(Solved) File Suddenly Disappeared from Folder | 7 Ways

How do I recover a file that has disappeared?

Files disappearing from a PC is no fun. Days, weeks, or even months of work can drain. Some reasons can cause this. Sometimes, the files may have been moved or hidden, while at other times, they may have been deleted.

Relax, vanished files can be recovered if you take timely action. If you're confused by the file disappeared from folder, you can refer to the following content. Here, we describe 7 methods to easily recover lost files from folders on Windows 10, 11, or previous systems.

Why did my file folder disappear in Windows 10?

Many reasons may cause "file disappeared from folder" on Windows 10. We list the common ones below. You can rule out the cause of the problem and try to solve it.

✦ Virus or malware attack - A virus or malware attack on the computer can result in the deletion of files or the modification of the storage location of your files.
✦ Files being hidden - Incorrect operation or other reasons may make your files invisible.
✦ Hardware Error - Hardware failure on the computer hard drive may cause loss of files.
✦ File system corruption - File system corruption resulting from power failure can make PC files miss.

How to recover files suddenly disappeared from folder (7 ways)

Files missing from folder unexpectedly? There are 7 solutions available for files disappeared on Windows 10 and other operating systems. Pick the best approach based on your needs. Before you try the following recovery methods, it is better to run anti-virus software to completely disinfect the computer to prevent the files from being lost again after they are retrieved.

▶ Way 1. Recover suddenly disappeared files with recovery software

AOMEI FastRecovery is a professional yet easy to use tool for recovering lost and deleted files. When you accidentally delete important files, find file disappeared from computer suddenly, empty the Recycle Bin, format hard drive, etc., you can rely on this software to get back files without a hitch.

AOMEI FastRecovery

Why Choose AOMEI FastRecovery?

• Use Quick Scan & Deep Scan to detect all deleted or lost files, with a high success rate and fast speed.
• Recover permanently deleted photos, documents, videos, compressed files, etc, more than 1000+ formats.
• Search or filter data quickly through file name, extension, data type, etc.
• Preview and recover files while scanning.
• Recover specific files or folders instead of all.
• Compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, etc., and Windows Servers.
• Work perfectly with NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, and ReFS file systems, highly compatible between hard drives, SSDs, SD Cards, USB flash drives, etc.
• Recover a total of 500MB of files for free.

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Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7& Windows Server

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Here's a 3-step  tutorial to retrieve files unexpectedly missing on Windows 10 and other systems.

Step 1. Download and install AOMEI FastRecovery to get started. Find the drive including the lost files to click Scan.

Step 2. It will scan the drive with Quick Scan to search for deleted or lost files. During scanning, you can use the Search box or Filter feature to target or narrow down the scope. Once found, double-click the files to preview and confirm. 

Step 3. Select your desired files and click Recover to find the file that suddenly disappeared from folder. Remember to store these recovered data in a new location.

▶ Way 2. Check Recycle Bin

Accidental deletion of files is common. When you encounter the sudden disappearance of computer files, carefully checking the Recycle Bin and recovering missing files is a good choice.

Step 1. Double-click on the Recycle Bin icon on Desktop to open it.

Step 2. Browse these deleted items and find the files you want. Right-click on them and click Restore to recover the files suddenly disappeared from folderto the original path.

▶ Way 3. Try Error checking

If the "files suddenly disappeared from folder" problem is caused by the file system corruption or any bad sectors in the hard drive, you can use the built-in tool Disk Check to check the errors and recover corrupted hard drives.

Step 1. Locate the disk.

Navigate to the hard drive or partition where the disappeared files are located.

Step 2. Click the Check from Tools.

Right-click the hard drive and choose Properties. Then, click on the Check button under the Tool tab.

Step 3. Scan the drive for errors.

Tap on Scan Drive to start scanning for errors on hard drive.

▶ Way 4. Show hidden files

If the file property is configured to be "hidden" by a virus, you may encounter “files missing but folders still there”. In this case, you can solve it by trying to show hidden files. The following is how to find a lost file on computer by showing hidden items.

Step 1. Open File Explorer, click on View > Options to go to the Folder Options wizard.

Step 2. In the View tab, tick the checkbox next to Show hidden files, folders, and drives, and tap on Apply.

▶ Way 5. Search Your Computer

If your file disappears from folder but not deleted, the file location may be modified due to virus intrusion or other reasons. Also, you may save the file to another location after using it but forget. Don’t worry, and you can search for the computer to find the lost items quickly.

Open the Windows search box using the Win + E keyboard shortcut, and type the filename of your disappeared file. If you don’t remember the filename, you can also search for its extension type. Open it, and then save it to the desired location.

▶ Way 6. Turn off Fast Startup

According to some users' reports, Fast Startup sometimes can result in files suddenly disappeared in Windows 10 after restarting the device. Therefore, please turn off Fast Startup and check if missing files are back.

Step 1. Input “Power Options” in the Windows search box, and click on the search result.

Step 2. Tap Choose what the power buttons does from the column on the left.

Step 3. Under the Shutdown settings section, uncheck the box for Turn on fast startup (recommended), and press Save changes.

▶ Way 7. Change Index options

Windows 10 uses the index to make searching for your files faster. If your folder disappeared or file suddenly missing in Windows 10, you could access the Indexing Options to troubleshoot it.

Step 1. Type “indexing options” in the search box on the Windows taskbar and launch it.

Step 2. Click on the Advanced position and tap Rebuild on the Index Settings screen.

Summary

On this page, we explained the normal causes of files suddenly disappearing, and we also collected 7 reliable solutions to help you effectively recover file suddenly disappeared from folder with ease.

It is wise to equip your computer with a powerful recovery tool like AOMEI FastRecovery, which will help you recover files disappeared suddenly in Windows 10/11 as soon as possible and minimize your loss. Also, it can recover