Top 5 Free Folder Recovery Software in Windows 10/8/7

What can you do if you lost a folder? Usually, you find it difficult to recover deleted folders after emptying the recycle bin. Calm down! You can restore the lost folder with the help of folder recovery software. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, the professional file recovery software, is always ready to help.

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A folder usually stores many important files. If you accidentally delete a folder, all the files in it will be lost. Yet it is impossible to recover the folder by yourself and then you would get much annoyed. But you can recover the deleted folder with the five best folder recovery software.

Why the Deleted Folders Can Be Recovered After Empty Recycle Bin

When a folder has been deleted from the computer, the files in it seem to disappear. Actually, these files are not immediately destroyed. Windows simply marks the hard drive space as being available for use by changing one character in the file table so that the file entry won’t be displayed in My Computer or a command line DIR command, etc. The data area remains intact.В

This is the major reason why the deleted folder could be recovered. If you manage to start to undelete files before Windows uses that part of the hard drive to write a new file, all you have to do is to set that flag back to «on» and then you will get the file. The sooner you try to recover the folders, the more successful your recovery will be.

The Fabulous Folder Recovery Software Is Ready For You

To recover the deleted folders, you have to turn to the data recovery software. It is hard for you to choose the most suitable one. Thus, I have tested at least 10 data recovery software. And here, I list the 5 most effective folder recovery software.

Top 1. EaseUS Free Folder Recovery Software (Windows & Mac)

EaseUS free data recovery software is the most efficient recovery software. It can recover the deleted Word, Excel, PowerPoint, photo, Email, database, and all document formats and folders in Windows, which have been emptied from the Windows Recycle Bin. In addition to deleted folder recovery, this effective data recovery software can also do the following thing for you:

You can still retrieve your lost data after a format on your device. Formatting a disk does not erase the data on the disk, only the data on the address tables.

OS crash recovery:

EaseUS provides a downloadable WinPE bootable media so that you can start your computer and recover lost data after the system crash.

RAW partition recovery:

You can also get back data even your hard disk or partition suddenly becomes RAW and you cannot get to the stored data.

Virus attack recovery:

Virus attacks can cause data loss, but this tool can recover your data safely and quickly after the attack.

Pros

• The easy 3-step recovery process
• Virus-free and plugin-free
• Supports for 1000+ file types
• Photo repair and video repair is available

Cons

• Free trial with a 2GB recovery limit. The Pro version costs $69.95 and has no recovery limits.

Top 2. Recuva — Recover Deleted Files Quickly and Easily (for Win)

Recuva is another free folder recovery software. It is totally free. I have tested deleted file recovery on my D drive. This software has recovered 100 percent of the JPG images and most of the word, excel, and PPT files. It guides you through the data recovery process by asking you several questions, which makes it more user friendly.

Pros

• 100% free data recovery software
• Deep scan mode for hard to find files
• A portable version is available

Cons

• You cannot preview the result during the scanning
• No update version for a long time

Top 3. Wise Data Recovery (Windows Only)

I tested Wise Data Recovery with the same data loss scenarios. It supports recovering 1000+ types of files. It can recover data from HDD, SSD, External hard disks, Floppy Disks, USB flash drives, Memory cards, Digital cameras, and any other storage devices.

Pros

• The data recovery software is free
• It can get all types of files back in easily
• A portable version is available

Cons

• Shows messy codes in the preview pane for unsupported formats

Top 4. Recover My Files (Windows only)

You can get data back with free Recover My Files. In my testing, Recover My Files can retrieve almost 80% of the deleted data from these four data loss scenarios. During the test, it takes a longer time to scan the deleted files. Besides, Recover My Files is compatible with Windows only, not for macOS users.

Pros

Allows to scan the backup (image file) of a partition

You can adjust the layout of the items

It is free for advanced file recovery

Cons

The data recovery process is relatively complex than its competitors

Top 5. Photo Rec (Windows, Mac, and Linux)

I have tested PhotoRec with the same data loss scenarios. It recovers images from all kinds of digital devices. Besides, It supports different systems like Windows, macOS, and Linux. During the testing, it has taken the longest time to scan deleted files in any data loss scenarios.

Pro

• The data recovery software is free.
• This software works on many file formats, not just images.

