# How to recover deleted files in Windows 11 and 10, step by step > Recover deleted files in Windows: check the Recycle Bin, OneDrive, File History and backups, then Windows File Recovery. System Restore will not help. - URL: https://computese.com/how-to-recover-deleted-files-on-windows/ - Author: Duong Quan Nguyen, CEO, Computese - Published: 2024-08-09 - Updated: 2026-09-25 - Topics: IT support ## In short - Stop saving to the drive that held the file, then look in order: the Recycle Bin, OneDrive's recycle bin and version history, File History (Restore previous versions) and any other backup. These hold a complete copy, so the file comes back intact. - System Restore does not bring back personal files: its restore points cover system files, apps, the registry and settings. Windows 11's newer point-in-time restore does include files, but only for 72 hours, and it rolls back the whole system drive. - If nothing holds a copy, Microsoft's free Windows File Recovery (winfr) scans the drive and saves what it finds to another drive. Use Regular mode for a recent deletion on NTFS, and Extensive mode for older deletions, formatted drives and FAT or exFAT cards. - On an SSD, recovery tools have much less to work with: Windows tells the drive which blocks a deleted file used (TRIM), and the drive can erase them on its own. A versioned backup kept off the PC is the only undo you can count on. To recover a deleted file in Windows 11 or 10, stop saving anything to that drive, then look in this order: the Recycle Bin, OneDrive's recycle bin and version history, File History or Previous Versions, and any other backup. If none has it, Microsoft's free Windows File Recovery tool can scan the drive. System Restore will not bring it back. The order matters. The first four places hold a complete copy of the file, so it comes back intact, with its name. A recovery tool works with whatever is left on the disk after the deletion, and on a modern SSD that is often nothing. This guide covers each step as of September 2026, answers whether a restore point can bring files back (usually not, with one new exception), explains why SSDs change the odds, and ends with the backup setup that makes the next accidental deletion easy to undo. ## Stop using the drive first When Windows deletes a file, it does not wipe the data. It marks the space the file occupied as free, and the data stays there until something new is written over it. That is why [Microsoft's own advice](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/backup-recovery/windows-file-recovery), before any recovery attempt, is to minimize or avoid using the computer: any activity can create files, and any new file can land on that free space. ![A deleted file's blocks on a drive are outlined as free but still hold faint data, until a newly downloaded file lands on one of them, shown in orange, and overwrites it.](https://computese.com/images/blog/how-to-recover-deleted-files-on-windows/overwrite.15835c5a62-1536.webp) *Deleting frees the space, not the data. Every file Windows writes afterwards can land on the blocks you are trying to recover.* Until you have the file back: - **Do not save, download or copy anything to that drive.** That includes large downloads and files syncing down from the cloud. - **Close the programs you do not need.** Browsers, chat apps and updaters all write to the disk in the background. - **Check OneDrive from your phone or another computer** where you can, so the search itself does not write to the affected drive. - **Do not create, delete or resize partitions.** Microsoft warns that creating a partition after losing data reduces the chance of recovering it. - **If the file matters a great deal and was on the system drive (usually C:)**, consider shutting the PC down and having the drive read from another computer, or by a professional, rather than working on it in place. This caution protects the last-resort options, Windows File Recovery and a lab. It costs nothing to check the Recycle Bin, OneDrive and your backups first, because they hold full copies rather than leftovers. ## Check that the file is deleted, not just missing A file that seems lost is sometimes just saved somewhere unexpected. [Microsoft's checklist for missing OneDrive files](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/find-lost-or-missing-files-in-onedrive), adapted to a Windows PC: 1. **Search the PC.** Use the search box in File Explorer, and try part of the name or a word from the document. 2. **Search OneDrive on the web.** Sign in at onedrive.com and use **Search everything**. Microsoft recommends searching by description, tag, date or place as well as by file name. 3. **Check the account.** If you have a personal and a work account, or used someone else's PC, the file may be in another OneDrive. Sign in to the other account and search there. 