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

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

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Reinstalled Windows 10 and lost everything

"Help me, please! I reinstalled Windows and lost everything on my PC! In trying to fix it, I've also lost the Windows.Old folder."

There are several reasons to reinstall a fresh copy of the Windows operating system from scratch. For instance, after reinstalling Windows 10, you can enjoy the benefits of getting rid of viruses/malware, regaining control over programs, and fixing system-related issues on your computer. Additionally, reinstalling Windows offers you a fresh start to speed up your PC. Apart from the known advantages, there might be specific circumstances where you need to reinstall Windows.

Reasons to reinstall Windows:

• Windows system files are deleted or corrupted
• The Windows registry is damaged
• A hardware failure causes the Windows system to crash
• Virus/spyware removal is unsuccessful
• Sudden appearance of a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) or black screen freeze
• Upgrade or update to the Windows system fails
• Unknown reasons preventing the Windows system from starting

Will my files be kept during a Windows Reset, Reinstall, or Clean Install?

There are three reset options in Windows 10. Generally, Microsoft advises that you try Resetting Windows 10 first, then Reinstalling Windows 10 from media if necessary, and only Clean Install Windows 10 from media as a last resort. Each type of reset affects your apps, files, personal data, and your ability to recover data after the reset.

If you want to save your personal data and files, back them up to an external hard drive, USB flash drive, SD card, or a cloud location, such as OneDrive, before you reinstall Windows 10. Otherwise, make sure to 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, system data and files might not be permanently erased. Lost files can still be retrieved with reliable methods. In this section, you'll learn three tested and practical ways to recover files after reinstalling Windows 11/10/8/7 using Windows Data Recovery Software, Windows File History Backup, and System Restore.

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

The preferred method is to use a hard drive recovery software, such as Data Recovery Wizard. If you're not tech-savvy, this tool would be your best bet. It allows you to recover lost data in just a few simple steps. Here are some excellent features of the Data Recovery Wizard tool:

- Recovers everything you need. Supports deleted data recovery, formatted file recovery, lost partition recovery, system crash recovery, RAW partition recovery, and more. - Flexible scanning modes. Offers quick and advanced scanning to help you find your desired data. - Preview before recovery. To ensure the correctness of file content, Data Recovery Wizard allows you to preview lost files before the actual recovery.

Download and use this software immediately to recover your files as soon as possible 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 can identify them by their partition size.

Note: Since Windows does not support Linux file system, the Ext2 or Ext3 partition will be recognized as a lost partition without drive letter in the software. Follow the steps below to recover data from Ext2/Ext3 partition.

Select the lost partition to scan

Step 2: Filter the scan results

Since you might have a lot of scanned files, you can use the Quick Filter to search by Images, Videos, Documents, Audio, and Other. If you remember the name of the file, type it in the search bar in the top-right corner.

Step 3: Preview and recover data from the lost partition

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

Method 2: Restore the File Using Windows File History

If you don't have a backup, it's recommended to use a data recovery tool. However, if you've previously backed up the lost files using Windows File History, you can restore them from the backup location. Here are the detailed steps: 1. **Connect the Backup Drive**: Connect the external drive or the network location where your Windows File History is stored to your computer. 2. **Open File History**: Press `Win + X` and select `Control Panel`. In the Control Panel, search for "File History" and click on the result. 3. **Restore Your Files**: In the File History window, click on the "Restore your files with File History" option. 4. **Browse for Files**: The File History window will open, showing a timeline of your backups. You can navigate through the different restore points by clicking the arrows or selecting a specific date/time. 5. **Find and Select Lost Files**: Look for the folder that contained the lost files. You may need to expand folders or use the search bar to locate the specific file(s). Once found, click on the file to select it. 6. **Restore the File**: Click on the green "Restore" button on the top right corner to recover the selected file to its original location. If you want to save it elsewhere, click on the down arrow next to "Restore" and choose "Restore to" followed by the desired location. 7. **Wait for the Process to Complete**: The restoration process may take some time, depending on the size of the file. Do not interrupt the process. 8. **Verify the Restored Files**: After the process is finished, check the original location or the new location you specified to ensure the files have been successfully restored. Remember, if you haven't enabled File History before losing your files, these steps won't be applicable, and you'll need to rely on other data recovery methods.

Step 1: Open Settings and select Updates & Security.

Step 2. Look for the “Backup” option to find your backups.

