Your files are missing, or your computer no longer opens the drive that holds them. Start with deleted-file folders and existing backups, then move to recovery software or another way to access the disk. The steps below cover each situation, with recovered files saved to a separate healthy drive.
Protect the data before you start
Stopping new writes protects deleted contents from being overwritten. Stop saving, downloading, or installing anything onto the affected drive.
Set aside a different healthy physical drive for recovered files. Another folder on the affected disk is not a safe recovery destination. Decline prompts to format, initialize, or erase the disk. Factory resets and DiskPart clean are not data-recovery steps either.
Go directly to professional recovery if the drive is physically damaged or keeps disappearing. For a readable drive reporting input/output errors, have an image preserved before attempting filesystem repair.
Check deleted-file folders and cloud copies
Use these routes when a deleted file remains in a local trash folder or a previously synchronized cloud account. Check those locations before scanning the disk.
For an immediately preceding reversible deletion or move in Windows, press Ctrl+Z with File Explorer active. This undoes the previous action; it cannot recover files after you empty the Recycle Bin.
Otherwise, open Recycle Bin. Select the missing files. Right-click the selection and choose Restore. Windows returns the files to their original locations.
On a Mac, click Trash in the Dock. Select the deleted item. Choose File > Put Back.
For Ubuntu, open Files > Trash. Select the deleted item and choose Restore From Trash. This route excludes files deleted with Shift+Delete or through the command line.
For OneDrive files, sign in at onedrive.com. Open Recycle bin. Online-only deletions require this cloud recycle bin; personal accounts generally retain deleted items for 30 days. Select the missing files and click Restore.
For iCloud Drive, open iCloud Drive at iCloud.com. Choose Recently Deleted. Eligible files remain recoverable for 30 days unless permanently removed. Select your files and click Recover.
For Google Drive, open drive.google.com. Select Trash, which retains files for 30 days. Right-click the file and choose Restore.
For Dropbox, sign in at dropbox.com. Open Deleted files. The recovery window is generally 30 days or longer on eligible plans. Select the missing item and choose Restore.
Retrieve missing files from an existing backup
A backup must predate the loss. In Windows File Explorer, right-click the folder that contained the missing item and select Restore previous versions.
Under Previous Versions, select a backup. Use Open > Open in File History to inspect it. Use Restore > Restore to... to recover to another location.
On a Mac, open the folder where the item belonged. Use Spotlight to open Time Machine. Browse the backups with the arrows and timeline.
Select the item and click Restore. When the backup disk is disconnected, Time Machine automatically uses available local snapshots. Those snapshots live on the source disk and cannot rescue files from a completely failed drive.
Restore access when the drive is missing
A connection problem leaves an external drive inaccessible even when its files remain intact. Try a different USB port.
Replace the USB cable if the drive remains inaccessible. For a desktop external drive with a separate power supply, check its external power connection and outlet. Bypass or replace the USB adapter if your connection uses one.
Test the drive on another computer. If access returns, copy your important files to healthy storage.
On Windows, open Disk Management with administrator permissions to check whether an intact, accessible data volume lacks a drive letter. Right-click that volume and choose Change Drive Letter and Paths.
Choose Add > Assign the following drive letter. Choose a letter. Click OK. Assigning a letter does not recover RAW volumes, unallocated space, or deleted partitions.
For a detected but unmounted Mac volume, open Finder > Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility. Choose View > Show All Devices. Select the volume beneath the physical disk.
Click Mount. A mount failure is a possible sign of corruption. Decline any erase recommendation while you still need the disk's data.
Use recovery software when no copy remains
Recovery software searches readable local storage for deleted contents. Success depends on what remains: overwriting and SSD TRIM can defeat recovery.
On Windows 11, get Windows File Recovery from Microsoft's Store listing. Install it on a healthy computer or unaffected drive where practical, avoiding writes to the affected storage. Open Windows File Recovery from Start. Approve the administrator prompt.
For recently deleted Word documents on a healthy NTFS volume, run winfr C: E: /regular /n *.docx, substituting the actual drive letters and file type. Here, C: is the affected drive, E: is a separate healthy destination drive, and *.docx selects Word documents.