4. **Check the Personal Vault.** Files in OneDrive's Personal Vault do not appear in search results until you unlock it. One case you cannot fix yourself: if someone else shared a file with you and then deleted it, it is no longer available to you. Ask the owner, who can restore it from their own recycle bin. ## Restore the file from the Recycle Bin A file or folder you delete in File Explorer goes to the Recycle Bin rather than off the disk. Open **Recycle Bin** from the desktop, find the file, right-click it and select **Restore**. It returns to the folder it was deleted from, with its name. If it is not there, one of these is usually the reason: | What happened | Why the file skipped or left the Recycle Bin | Where to look next | | ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | | You pressed **Shift+Delete** | Shift+Delete deletes the item [without moving it to the Recycle Bin](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/windows/keyboard-shortcuts-in-windows) | OneDrive and backups, then Windows File Recovery | | The bin was emptied | Emptying the bin removes the copies | OneDrive and backups, then Windows File Recovery | | Storage Sense cleaned it up | When Storage Sense runs, it deletes items that have been in the bin for [over 30 days, by default](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/mdm/policy-csp-storage) | OneDrive and backups, then Windows File Recovery | | It was deleted from a command line | The `del` command does not use the bin; [Microsoft's documentation warns](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/del) the file can't be retrieved | Backups, then Windows File Recovery | | It is a work PC | [Administrators can set the policy](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/mdm/policy-csp-admx-windowsexplorer) **Do not move deleted files to the Recycle Bin** | Your IT team | | The file was online-only in OneDrive, or deleted in OneDrive | [Files deleted from the cloud](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/restore-your-onedrive-files), including online-only files, never appear in the PC's Recycle Bin | The OneDrive recycle bin (next section) | Storage Sense's clean-up is set in **Settings > System > Storage > Storage Sense**, under the option for deleting files that have been in the recycle bin for a chosen time. It [works on the system drive only](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/storage-filemanagement/manage-drive-space-with-storage-sense). ## Check OneDrive's recycle bin and version history If the file was in a folder that syncs to OneDrive, deleting it on the PC deleted it in OneDrive too, and on every other device that syncs the folder. [Windows Backup](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/backup-recovery/back-up-and-restore-with-windows-backup) syncs Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Videos and Music to OneDrive when you switch those folders on. Microsoft also notes that [deleting a shared item deletes it for everyone](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/delete-files-or-folders-in-onedrive). ![A document deleted in a laptop's synced folder also disappears from a phone, and lands in a recycle bin inside the cloud, drawn in orange, from which an arrow shows it being restored.](https://computese.com/images/blog/how-to-recover-deleted-files-on-windows/sync.fe2010bfe1-1536.webp) *Sync copies deletions as faithfully as it copies files, which is why OneDrive's recycle bin is the second place to look.* To restore from the OneDrive recycle bin: 1. Go to onedrive.com and sign in with your Microsoft account, or your work or school account. 2. Select **Recycle bin** in the navigation pane. 3. Select the files or folders, then select **Restore**. For files deleted from the Personal Vault, select **Show Personal Vault items** first. The OneDrive app on a phone has the same recycle bin, under your account. How long deleted items wait there, and the related options: | Where the file was | What you can restore | For how long | | ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | OneDrive, personal Microsoft account | Deleted files and folders, from the recycle bin | 30 days | | OneDrive for work or school | Deleted files and folders, from the recycle bin | 93 days, unless your administrator changed it | | SharePoint or Microsoft Teams files | The site recycle bin, then the site collection recycle bin | [93 days in total](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/admin/restore-items-in-the-recycle-bin-that-were-deleted-from-sharepoint-or-teams), from the moment of deletion | | Any OneDrive file | [Earlier versions, through version history](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/restore-a-previous-version-of-a-file-stored-in-onedrive) | 30 days (administrators can turn versioning off) | | A whole OneDrive, with Microsoft 