Step 3 . Under Back up using File History, choose More options.

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

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

Step 6: Once you've found the version you want, select Restore to save it back to its original location.

To save it elsewhere, right-click Restore and choose Restore To. Choose a new location.

Method 3: Perform a System Restore to Recover 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, but this will also revert your operating system to its previous state.

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

Step 1: On Windows 11/10/8/7, press “Windows + R” keys together to open the Run box.

2. Type rstrui.exe in the empty field, and press Enter. This will open System Restore.

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

Step 4: Click on “Scan for affected programs”.

If none of your data drives are affected, click Next to finish the process.

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

How to reinstall or do a clean install of the Windows operating system without losing data

To make sure you can reinstall Windows 10, Windows 8, or earlier without losing your data, here are some tips.

1. Back up your files in advance

As shown on this page, reinstalling the Windows operating system will result in the loss of all data on your computer's hard drive. It is therefore essential 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 manually copying and pasting.
• If you're trying to reinstall Windows on a computer that won't boot up, don't worry. You can create bootable media using Windows backup software and back up your files before installing.

#2. Migrate Windows Without Reinstalling

When you do a clean install of Windows 10/8/7 on another PC, you will lose all your apps, settings, and files after the reinstallation. If you want to keep them, it's better to migrate system.

Bottom line

This page answers the question of how to recover lost files after reinstalling Windows 11/10/8/7 using Windows Data Recovery Software, File History, and System Restore. If you have no backup or System Restore point, the Data Recovery Wizard tool is your last resort to get back your lost files.

Also, to prevent data loss during a Windows reinstall, remember two things: back up your important files before installing, and be ready to restore them immediately if something goes wrong.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Restoring Files After Reinstalling Windows 10/11 1. **我重新安装Windows后，我的文件会丢失吗？** - 如果你在重新安装前没有备份文件，它们可能会丢失。但是，如果你在安装过程中选择“保留个人文件和应用”选项（如果可用），你的文件应会被保留在原处。 2. **如何在重新安装后找回文件？** - 如果你有备份，可以从备份中恢复。如果没有，你可以检查“文档”、“图片”、“视频”等默认文件夹，看看文件是否还在。你也可以使用文件历史记录（如果已启用）或系统还原点来尝试恢复文件。 3. **我可以在旧的Windows安装中找到我的文件吗？** - 在某些情况下，重新安装Windows可能不会完全覆盖旧的安装。你可能能在“C:\Windows.old”文件夹中找到你的文件和设置。但请注意，这个文件夹会在一定时间后自动删除。 4. **我可以使用数据恢复软件吗？** - 是的，如果其他方法都无效，可以尝试使用数据恢复软件，如Recuva或tools Data Recovery Wizard。这些工具能扫描硬盘并尝试恢复已删除或丢失的文件。 5. **我应该怎么做以防止未来的数据丢失？** - 定期备份是防止数据丢失的最佳方式。你可以使用内置的Windows备份功能，或者第三方备份解决方案。另外，启用文件历史记录也是个好习惯。 6. **如果我在OneDrive或云服务中有文件，重新安装后还能访问吗？** - 只要你登录相同的Microsoft账户，你应该能够访问存储在OneDrive或其他云服务中的文件，因为这些文件并不存储在本地硬盘上。 请确保在重新安装操作系统之前，总是先备份重要文件，以防止不必要的数据丢失。

By the end of this article, you should be able to recover files after reinstalling Windows 11/10/8/7 on your own. We've also rounded up answers to some frequently asked questions that you might find interesting.

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

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

First, back up your files.

You can do this manually by copying your data, or use advanced Windows backup software to make a full 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 folders like Desktop, Documents, Music, Pictures, and any other files on the C: drive.

In short, even if you chose the “Keep all files” option when starting the installation process, a Windows reinstall will still cause you to lose some of your files. To avoid this tragedy, back up all your important files to an external hard drive事先. You can use our guide on how to < a href="/backup-utility/backup-computer-to-usb-flash-drive.html">back up your computer to a USB flash drive as a template.

3. Can I Retrieve Data after Resetting Windows 10?

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

However, files on the System C drive will be deleted during the process. As long as you haven't saved new files there, you may be able to recover them.

The process is similar to the one offered on this page: 1) Use data recovery software to scan and restore all lost data; 2) Utilize File History backup; 3) Perform a System Restore.