Recover Deleted Folders on Windows 10/11 [5 Quick Methods]

To recover deleted folders on Windows, check your Recycle Bin first. You'll need Windows File History and Windows Backup and Restore if you cannot find the folders in the Recycle Bin. You can also restore the folder to a previous version or download EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard to regain lost folders. 

Recover Deleted Folders Overview

Almost every computer user will encounter data loss issues, and most users will lose files and folders because of accidental deletion. Is it possible to recover deleted folders on their computers? The answer is yes, and we will introduce five different methods to help you recover lost folders.

Before that, you should know that accidental deletion is not the only reason you lost folders. Many other reasons can cause data loss:

• 😈Man-made sabotage. Your files and folders may be lost when your laptop or computer has been stolen, or they fall on the ground and cause damage.
• ⚡Virus and malware attraction. It is easy to encounter this issue without using the computer properly. Computer viruses and malware will force delete files and folders.
• ⚔️Software confliction. Some applications will cause conflicts, and you may need more time to save the work when the conflicts happen.
• 💾Hard drive corruption. You cannot predict a hard drive corruption when it has not happened. When you encounter hard drive corruption, you may lose essential data on the hard drive.
• 😨Accidental formatting. You should know that if you format the hard drive without any backups, you will lose all the files and folders on the hard drive.

Now, let us focus on recovering deleted folders on Windows! Check the following 5 methods and detailed tutorial to recover deleted folders on Windows 10/11.

Method 1. How to Recover Deleted Folders with Software

The first and most recommended method to recover deleted folders on Windows is by applying data recovery software. No matter if you have lost your folders because of accidental deletion, sudden power off, system crashes, internal hard drive corruption, or other situations. You can use EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard to recover deleted folders quickly.

• Recover deleted files from desktop on Windows 10 and also can restore folders from Windows Recycle Bin.
• Recover deleted folders from internal hard drives, USB flash drives, external hard drives, and other storage devices.
• Fit your needs when recovering files and folders before repairing external hard drives or after formatting the HDD/SSD.
• Ensure most files will be recovered with deleted folders, including videos, photos, emails, documents, and audio.

After launching EaseUS Dat Recovery Wizard, check this guide to recover deleted folders on Windows.

Step 1. Select a folder to scan for lost files

Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard. Choose "Select Folder" under Specify a location. Click "Browse" to choose the location where you lost the folder and click "OK" to scan the lost folder. 

Step 2. Find and preview found files in the lost folder

If you remember the folder name, type the folder name in search box to quickly find the lost files. Then, open the found folder and double-click to preview scanned files. Or you can use the Filter feature to find a certain type of files. 

Step 3. Recover and save the lost folder 

Last, select the folder and files you need, click "Recover" and choose a new & secure location on your PC to keep the recovered data. 

Method 2. Retrieve Deleted Folders from Recycle Bin

If you delete your folders using the right-click on Windows 10, you can find Recycle Bin on Windows 10 and restore your deleted folders.

Step 1. Ensure you have not deleted the folders with the Shift + Delete shortcut, and you should know the differences between shift delete and delete. You cannot find a shift-deleted folder in the Recycle Bin.

Step 2. The Recycle Bin will be found on the desktop by default, and the icon looks like a trash can.

Step 3. Double-click the Recycle Bin icon will enter the Recycle Bin folder. Find the deleted folder and right-click it. Then, choose "Restore" to put it back.

Method 3. Recover Deleted Folders by Restoring to Previous Version

If you have Windows restore points, you can restore Windows 10/11 to a previous version, and the previous version sometimes is called shadow copy. How to restore deleted folders with Windows system restore point? Keep reading to find out:

Step 1. Open the File Explorer on Windows 11/10. If you encounter File Explorer not responding, you can restart it to fix the problem.

Step 2. Navigate to the upper folder of the deleted one.

Step 3. If the deleted folder was the top folder of a drive, right-click the drive and choose the option to restore prior versions.

Step 4. To restore a deleted folder, choose the most recent version that contains it, and click "Restore".

Method 4. Restore Deleted Folders with Backup and Restore

If you haven't created any backups manually, you'd better check Windows Backup and Restore to take a chance. Windows Backup and Restore is a built-in backup utility that can rescue lost folders with system backups. Check this tutorial to restore deleted folders:

Step 1. Open the control panel on Windows 10/11 using the search box.

Step 2. Click "System and Security", and you will see many options.

Step 3. Put the pointer on Back Up and Restore (Windows 7), then click it.

Step 4. Click "Restore my files", then you can search for lost folders by clicking "Browse for folders".

Step 5. Then, you can find the lost folder and follow the prompt to restore it.

Don't forget to share this passage to help more Windows users to recover deleted folders!

Method 5. How to Recover Deleted Folders with File History

The last method to recover deleted folders on Windows is using File History. The program regularly copies the files in your Favorites and Contacts directories, Desktop, and Libraries. It is not difficult to use File History to recover deleted folders:

Step 1. You can access the File History option by opening the control panel > System and Security > File History.

Step 2. Select the folder which contains your deleted folders, and choose the right record which contains your deleted data.

Step 3. Click on the Restore button, and the selection will come back once you press the Restore button in the center.

Summary

We believe you have recovered deleted folder using the five methods we recommend. While using Windows 10 or 11, you can find many useful tools to help you out of data loss. If you don't have any useful backups on your computer and Windows Backup and Restore is not activated, you should try EaseUS data recovery software.

Recover Deleted Folders FAQs

If you have more questions about recovering deleted folders on Windows, don't leave this page. You can check four frequently asked questions to learn more:

1. How to recover permanently deleted files on Windows?

You will need EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard to recover permanently deleted files on Windows:

• 1. Launch the software and hover on the target drive or folder where you lost your files.
• 2. The scanning will start, and you can preview the files to ensure they can be opened after recovery.
• 3. Click the Recover button to recover deleted files.

2. Why a deleted folder is not in the Recycle Bin?

The deleted files might have been permanently removed if they were not in the Recycle Bin. When this occurs, the files' space will be designated as empty and can be overwritten by new information. It is also possible that you have not really deleted the folder and you just moved it to another partition.

3. Where can I find recently deleted folders?

You can find recently deleted folders in the Recycle Bin on Windows. If you deleted files and folders on Windows, they would move the files and folder to the Recycle Bin by default. If you want to recover these folders, right-click in the Recycle Bin and choose 'Restore'.

4. What is the best folder recovery program?

The following recovery software will help you recover lost folders on Windows:

1. 1. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard
2. 2. Recuva
3. 3. PhotoRec
4. 4. Recover My Files
5. 5. Wise Data Recovery