365 | Everything, rolled back to a chosen time [with Restore your OneDrive](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/restore-your-onedrive) | Any point in the last 30 days | > [!IMPORTANT] > Once a file is permanently deleted from the OneDrive recycle bin, Microsoft says it can never be recovered, and its support agents are not allowed to access your files. If you find the file in the bin, restore it now rather than later. **Version history** is for a file that still exists but was overwritten or damaged. In File Explorer, with the OneDrive app installed, right-click the file, select **Version history**, then select the ellipsis next to the version you want and **Restore**. The website offers the same, one file at a time. **Restore your OneDrive** is for many files at once: a mass deletion, a sync accident or ransomware. It needs a Microsoft 365 subscription on a personal account (**Settings > Options > Restore your OneDrive** on onedrive.com), and is at **Settings > Restore OneDrive** for work or school accounts. You pick a date, or the earliest activity to undo, and OneDrive rolls every file back to that moment; files created since then go to the recycle bin rather than disappearing. After automatic ransomware detection, OneDrive suggests the restore date for you. For files deleted from SharePoint or a Teams channel, open the SharePoint site, select **Recycle bin** in the Quick Launch bar, select the items and select **Restore**. If they are no longer there, a site collection administrator may still be able to restore them from the site collection recycle bin. ## Restore it with File History or Previous Versions File History is [the Windows backup that copies your libraries](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/backup-recovery/backup-and-restore-with-file-history) (Documents, Pictures, Videos and Music) and Desktop to an external drive or a network location, and keeps earlier versions of each file. If it was switched on before the deletion, the file is probably there. Connect the File History drive first. 1. In File Explorer, go to the folder that used to contain the file. 2. Right-click the folder and select **Restore previous versions**. If the file was at the top level of a drive, such as `C:\`, right-click the drive instead. 3. The **Previous Versions** tab lists the saved versions. Pick a version of the folder from before the deletion: for a file deleted today, choose yesterday's. 4. To look inside first, expand **Open** and select **Open in File History**. 5. To get the file back, expand **Restore** and select **Restore to...**, and choose another location. > [!WARNING] > A plain **Restore** replaces the current version of the file or folder on your computer, and that replacement cannot be undone. Use **Restore to...** unless you are sure. For a file that sits in a library, right-click it where it is actually saved, not in the library view. If the list is empty with the File History drive connected, nothing was backing that folder up, and it is time for the next step. ## Restore it from Windows Backup or another backup **Windows Backup** in Windows 11 and 10 backs up files by syncing the folders you choose to OneDrive, and saves apps and settings to your Microsoft account for setting up a new PC. So a file deleted from a backed-up folder is recovered from OneDrive, as in the section above. Windows Backup [works only with personal Microsoft accounts](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/backup-recovery/back-up-and-restore-with-windows-backup), not work or school accounts. **Other backups** are restored with the tool that made them: - **An external drive or a network drive** with backup software: restore from that software, to a different folder, then compare. - **The older Backup and Restore (Windows 7) tool**: if you still use it, restore your file from it, and then move to a current backup method, [which is what Microsoft recommends](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/backup-recovery/choose-a-backup-solution-in-windows). - **A company file server**: ask IT. A server with [Shadow Copies of Shared Folders](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/file-server/volume-shadow-copy-service) keeps point-in-time copies that let users recover deleted or changed files on the network themselves, and the server's own backups are another route. - **Microsoft 365 at work**: the OneDrive and SharePoint recycle bins above come first. Beyond them, your administrator may have retention policies or a separate backup. ## Can System Restore recover deleted files? No. System Restore rolls back **system files, registry settings and installed programs** to the moment a restore point was made, and Microsoft states that it does so [without affecting your personal files](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/backup-recovery/system-restore). It