Do you constantly find yourself deleting data from your Windows system accidentally and then regretting your mistake? Now you don’t have to, due to Microsoft’s recently introduced Windows File Recovery application, which allows you to recover deleted easily and corrupted data from your PC.

Although the ability to recover deleted files isn’t a new concept, previous methods were less reliable and convenient, especially for the typical user. You may now effortlessly recover lost data without having to download any third-party software, thanks to the launch of Microsoft’s own file recovery tool.

Windows File Recovery is a free download from the Microsoft Store that works with Windows 10 laptops and desktops (build 2004 or later). Here’s how to use Windows File Recovery to get your files back on your Windows 10 system.

What is Windows File Recovery?

To offer you a quick overview, Windows File Recovery (or WFR) is a Microsoft-developed software. It’s a command-line (CLI) interface that helps you recover erroneously deleted or corrupted files from various storage devices on Windows, including storage devices (HDD and SSD), thumb drives, and memory cards.

How Computers Handle Deleted Files?

Before we go into how to recover deleted files, it’s important to understand how systems deal with them.

Depending on the file system in use, when a user deletes a file on their Windows computer (including the recycle bin), the following things occur:

FAT – The directory entry, which includes additional metadata about files, is unaltered save for the initial character of the file name. In addition, the FAT (File Allocation Table) list of disc clusters against the file is wiped, and the sector is marked as accessible.
NTFS – Although an entry in the MFT (Master File Table), which maintains file information in NTFS, is tagged as unlinked, it remains on the disc.
NOTE: FAT has a lower recovery rate than NTFS.

In simple words, when you delete a file from your computer, it does not disappear from the hard drive immediately. Instead, the bit referring to its (file’s) storage drive location is wiped, rendering the file inaccessible by the operating system. As a result of the operating system’s inability to locate this file, the file’s storage location is treated as unused until fresh data overwrites the space on the drive.

This means that the deleted files can be recovered in that limited timeframe unless space — recently marked as ‘free’ or ‘unused’ — is overwritten with fresh data. As a result, the best method to improve your chances of retrieving erased items is to avoid adding new files or programs to your computer.

How to Use Windows File Recovery to Recover Lost Data

There are several possible alternatives to recover files using WFR, depending on the type of file and storage format.

Installing Windows File Recovery

Search for ‘Windows File Recovery’ in the Microsoft Store and download the application. Alternatively, you may download it by clicking on this link.
After the tool has been installed, execute it as an administrator. To do so, press the Windows key and type ‘Windows File Recovery’ into the search box. When the tool shows in the list, right-click it and choose Run as administrator from the context menu.

Using Windows File Recovery

Enter the recovery command while WFR is running using the following syntax:

winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/switches]

Here:

source-drive denotes the location of the missing file.
destination-drive provides the location of the recovered files on the hard disc.
Switches are used to specify parameters that let you target a file or folder more precisely.
Windows File Recovery now has two modes of operation, depending on the type of file you want to recover:

Regular – suitable for retrieving files from the NTFS file system that have been recently destroyed.
Extensive – good for recovering NTFS-stored files that have been destroyed for a long time or after formatting or corrupting a disc. In any situation, it can also be utilized with FAT and exFAT files.

Default, Segment, and Signature have been the different modes for recovering deleted data in the prior version of Windows File Recovery. If you already have WFR installed on your computer, make sure you upgrade to the most recent version.

Here’s what you need to know about file systems to minimize ambiguity and help you figure out which one can be used on the storage device you want to recover –

NTFS — Most storage devices, including HDDs, SSDs, and thumb drives with more than 4GB of storage, use this file system.
FAT and exFAT — Memory cards and thumb drives with less than 4GB of storage use these file systems.
ReFS is a file system that is used on Windows Server and Workstations.
Note: When compared to an HDD, the success rate of data recovery from an SSD is rather low, owing to data complexity and TRIM capability.

Windows File Recovery Command Variations

Moving on, let’s have a look at some alternative command versions and how you may utilize them to recover various files. As previously stated, the default syntax supported by WFR needs you to mention four things: winfr, source drive, destination drive, and switches, with the source and destination drives being different.

For example: winfr C: D: /n \testfolder\testfile\

We’re asking the application to recover a file named “testfile” from the “test folder” folder on the “C” drive and save it to the “D” drive with the above command.

Recovering a Specific File

We’re asking the application to recover a file named “testfile” from the “test folder” folder on the “C” drive and save it to the “D” drive with the above command.

winfr C: D: /n \Users\smol\Documents\testfolder\testfile.txt

Recovering Multiple Similar File Types

If you need to recover many files of the same (file) type, for example,.JPG, follow these steps:

winfr C: D: /n \Users\smol\Documents\testfolder\*.JPG

Recovering an Entire Folder

WFR also allows you to recover an entire folder that you may have mistakenly erased. The syntax to use is as under:

winfr C: D: /n \Users\smol\Documents\testfolder\

Run the following command to learn more advanced commands:

winfr /? or winfr/!

Restoring Deleted Files on Windows

One of the greatest tools for recovering most of your deleted files on Windows 10 is Windows File Recovery. So, if you delete a file or folder by accident, or if an application conflict deletes your vital files, you can restore them with WFR.

One thing to keep in mind about file recovery is that its effectiveness is contingent on several circumstances. However, by not overwriting the file system and using the correct command for your storage type, you can improve your chances of retrieving your lost files.

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