How to Recover Files After Reinstalling Windows 11/10/8/7

Get instant help from the table below to restore files in 3 ways after reinstalling Windows 11/10/8/7:

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I reinstalled Windows 10, and lost everything.

"Please help me! I reinstalled Windows, and now I've lost all my files! When I tried to fix it, even the Windows.Old folder was gone!"

There are many reasons to reinstall a fresh copy of the Windows operating system from scratch. For example, reinstalling Windows 10 can help you enjoy benefits like getting rid of viruses/malware, regaining control over your programs, and fixing system issues on your computer. Besides, reinstalling Windows can give your PC a new lease of life and speed it up. Apart from these advantages, there might be specific situations where you need to reinstall Windows.

Reasons for Reinstalling Windows:

• Windows system files are deleted or corrupted
• The Windows registry is damaged
• A hardware failure causes the Windows system to crash
• Virus/spyware cannot be removed
• Sudden appearance of a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) or black screen freeze
• Upgrade or update to the Windows system
• Unknown reasons preventing the Windows system from starting up

Windows Reset, Reinstall, or Clean Install: Will I Keep My Files?

There are three ways to reinstall Windows 10, and Microsoft recommends that you try them in order: first, “Reset this PC,” then, if necessary, “Reinstall Windows 10” using installation media, and finally, if necessary, do a “Clean Install of Windows 10” using media creation tool. Each of these options affects your apps, files, and personal data differently, as well as your chances of recovering data after reinstalling Windows.

If you want to keep your personal data and files, back them up to an external hard drive, USB flash drive, SD card, or cloud location (such as OneDrive) before you reinstall Windows 10. Otherwise, make sure you choose the correct reinstall option during the process to keep your data or remove everything.

How to Recover Files After Reinstalling Windows 11/10/8/7

After reinstalling Windows 11/10/8/7, you might find it impossible to permanently erase Windows data and files. The lost files can still be recovered with reliable methods. In this part, you'll learn three verified and practical ways to recover files after reinstalling Windows 11/10/8/7 using Windows Data Recovery software, Windows File History backup, or System Restore.

Method 1: Recover Files After Reinstalling Windows with Data Recovery Tools

The first option would be to use a tool called Data Recovery Wizard by tools. If you're not a tech-savvy person, this tool would be your best choice. It can help you retrieve your lost data with only a few simple steps. Below are the astonishing features of Data Recovery Wizard.

- Recover all types of files. Supports deleted data recovery, formatted drive recovery, lost partition recovery, system crash recovery, RAW partition recovery, and more. - Flexible scanning modes. Offers Quick Scan and Advanced Scan modes to help you locate your desired data effectively. - Preview before recovery. To ensure file content accuracy, Data Recovery Wizard allows you to preview lost files before the actual recovery process.

Download and use this software immediately to help recover your files after reinstalling Windows.

Step 1. Select and scan the lost partition

Launch the Data Recovery Wizard, select "Lost Partition," and click "Scan" to search for all lost data. If you have multiple lost partitions, you may be able to identify it by its size.

Note: Since Windows does not support Linux file systems, Ext2 or Ext3 partitions are displayed as lost partitions without drive letters in the software. If you want to recover data from an Ext2/Ext3 partition, follow these steps.

Step 2: Screen the scan results

Given that you'll be scanning through many files, you can use the Quick Filter feature to choose file types, such as Images, Videos, Documents, Audio, and Others. If you remember the file name, you can also search for it directly in the search bar at the top-right.

Step 3: Preview and recover data from the lost partition

Before recovery, you can preview the files to make sure that they are the data you need. Select all the files you need, then click “Recover” to restore them.

Method 2: Restore Files with Windows File History

If no backup is available, you might want to use a data recovery tool. However, if you've backed up the lost file using the Windows File History feature, you can restore it from the backup location. Here are the detailed steps:

Step 1: Open "Settings" and choose "Update & Security."

Step 2. Look for the “Backups” option to locate your backups.

Step 3 . Click More options under Use File History.