Cons

• It is unable to restore file names and folder structure
• It is quite technical for users

Recover Deleted Folders with Free Folder Recovery Software

In this article, I have reviewed 5 free data recovery software. You can utilize them to recover lost or deleted files. Here are the steps to recover deleted folders with EaseUS data recovery software.

Step 1. Run EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard and scan lost folder.

Select a hard drive, external device and click «Scan» or choose the exact location where you lost folderВ under​ «Specify a location» and click «OK». Wait and let this program to scan and find your lost folder.

Step 2. Find and preview the found folder with files.

Find the found folder in «Deleted Files», «Lost Files» or you can use «Search» to quickly find your lost folder by searching the folder name. Double click found files to preview them.

Step 3. Restore and save the found folder.

Last, select the found folder with files, click «Recover» and browse to save this folder back to a secure location on your PC.

To Sum Up

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard can easily recover lost files, pictures, documents, videos, and more from deletions, formatting errors, partition losses, OS crashes, virus attacks, and other data loss scenarios. You should also take preventive measures to avoid data loss. For example, often create a backup and say no to data loss.

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Brithny is a technology enthusiast, aiming to make readers’ tech life easy and enjoyable. She loves exploring new technologies and writing technical how-to tips. On her spare time, she loves sharing things about her favorite singer — Taylor Swift on her Facebook or Twitter.

Tracy joined in EaseUS in 2013 and has been working with EaseUS content team for over 7 years. Being enthusiastic in computing and technology, she writes tech how-to articles and share technical solutions about Windows & Mac data recovery, file/system backup and recovery, partition management and iOS/Android data recovery.

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is a powerful system recovery software, designed to enable you to recover files you’ve deleted accidentally, potentially lost to malware or an entire hard drive partition.

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is the best we have seen. It’s far from perfect, partly because today’s advanced disk technology makes data-recovery more difficult than it was with the simpler technology of the past.

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Pro has a reputation as one of the best data recovery software programs on the market. It comes with a selection of advanced features, including partition recovery, formatted drive restoration, and corrupted file repair.

Folder Recovery: How to Recover Deleted Folder and Files

How do I recover a deleted folder in Windows 10? In this article, we’ll introduce top 3 solutions to help you recover deleted folders on PC and recover deleted files from external hard drive.

Amy Dennis

Mar 11, 2021 • Filed to: Recover & Repair Files • Proven solutions

These days, people keep their data, like the favorite movies, E-books, photos, videos and personal information, on Windows computer hard drive or external storage. As time goes on, the Windows computer or external hard drive accumulates so much data, necessary or unnecessary. A mountain of files and folders need to be reorganized, and sometimes removed from the storage device.

Some of us like deleting a folder through the «Shift + Delete» shortcuts. It can help us get rid of an unwanted folder and all files in it quickly, conveniently and even completely. However, if we regret doing it, it would be impossible to recover the deleted folder from Windows recycle bin.

Can You Recover Permanently Deleted Files/Folders?

You delete a file with ‘Delete’ key. So, the file goes in the Recycle Bin. And by using ‘Shift + Delete’ key combination, you can perform a Permanent Delete. Also, you can delete the files in Recycle Bin for the same result.

Now, this is a ‘Permanent’ delete indeed. But from a technical point of view, you cannot say that the data is truly ‘erased’.

Please bear with us for this part. Note that, any type of delete command is removing the ‘pointer’. Here, a Pointer makes it possible for the Explorer or File Managers to find the data. Thus, a Permanent Delete makes the files ‘disappear’ from your normal User Interface.

So, you could imagine that the Address is lost, but the Building is still fit and fine.

The Address is pointing to your Building (Location). And your Furniture (File or Folder). Thus, as long as no new family (or Data) is going to occupy the Building, your Building stays intact with your Furniture. As such, you have a chance of getting back your Furniture – Files and Folders.

Your Files are ‘erased’ only if such a Location, now available for Reuse, starts holding new data. This is what you know as Data Overwriting.
Note: You should not go for a Data Recovery unless you know the technical aspects. Do not proceed on your own, if you are not a techno-enthusiast.

Why would the Loss of Folders happen?

Human Risks. See, you and us are human beings. And we are prone to making mistakes. Due to hurry or due to worry, data deletion can occur like an accident does.

