Microsoft released the Windows File Recovery program in late June and promised to restore deleted files. According to the company, you can use it to restore photos, videos, and documents, as well as data and records from hard drives, SSDs, and external drives — such as memory cards, flash drives, and external hard drives.
As an official Microsoft solution for Windows, it’s not as easy to use as other programs. With that in mind, We Have prepared a tutorial for you to learn how to use Windows File Recovery to recover your accidentally deleted files. Check it out below:
How to Recover Lost Files with Windows File Recovery
1. Install Windows File Recovery from the Microsoft Store — the program is only compatible with Windows 10 version 19041.0 or later.
2: once installed, open the program — you can search for it in the Start Menu. Windows File Recovery will ask for permission to make changes to your computer, accept and continue;
3. From here, the program will access your computer’s command prompt (CMD). It may seem not very clear at first, but follow the same steps described here to recover your deleted files;
4. First, you must add right after the command winfr right after the sequence C: WINDOWSsystem32>. Then, enter the drive the deleted files were on, where they will be stored in case they are restored, a specific folder within this drive, and the file’s name in question — as shown below.
Our command looks like this: winfr C: E: /n UsersDocumentsQuarterlyStatement.docx.
In this case, the program will look for the QuarterlyStatement.docx file on the C: disk, and when it finds it, it will send it to the E: drive inside the Documents folder.
Note: It is important to mention that the target drive must be external storage — that is, a pen drive, external hard drive, or cell phone. This drive letter may also change depending on the device, so make sure before adding the full command in the terminal.
5. With the command confirmed, press “y” and then “Enter” for the program to start scanning;
6. Ready! If the program finds the deleted file, it will be restored to the previously indicated destination.