will not bring back a deleted document, photo or spreadsheet. It will not delete them either, which answers the other common question. What it can undo is software installations, driver updates and settings changes made after the restore point, and **Scan for affected programs** shows which programs are affected before you confirm. Classic restore points come from System Protection, [which is not turned on by default](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/backup-recovery/system-protection). When it is on, it saves snapshots of system files, installed applications, the registry and system settings, before significant events such as updates, or when you create one manually. ### The exception: point-in-time restore Windows 11 now has [a second kind of restore point](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/backup-recovery/point-time-restore-for-windows) that does include files. Microsoft began rolling out **point-in-time restore** to Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2 with [the June 23, 2026 preview update](https://support.microsoft.com/help/5095093) (KB5095093), gradually, so as of September 2026 some PCs have it and some do not. Look for it in **Settings > System > Recovery > Point-in-time restore**. | Question | Point-in-time restore | System Restore | | -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------- | | What it restores | The whole system drive: Windows, apps, settings and files | System files, registry and programs; not your files | | When points are made | Automatically, about every 24 hours by default | Before significant changes, or manually | | How long points last | Up to 72 hours | Until disk space is needed | | On by default? | On Home, and [on Pro not managed by an organization](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/configuration/point-in-time-restore/), if the Windows drive is 200 GB or larger | No: System Protection must be turned on | | Where you start it | Windows Recovery Environment only | From Windows, or the Recovery Environment | So if your PC has point-in-time restore and the file was on the Windows drive and deleted less than about three days ago, a restore point taken before the deletion contains it, as long as the file already existed when that point was taken. The cost is that the restore rolls **everything** on that drive back: new files, installed apps, settings changes and passwords made since then are lost. Files stored in OneDrive and other drives are not touched, and a restore can undo recent security updates. Before you use it: 1. Copy everything you created or changed since the restore point to OneDrive or an external drive. 2. Find your BitLocker recovery key: the restore asks for it on an encrypted drive. Our guide to [setting up Windows on a new computer](https://computese.com/how-to-set-up-windows-for-a-new-computer/) explains where the key is kept. 3. Plug the laptop in, and make sure the drive has at least as much free space as all the restore points together. 4. Open **Settings > System > Recovery** and use **Advanced startup** to restart into [the Windows Recovery Environment](https://computese.com/how-to-troubleshoot-common-pc-problems/), then select **Troubleshoot > Point-in-time restore**. Enter the key, choose the restore point, select **Continue** to acknowledge the risks, and select **Restore**. 5. Once Windows starts, copy your file somewhere safe and [run Windows Update](https://computese.com/how-to-update-your-computer-or-phone/). On an SSD, where Windows File Recovery's chances are limited (see below), a point-in-time restore point from before the deletion is often the better option. It is not a backup, though: restore points live on the same drive, and Windows deletes them after 72 hours, or earlier when free space drops to 20 GB. ## Recover deleted files with Windows File Recovery When no copy exists anywhere, Windows File Recovery is Microsoft's own tool for reading what is left on the disk. It is a free command-line app from the Microsoft Store [for Windows 10 version 2004 and later](https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9n26s50ln705), including Windows 11. It works on local storage (internal drives, external drives and USB devices), not on cloud storage or network file shares. You need a **second drive** for the results: the source and destination must be different, so if the PC has one drive, plug in a USB flash drive or external disk. Installing the app writes to your system drive; if the file was on C: and is very valuable, weigh that against running the tool from another PC with the drive attached. 1. Install **Windows File Recovery** from the Microsoft Store. 2. Open it from the Start menu, and select **Yes** when Windows asks to allow it to make changes. 