• Disk Formatting helps you in a lot of ways. Yet, you might format a Disk which has an important folder.
• There is a chance that the Shift + Delete key combo happens just in the confusion. So, a Permanent Delete takes place.
• Corruption of Data when you have done nothing wrong, is real. See, the power supply might fluctuate. Or some interrupted process could harm your Files.
• Malicious Software could damage your Data Objects. This is a strong possibility, if your Anti-Malware Program has not been updated.
• One PC and Two Anti-Malware Tools? That’s dangerous. Sometimes, more than one software is there for a same task. Also, it is possible that a single File or Folder is available to many programs. Hence, a conflict between different Software Environments can hurt your Folders.

If you have HDD or Hard Disk Drives, you know how a hardware failure feels like. In short, a damaged sector or drive can affect your File Structure. And not in any good ways.

Now, each cause is painful. But more than one reason might be behind your Data Loss. So, the question is not if a Folder or File is at risk. It’s all about ‘when?’

How to Recover Deleted Folder on Windows 10 Computer

If you delete a folder that was originally stored on the Windows 10 PC hard drive, you stand a good chance of undeleting folder by 3 solutions.

Solution 1. Recover Lost Folders from Backup and Restore

Windows computer comes with an important feature for all users, that’s Backup and Restore. It is sincerely recommended that you should set up Windows backup when you start using the computer. If you have done it, let’s see how to recover lost or deleted folder from Backup and Restore.

1. Type «Control Panel» in the search box, which is located in the bottom left corner.
2. Choose «Backup and Restore (Windows 7)» and click «Restore my files».
3. Follow the wizard steps to recover the lost folder on Windows computer.

If there are no backups of the deleted folders and files, you can also move on to the next solution for deleted folder recovery.

Solution 2. Restore Folder from Previous Versions

When you edit a document, image, and even a hard drive, the Windows computer sometimes stored their previous versions. So when you delete a folder in Windows 10/8/7, you can follow the next steps to get them back.

1. Navigate the folder that previously contained the deleted folder or files.
2. Right click the folder and select «Restore previous versions».
3. Select the folder version in the list of previous folders.
4. Click «Restore» and save the folder and files to another location.

If the removed folder was located at the first level of a hard drive, or you find its path and address was «D:\» (D is the drive letter), right click the hard drive and follow the same steps.

After the above steps, you should have restored the deleted folder to the previous state. If you find nothing in the Previous Versions list as the below image shows, the method is not suitable for you. Windows computer sets up the previous versions based on a system restore point, which enables the PC data to be restored to the previous state.

Solution 3. Recover Deleted Folder and Files with Recoverit

I wanted to delete one file, but accidentally deleted the whole folder through the «Shift + Delete» options. I never did any backups of the folder and files inside it. How do I recover permanently deleted files from my PC?

Well, for those who are suffering from the same situation, a powerful deleted folder recovery program must be a nice option. For example, Recoverit Folder Recovery. It is a reliable and safe file recovery software that can easily help you restore deleted folders in Window computer or Mac.

Recoverit Data Recovery supports to recover a folder or files deleted or lost under different scenarios, like Shift Delete, accidental deletion, virus attack, hard disk formatting and so on. It offers multiple intuitive options that can help you do the recovery process more easily.

For example, you can employ the search feature to locate the folder and files more quickly. You can pinpoint the desired data according to the categorization methods — File Path and File Type. By the way, you’re allowed to preview data before you decide to restore the deleted folder. Is it user-friendly, isn’t it? More importantly, the lost folder recovery software supports more than 1000 formats of data, including Word document, Excel sheet, PowerPoint presentation, videos, images, sound files, Outlook emails and folders, etc. Moreover, you also can try to recover files of Microsoft apps like recovering notes in Sticky Notes.

Video Tutorial on How to Recover Deleted Files on Windows 10/8/7 Easily?

Recent Videos from Recoverit

Guide: How to Recover Shift Deleted Files and Folders

When you suffered the data or file loss, please do not save any new data to that location or storage device. Otherwise, it will cause overwriting and loss. Follow the next solution to help you retrieve deleted files back. If you are using Mac, you can download Recoverit Data Recovery for Mac and follow the guide how to recover a deleted folder on Mac.

Download and install Recoverit Data Recovery on your computer. But please do not install the program on the source partition where you’re going to recover permanently deleted folders.

Step 1 Select a computer hard drive

Launch Recoverit File Recovery software. Select the location where you lost your folders or files, and click «Start» to get your lost files and folders back.