Step 4: Scroll down to the “Related Settings” section and choose Restore files from current backup.

Step 5: Find the file you need, and use the arrows to view all its versions.

Step 6: Once you've located the version you need, select “Restore” to save it back to its original location.

To restore it to a different location, right-click Restore > Restore To, and then choose the new location.

Method 3: Perform System Restore to Retrieve Lost Files

Note that if you created a System Restore Point on your computer, you can use it to recover files lost due to the Windows reinstallation. However, this will also revert your operating system to its previous state.

If this isn't what you expect, you might want to try the first two methods. If you don't mind reinstalling Windows 11/10/8/7 on your computer again, you can follow the steps below:

Step 1: On Windows 11/10/8/7, press the "Windows + R" keys simultaneously to open the "Run" window.

Step 2: Type rstrui.exe and press Enter. This will launch the System Restore utility.

Step 3: Click on “Choose a different restore point” and then click “Next.”

Step 4: Click on Scan for affected programs.

5. If your data drive is not affected, click Next to finish the process.

If the data drive is affected, back up your saved data to an external hard drive beforehand. Then, follow the on-screen instructions to proceed.

How to Reinstall or Perform a Clean Install of the Windows Operating System Without Losing Data

To make sure you can reinstall Windows 10, Windows 8, or an earlier version without losing your data, try these suggestions.

1. Back up your files first

As shown on the webpage, reinstalling the Windows system inevitably leads to data loss on your computer's hard drive. Thus, it's crucial to back up important files beforehand.

• If you're reinstalling Windows on a computer that's currently working fine, you can use a disk cloning software to copy your disk or partition, which is much faster than copying and pasting files manually.
• If you're reinstalling Windows on a computer that won't boot, don't worry. You can create bootable media with Windows backup software and back up your files before the installation.

Migrate Windows Without Reinstalling the OS

A clean install of Windows 10/8/7 on another computer will lose all your apps, settings, and files. If you want to keep them, it's better to perform a system migration.

Bottom line

This page will answer how to recover lost files after reinstalling Windows 11/10/8/7 with the help of Windows Data Recovery, File History, and System Restore. If you have no backup or System Restore point, Data Recovery Wizard would be the last option to get your lost files back.

Also, when reinstalling Windows, remember two things to prevent data loss: make sure to back up any important files before installing, and recover lost data as soon as possible in case of accidental loss.

Frequently Asked Questions on Restoring Files After Reinstalling Windows 10/11 (UTF-8)

After reading this article, you should be able to recover files after reinstalling Windows 11/10/8/7 on your own. Meanwhile, we've also rounded up answers to some common questions you might be interested in.

How can I reinstall an older version of Windows and keep my files?

When reinstalling Windows 10 to keep your files, you should do two things:

First, back up your files.

You can do this manually by copying files or using more sophisticated Windows backup software to create a complete backup of your data to an external hard drive.

Then, when installing Windows, choose “Keep my files” instead of “Remove everything and clean drive.”

2. Will I lose my files if I reinstall Windows?

Essentially, the answer is yes. Reinstalling Windows means replacing everything on your system drive with new Windows files. This process deletes files found on the desktop, in folders like Documents, Music, and Pictures, as well as anything else on the C: drive.

In short, even if you chose the “Keep all files” option when starting the installation process, you might still lose some files after reinstalling Windows. To avoid this tragedy, it's best to back up all your important files to an external hard drive beforehand. You can use our guide on how to back up your computer to a USB flash drive as a reference.

3. Can I Retrieve Data After Resetting Windows 10?

Essentially, the Windows 10 reset will give you the option to choose whether or not you want to keep the files on your computer. If you have set your computer to keep your files, most of the data saved on a non-system partition should be safely preserved.

However, files in the System C drive will be deleted during the process. Fortunately, you can still retrieve them as long as you haven't saved new files to it.

The process is similar to the methods provided on this page: 1) Scan and recover all lost data with data recovery software. 2) Use File History backup. 3) Perform a System Restore.