3. In the window that opens, type a command in this format: ```text winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/mode] [/switches] ``` 4. Enter `Y` to start. A scan can take a long time on a large drive; press `Ctrl+C` to stop it. 5. Look for the results in a folder named `Recovery_` on the destination drive. ### Choose the mode Check the drive's file system first: right-click the drive in File Explorer and select **Properties**. Computer drives, external hard drives and USB drives larger than 4 GB are usually NTFS; SD cards and smaller flash drives are usually FAT or exFAT. | File system | Situation | Mode | | ------------ | -------------------------- | --------- | | NTFS | Deleted recently | Regular | | NTFS | Deleted a while ago | Extensive | | NTFS | After formatting the drive | Extensive | | NTFS | Corrupted drive | Extensive | | FAT or exFAT | Any | Extensive | If you are not sure, start with Regular. If it finds nothing, run Extensive. [Microsoft's examples](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/backup-recovery/windows-file-recovery): ```bat :: your Documents folder from C: (keep the backslash at the end) winfr C: E: /regular /n \Users\\Documents\ :: every PDF and Word file on C: winfr C: E: /regular /n *.pdf /n *.docx :: any file with "invoice" in its name, from E: to C: winfr E: C: /extensive /n *invoice* :: one file whose name has spaces winfr C: E: /regular /n "\Users\\Documents\Quarterly Statement.docx" ``` Replace `` with your account's folder name, which you can see by typing `C:\users` in File Explorer's address bar. When recovering from the Windows drive, always narrow the search with `/n`: Windows creates and deletes files constantly, and without a filter the results fill with them. A few switches are worth knowing. `winfr /!` lists the advanced syntax, including `/segment` (NTFS recovery using file record segments) and `/signature` (any file system, recognizing files by their headers, with `/y:` to pick file types). `/u` recovers undeleted files, for example from the Recycle Bin, and `/e` turns off the default filter that hides program and system file types. In NTFS and segment modes, files recovered from the Recycle Bin, including ones permanently deleted from it, may appear as `$files.xxx` in a folder called `$RECYCLE.BIN`. If nothing useful comes back, Microsoft's explanation is the usual one: the free space may already have been overwritten, especially on a solid-state drive. ## Why SSDs make deleted files much harder to recover On a hard disk drive, a deleted file's data stays on the platters until other data is written over it, which is why recovery tools can work on one. A solid-state drive behaves differently. When a file is deleted, Windows [sends the drive a delete notification](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/fsutil-behavior), known as **TRIM** (or unmap), listing the clusters that the deletion freed. On NTFS, TRIM is on by default unless an administrator turned it off. The SSD's controller then manages those blocks itself and can erase them in the background, with no further instruction from the computer. ![A laptop sends a slip listing freed blocks to its SSD. Inside the drive, a controller chip wipes one of those blocks, shown in orange, and a magnifying glass arriving later finds only empty blocks.](https://computese.com/images/blog/how-to-recover-deleted-files-on-windows/trim.0413d6eef2-1536.webp) *On an SSD, deletion is followed by a notice to the drive, and the drive can clear those blocks by itself before any tool looks.* This is not theoretical. A [2010 peer-reviewed study](https://commons.erau.edu/jdfsl/vol5/iss3/1/) in the Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law showed that SSDs can destroy recoverable data on their own, without any command from the computer. [Microsoft's Store listing for Windows File Recovery](https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9n26s50ln705) says recovery from an SSD is limited by TRIM. You can check whether TRIM is on from a Command Prompt opened as administrator ([fsutil requires it](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/fsutil)): ```bat fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify ``` `DisableDeleteNotify = 0` means TRIM is enabled; `1` means it is disabled. Turning it off after a deletion does not help, because the notice went to the drive when the file was deleted. On an SSD, the realistic options are the ones that keep a copy: the Recycle Bin, OneDrive, File History, backups and point-in-time restore. ## When to use a professional data recovery service Software cannot fix hardware. Stop and call a data recovery lab, rather than running any tool, when: - **The drive has failed physically.