Step 2 Scan the computer disk

Recoverit Folder Recovery software will start an all-around scan. During the scanning, you can check the files and folder.

Step 3 Preview a file and recover a folder

• After the scanning, you can check some types and formats of files. Navigate the deleted folder, double click it and select files to be previewed one by one. If you want to preview multiple files once, please toggle the preview angle in the bottom right corner.
• Select a folder, file or several files you want to retrieve and click on the «Recover» button to get them all back.

The only thing you need to remember is, do not save the recovered files to space where you lost your files previously, which could interrupt the process and permanently delete the data.

Solution 4. Restore Files from File History in 3 Steps

Every OS (Operating System) tries to protect your data using some tools. You have the option of ‘File History’. As the name is suggesting, you get to check the backup records. Even a preview is possible.

Is it too complicated? Do not worry. Recovery is easy to do.

All you need to do is find the Backup Location. Then, you select which file to restore. And you get your file after pressing a ‘Restore’ button. You can use the steps below for a clearer understanding.

Step 1:

Visit the Control Panel of your PC. You can use the Search Box or use the ‘View By’ options. So, your main goal is to locate ‘File History’ option. This screenshot below might be help.

Step 2:

As per the next screenshot, you will see the File History section. Each menu item is a good tool for data management. But you must click the option ‘Restore personal files.’ It should be visible on the Left Sidebar. You can verify your backups using it.

Step 3:

You will encounter a preview of your backups. With Date and Time. Therefore, using the Arrows provided on the Screen, you can scroll through all the backups. When you find the desired Backup, you have two choices.
Either restore the entire backup. Or a specific file / folder.
Once you have selected what you wish to restore, the Green Button is to be clicked. Thus, your beloved Files and Folders shall return to you. All thanks to the File History. And this data is live again, on its original location. Cheers.

Check your Files in the original location. And let us know if this technique is good.

Tips for Finding and Recovering Lost Folder on PC

This article is aimed to help you get back your lost files and folders. And we also offer some tips for you.

Tip 1. How do I find a lost folder in Windows 10?

If you do not perform the operation of removing a folder or files, how can you find a missing folder in Windows 10? The search box, next to the Start menu, can help you find files and folders.

1. Type the folder name like «Photo recovery mac» in the search box.
2. Or input the specific folder path like «C:\Users\ws\Pictures\photo recovery mac».
3. You can see the folder or files you want to appear in the result menu.
4. Click the right arrow or press «Enter» to open the folder or file.

Tip 2. How do I access and enable File History?

File History is an inbuilt feature in Windows 10, which can help you retrieve deleted files and folders without any limitation. And the premise should of course be that you have enabled it.

1. Go to «Control Panel» and select «File History».
2. Click «Select drive» to do some settings and choose a backup destination.
3. Click «Exclude folders» to avoid the backup of unnecessary files and folders.
4. Finally, click «Turn on» or «Run now» to enable File History.

To Wrap Up

Now, the post is going to be an end. Hope that you have recovered the deleted folder and files from the Windows computer or external hard drive. Among all the solutions mentioned above, Recoverit Folder Recovery is the ideal choice for each of you to retrieve deleted data from a laptop, a computer, an external hard drive and other storage devices.

People Also Ask

Can files deleted permanently be recovered?

Yes, permanently deleted files can be recovered on your device very easily with the use of a nice professional data recovery software. One of the most commonly recommended data recovery software you can use is Wondershare’sВ Recoverit data recovery software. It is fast, beginner-friendly, reliable, and cheap

How can I recover files that were not deleted from the recycle bin?

There are different ways to recover files that are not deleted from the recycle bin. Without the use of a data recovery software, you can recover these files by restoring then from the previous version or retrieve them from Windows backup. A much easier and convenient way to restore the file is using a professional data recovery software.

Why is my deleted folder not in the recycle bin?

Your deleted files or folder may not be found in the recycle bin for any of the following reasons: You deleted the files using Shift+Delete, you deleted the files through command prompt, you deleted the files from the flash drive, you hindered the file from going into or emptied the recycle bin or the recycle bin is corrupt or the folder is too large.

Do deleted files from USB go to the recycle bin?

For most versions of Windows, any files deleted from your USB cannot be found in the recycle bin. You can however recover deleted files from USB through a professional data recovery software like the Recoverit Data Recovery, or through other means like using CMD, Windows backup, from the previous version, etc.