History” in the search box, and then click “Restore your files with File History” from the search results.

File History

Step 2: In the File History window, you'll see all your backed-up files, including photos, videos, and documents. You can preview these files before restoring them. Use the left and right arrows at the bottom of the window to find more backup versions.

Step 3: Select the files you want to recover and click the green arrow to restore them. Click the gear icon in the top-right corner and choose “Recover to” to save your recovered files to a secure location.

Restore files from File History

Conclusion

If you don't know how to recover files after factory reset on Windows 10, there are two methods that can assist you. You can retrieve your files using data recovery software or utilize the Windows File History to restore lost files. To prevent further data loss, we highly recommend regularly backing up your data or having data recovery software at hand.

Frequently Asked Questions About Retrieving Files After a Windows 10 Factory Reset

It's common to lose files after a Windows 10 factory reset, but you still have a chance to recover your lost files. To learn more about recovering files from Windows, you can check out the four additional questions:

**How to recover files after a Windows factory reset without a backup?** Recovering files after a Windows factory reset without a backup can be challenging, but you can try the following methods: 1. **Data recovery software**: Using professional data recovery software is a common approach to retrieve lost files. These tools scan your hard drive to find recoverable files. Some well-known options include Recuva, tools Data Recovery Wizard, and Disk Drill. Be sure to choose reputable software and follow its instructions. 2. **System Restore Point**: If you created a System Restore point before resetting, you might be able to restore some files through this feature. However, this requires that a restore point was set up beforehand, and the files must have been saved after its creation. 3. **Check the Recycle Bin**: After a reset, deleted files might still be in the Recycle Bin. Check it to see if any of your needed files are there. If the Recycle Bin has been emptied, some data recovery software may still be able to retrieve them. 4. **Cloud storage or sync services**: If you used OneDrive, Google Drive, or another cloud storage service and your files were synced before the reset, you can recover them from the cloud. 5. **Social networks and email**: Check your email accounts, especially those with built-in storage like Gmail or Yahoo, to see if any important files are stored there. Similarly, if you've uploaded files to social media or online platforms, you might find them there. Please note that no method guarantees a 100% recovery of all files, so the best strategy is always to back up important data regularly. File recovery without a backup may incur costs, and the recovered files might not be the most recent versions.

You can recover files after a Windows factory reset by using a data recovery tool, such as the Data Recovery Wizard. This is a safe and convenient utility that can help you retrieve data from a formatted computer hard drive or a RAW hard drive. It can even assist in recovering lost data if you had issues installing Windows 11.

Does a factory reset delete everything from the computer?

A factory reset on a computer or laptop can be used to eliminate any issues or recurring problems. If your computer or laptop is consistently freezing, performing a factory reset from time to time might be helpful. Does a factory reset delete everything? Actually, a factory reset on Windows doesn't remove everything, as you have the option to "Keep my files" to prevent data loss.

How can I recover permanently deleted files on Windows 10?

Creating backups is essential when using Windows 10 to restore files. If you don't have a backup, using a data recovery app is an option. The tool Data Recovery Wizard can help you recover permanently deleted files in three steps:

1. Select the hard drive where the lost files were located. 2. Choose the lost files after scanning. 3. Preview and recover all the files.

How can I recover my files after reinstalling Windows 11?

There are three effective ways to recover your files after reinstalling Windows 11:

1. Recover data using the Data Recovery Wizard tool. 2. Restore lost files with the Windows File History backup. 3. Restore your Windows system to a previous state.