** It is not detected, makes clicking or grinding noises, was dropped, or got wet. Power it off: running a failing drive can make things worse, and recovery software reads the whole disk. - **The data is worth more than the cost**, and Windows File Recovery found nothing on a hard disk drive. On an SSD with TRIM, be prepared for a lab to find nothing too. - **The drive held other people's data**, such as client or patient records. Keep the drive, write down what happened, and decide who may handle it before it leaves your hands. Ask for an assessment and a quote before any work starts, what happens to the drive and the recovered copy afterwards, and how the lab protects confidentiality. If the drive is encrypted with BitLocker, find [the 48-digit recovery key](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/encryption/find-your-bitlocker-recovery-key) before the drive leaves your hands: it is what unlocks the drive when BitLocker cannot do so automatically, and Microsoft Support cannot retrieve or recreate a lost one. ## Set up backups so a deletion is easy to undo Every step above works only if a copy exists. A backup worth having keeps **history** (so a deletion or overwrite does not replace the good copy) and lives **somewhere else** (so one failure cannot take both). Sync on its own is not enough, because it copies your deletions too, with a 30-day recycle bin as the safety net. A setup that covers most people: 1. **Turn on Windows Backup** to sync Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Videos and Music to OneDrive. A free Microsoft account includes 5 GB, and the recycle bin and version history come with it. 2. **Turn on File History** to an external drive or a network location: **Control Panel > System and Security > Save backup copies of your files with File History**, then **Turn on**. It keeps its own versions, independent of the cloud. 3. **Keep one copy offline.** [CISA recommends offline backups](https://www.cisa.gov/stopransomware/ransomware-guide) because many ransomware variants look for reachable backups and delete or encrypt them. An external drive you unplug after each File History run is the simple version. 4. **Leave point-in-time restore on** if your PC has it. It covers the last three days on the Windows drive; it does not replace a backup. 5. **Test a restore now and then.** Restore one file to a different folder and open it; CISA also advises testing backups regularly. If you are setting up a new PC, our guide to [setting up Windows on a new computer](https://computese.com/how-to-set-up-windows-for-a-new-computer/) walks through turning on Windows Backup and finding your BitLocker recovery key. For a business, deleted files are a policy question as much as a technical one: who can restore from the Microsoft 365 recycle bins, what the backups cover, and whether anyone has tested them. Our [IT support service](https://computese.com/services/it-support/) puts a security baseline in place that includes backups, and covers Microsoft 365 administration, including backup of mailboxes and files. ## Key terms - **Recycle Bin**: The holding area for files and folders deleted in File Explorer. An item in it can be restored to the folder it came from until the bin is emptied, or until Storage Sense clears it. - **Permanent deletion**: Removing a file with no Recycle Bin copy: with Shift+Delete, with the del command, or by emptying the bin. The data stays on the disk as free space until something overwrites it. - **OneDrive recycle bin**: OneDrive's own store of deleted files, reached from onedrive.com or the OneDrive app. It keeps items for 30 days on personal accounts and 93 days on work or school accounts, unless an administrator changed that. - **Version history**: The earlier versions of a file stored in OneDrive or SharePoint. You restore them one file at a time, from File Explorer or the OneDrive website. - **File History**: The Windows backup feature that regularly copies your libraries and Desktop to an external drive or network location, keeping earlier versions of each file. - **Previous Versions**: The tab that lists the versions File History saved of a file or folder. You reach it by right-clicking the folder in File Explorer and selecting Restore previous versions. - **Restore point**: A snapshot Windows uses to roll a PC back. System Restore's restore points cover system files, installed apps, the registry and settings; point-in-time restore's also include local files. - **Windows File Recovery (winfr)**: Microsoft's free command-line app that scans a local drive for the remains of deleted files and copies whatever it can recover to a different drive. - **TRIM**: A notice Windows sends to an SSD listing the space that deleted files have freed (Microsoft's documentation also calls it a delete notification or unmap). The drive can then erase that space by itself. - **NTFS**: The file system on Windows system drives and most external drives. Windows File Recovery's Regular mode works only on NTFS; FAT and exFAT drives need