Enter Y when prompted. For older deletions, formatted or corrupted NTFS volumes, or FAT/exFAT storage, run an Extensive scan instead. The example winfr D: E: /extensive /n *.jpg searches D: for JPEG files and recovers them to E:; substitute your source and separate destination drives.
Confirm with Y. Windows File Recovery supports local storage, including readable external drives, but does not scan cloud storage.
PhotoRec provides another route on Windows, Linux, and supported macOS builds. It searches by file signature; original filenames and folder structure are not guaranteed.
Download the appropriate stable TestDisk & PhotoRec 7.2 package from CGSecurity. Its Mac package is for Intel Macs running macOS 10.15 or later.
Extract the archive onto unaffected storage. Run PhotoRec with administrator or root privileges. Select the source disk and partition. Use File Opt to choose the file formats to recover.
Select Search to set up the scan. Choose the ext filesystem option for ext2, ext3, or ext4; otherwise, choose Other.
For deleted-file recovery, select free (unallocated) space when PhotoRec offers it; that option is available for ext2/ext3/ext4, FAT12/FAT16/FAT32, and NTFS. Otherwise, or for a corrupted filesystem, scan the whole partition. Choose a destination on another physical disk.
If PhotoRec lists no disks on a supported Mac, open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access. Use + to add Terminal or PhotoRec. Authenticate when requested.
If software recovery fails and the files matter, contact a professional recovery service. For input/output errors, have an image preserved before further recovery or repair attempts.
Copy files when the computer will not start
A startup failure blocks normal access even when the drive's files remain readable. For a compatible PC, create Ubuntu USB media on a working computer using the official Ubuntu Desktop download.
Boot the affected PC from that USB through its model-specific boot menu, commonly opened with F12. Complete the initial language and keyboard screens. Choose Try Ubuntu. This opens a separate environment without installing Ubuntu onto the affected disk.
Copy accessible files to a healthy external drive. Encryption credentials and filesystem support are still necessary; booting from USB does not repair hardware.
For an Apple silicon Mac with functioning Recovery and readable storage, connect it to another Mac using USB, USB-C, or Thunderbolt. Hold the source Mac's power button until startup options appear. Choose Options > Continue. If asked, select the volume and an administrator account, then enter its password.
In Recovery, open Utilities > Share Disk. Select the volume. Click Start Sharing. On the other Mac, open Finder > Network.
Select the source Mac. Choose Connect As > Guest > Connect. Copy the files to healthy storage.
For an Intel source Mac, connect the Macs with Thunderbolt. Start the source Mac while holding T to enter Target Disk Mode. Open its disk in the other Mac's Finder. Copy the files to healthy storage.
Get help for a damaged or failing drive
Stop DIY recovery attempts on a physically damaged or disappearing drive. Contact a professional recovery service for those symptoms.
For a still-readable drive with input/output errors, ask about imaging before filesystem repairs. GNU ddrescue supports copying readable data into an image and retaining a mapfile for resumable work.
For an eligible Seagate or LaCie drive, enter its serial number on Seagate's Data Recovery Services page. Select Continue to check Rescue coverage.
Submit a recovery request through the service. Seagate also provides partner referrals for expired coverage or other products. Follow the approved shipping instructions for your case.
Keep CHKDSK and Disk Utility First Aid for filesystem repair after securing a backup or image; neither is a deleted-file recovery tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can recovery software unlock an encrypted hard drive?
Recovery software does not replace encryption credentials. For BitLocker, check aka.ms/myrecoverykey on another device. Match the recovery-key ID, then enter the corresponding 48-digit key. Also check a saved printout or USB/text-file backup. Without the required credentials, encryption can prevent recovery.
How do I recover a Word document I never saved?
In Word, open File > Info > Manage Document > Recover Unsaved Documents. Select the file. Choose Open. Use Save As to save it. This requires surviving AutoRecover data.
Can I restore a OneDrive file that was overwritten?
On OneDrive's website, right-click the file and choose Version history. Open the desired version's ... menu. Select Restore. Organization administrators can disable versioning.
Will enabling backup or file protection now recover files I already lost?
No. Features enabled after the loss do not recreate earlier data. Disk Drill's Recovery Vault or Guaranteed Recovery must already have protected the affected location for its protected-deletion recovery to apply.