Data loss can make us all anxious and it can take place in numerous ways. For example, infection, corruption, accidental deletion, formatting, etc. can lead to data loss on your Windows 10 PC. 

Now, using proven and professional data recovery software is a safe option to easily retrieve data without the risk of overwriting on the hard disk. However, you might not be interested in using a third-party data recovery tool.

Is there any other way to recover deleted files from your Windows 10 PC’s hard drive? Yes, you can use native tools of Windows 10 to recover permanently deleted files.

Methods to Access Deleted Files on Windows 10 Without Software

According to Data Recovery Dubai experts, it’s important to use the right method depending on the deletion instance. For example, the deleted file is in fine condition under the Recycle Bin folder if you have selected and pressed the Delete key.

However, if you have deleted a file by pressing the Shift + Delete key shortcut then it’s not available in the Recycle Bin folder. In that case, you can restore files from a cloud backup, a restore point on your Windows 10 computer, and more options.

If the file has been corrupted somehow then using the Command Prompt with the dedicated command lines is the best way. Let’s go through effective procedures to restore permanently deleted files on Windows 10.

1. Recover Using the Previous Version

Permanent deletion means that your deleted file is not inside the Recycle Bin folder. Still, you can navigate to Recycle Bin and check if you can locate the deleted file there. Right-click on the deleted file and choose Restore to get the file back to its original place.

If the deleted file is not there then you can start by using this simplest method. Here are the guidelines to proceed with:

1. Navigate to the folder from where your file is missing. Right-click the folder, now.
2. After that, opt for the Properties option from the context menu.
3. Next, navigate to the tab called Previous Version and select a version dated before you made the mistake.
4. Then, click Restore followed by OK.

Remember, this hack may not work for all folders on your Windows 10 computer. You can only recover files using this method if the target folder has previous or backup versions. Additionally, you must have enabled the system protection feature to benefit from this hack.

Here’s how you can turn on System Protection on your Windows PC:

1. Head towards the Control Panel on your PC.
2. Navigate to the System and Security column and select System.
3. Now, go to System Protection and select a drive that you wish to protect.
4. After that, click on OK.

Once you activate the feature, you can recover permanently deleted files using the Previous Version option.

2. Try Windows File Recovery from Microsoft Store

You might have emptied your Recycle Bin folder recently and you have lost an important file or folder. So, this means that you can’t access the file using Windows File Explorer. Fortunately, you can use Microsoft’s native tool called Windows File Recovery.

Reportedly, many data recovery Dubai situations have benefited from this free-to-use software. Here’s how you can use Windows File Recovery and recover permanently deleted files:

1. Connect an external drive to your Windows computer where you want to save the recovered files.
2. Next, go to the Microsoft Store to download Windows File Recovery.
3. Once installed, double-click the shortcut icon of Windows File Recovery to launch the program. Click the Yes button if prompted to allow the program to make changes to your PC.
4. Type ‘winfr C: D: /X /Y: FileType’ and press Enter. Replace C with the drive letter you need to restore data from, replace D with the drive letter you need to restore the file to and replace FileType with the type of file you have to recover.
5. Type Y when prompted. If you want to review your files, type Y again.

Finally, you can see if the external drive has all the deleted files. If you want to check out more advanced parameters and commands, go to Microoft’s website and review the complete guidelines of Windows File Recovery.

3. Utilise Backup & Restore

Have you enabled the Backup & Restore feature on your Windows 10 PC? Then, you can use the Backup & Restore tool to take your computer to a point where you have access to those permanently deleted files. Let’s see how you can access your backups on a Windows 10 computer:

1. Look for the Control Panel on your computer and enter the window.
2. Select ‘Backup and Restore (Windows 7)’ under the category named ‘System and Security’.
3. Now, click the option that says ‘Restore my files’ under the Restore column.
4. After that, follow the on-screen directions to finish up the restoration process.

You can move on to the next method if you don’t have the Backup & Restore feature activated.

4. Recover Data from File History

Another recommended way of data recovery on Windows 10 without third-party software is to use File History. With the convent of Windows 8, the File History was introduced. So, you can use File History on your Windows 10 device without any doubt.

Here’s how you can take advantage of File History:

1. Open the Control Panel and select System and Security.
2. Afterwards, spot the File History option and click on it.
3. Now, select the option called ‘Restore Personal Files’.
4. Then, choose the folder that has permanently deleted data.
5. Review your file and hit the green icon below to recover it.

However, the drawback of this data recovery Dubai hack is that you need to enable the File History feature first. Otherwise, the data restoration won’t work. Check out how you can enable the feature:

1. Head towards Settings on your computer.
2. Next, click the category named Update & Security.
3. Navigate to the Backup column.
4. Now, hit the option that says, ‘Back up using File History’.

From now on, you will be able to use the File History utility and restore data through it.

5. Recover Corrupted Files with the Command Prompt

File system corruption can make your important files and folders inaccessible on your Windows 10 computer. However, the command line called CHKDSK is a helpful utility to automatically detect and repair errors on your hard disk drive.

So, you can run this command line and make all your corrupted data readable or visible again. On a related note, CHKDSK can cause you severe data loss if your hard drive is on the brink of vulnerability. In that situation, you must recover all your data from your hard drive with bad sectors before you opt for any repair tool.

Otherwise, you can proceed with the guidelines below:

1. Connect an external drive if you want to restore files to the external drive. Otherwise, you can move on to the next step.
2. Afterwards, open the Command Prompt window with admin privileges.
3. Enter the command ‘chkdsk X: /f /r’. Make sure you replace X with the assigned letter of your external drive. If it’s your device drive then you can avoid the X letter.
4. Once prompted, type Y and hit Enter.
5. Let the scanning complete. Press Y if the CHKDSK command line detects any error.

Now, you can restart your PC and see if the permanently deleted files are right in their place.

6. Use Microsoft Defender to Recover Quarantined Files

Your antivirus software can make your data quarantined and it will appear as lost. As a result, you won’t be able to find it or access it. Go through the guidelines below to restore these files using Microsoft Defender:

1. Navigate to Windows Security through the Start menu.
2. Choose Virus & Threat Protection from the left panel.
3. Scroll down and discover Current threats on the right panel.
4. After that, click on ‘See threat history’.
5. Choose the file or folder you need to recover and select ‘See Details’.
6. Next, click on Start Actions to eradicate threats.
7. Now, choose your file under Quarantined Items and select Restore.

What’s More?

You can check your email attachments and cloud storage and check if you discover your disappeared or permanently deleted files over there. If you don’t want to use any verified third-party data recovery tool then you can seek expert intervention. Data recovery Dubai experts can help you safely retrieve your data.