Extensive mode. ## Common questions ### Can I recover deleted files with System Restore? No. System Restore rolls back system files, registry settings and installed programs, and Microsoft states that it does so without affecting personal files, so a deleted document stays deleted. The exception is point-in-time restore on Windows 11: its restore points include local files, but using one rolls the whole system drive back to a point within the last 72 hours. ### Will System Restore delete my files? No. It leaves documents, photos and other personal files as they are. It can undo software installations, driver updates and settings changes made after the restore point; select Scan for affected programs before you confirm to see which programs are affected. Point-in-time restore is different: it discards every change made after its restore point, new files included, except files stored in OneDrive. ### Can I recover files after Shift+Delete or emptying the Recycle Bin? Sometimes. Both remove the Recycle Bin copy, but the data stays on the disk until something overwrites it. Check OneDrive and your backups first, then run Windows File Recovery in Regular mode, saving to another drive. On an SSD the chances are much lower, because of TRIM. ### Can I recover deleted files from an SSD? Only if the drive has not yet erased the blocks, and you cannot see or control when it does. Windows sends TRIM for deleted files on NTFS by default, and Microsoft lists SSD recovery as limited by TRIM. On an SSD, count on the copies: the Recycle Bin, OneDrive, File History, your backups and, where your PC has it, a point-in-time restore point. ### Can Microsoft recover files deleted from OneDrive? Not once they have been permanently deleted from the OneDrive recycle bin: Microsoft says such a file can never be recovered, and its support agents are not allowed to access your files. Deleted items stay in the recycle bin for 30 days on personal accounts and 93 days on work or school accounts, unless an administrator changed that. ### How do I recover deleted files in Windows 10? The same way as in Windows 11: the Recycle Bin, OneDrive, File History, other backups and Windows File Recovery all work on Windows 10, and Windows File Recovery needs version 2004 or later. Point-in-time restore is Windows 11 only. Windows 10 stopped receiving free security updates on October 14, 2025, so recover your files, then plan the move. ## Sources 1. [Windows File Recovery](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/backup-recovery/windows-file-recovery), Microsoft Support 2. [Windows File Recovery (Microsoft Store listing)](https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9n26s50ln705), Microsoft Store 3. [Find lost or missing files in OneDrive](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/find-lost-or-missing-files-in-onedrive), Microsoft Support 4. [Keyboard shortcuts in Windows](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/windows/keyboard-shortcuts-in-windows), Microsoft Support 5. [Manage drive space with Storage Sense](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/storage-filemanagement/manage-drive-space-with-storage-sense), Microsoft Support 6. [Policy CSP: Storage (ConfigStorageSenseRecycleBinCleanupThreshold)](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/mdm/policy-csp-storage), Microsoft Learn 7. [Policy CSP: ADMX_WindowsExplorer (NoRecycleFiles)](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/mdm/policy-csp-admx-windowsexplorer), Microsoft Learn 8. [del](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/del), Microsoft Learn 9. [Delete files or folders in OneDrive](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/delete-files-or-folders-in-onedrive), Microsoft Support 10. [Restore files deleted from your OneDrive](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/restore-your-onedrive-files), Microsoft Support 11. [Restore a previous version of a file stored in OneDrive](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/restore-a-previous-version-of-a-file-stored-in-onedrive), Microsoft Support 12. [Restore your OneDrive](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/restore-your-onedrive), Microsoft Support 13. [Restore items in the recycle bin that were deleted from SharePoint or Teams](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/admin/restore-items-in-the-recycle-bin-that-were-deleted-from-sharepoint-or-teams), Microsoft Support 14. [Backup and restore with File History](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/backup-recovery/backup-and-restore-with-file-history), Microsoft Support 15. [Back up and restore with Windows Backup](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/backup-recovery/back-up-and-restore-with-windows-backup), Microsoft Support 16. 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