File Suddenly Disappeared from Folder? Fix Now! [7 Ways]

How to recover a file suddenly disappeared from folder? Scroll down to get 7 proven ways to find disappeared files with ease.

Kelsey

By Kelsey / Updated on November 13, 2024

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How do I find a file that has disappeared?

 

"Hi everyone, can anyone help me with this problem? The other day I saved a couple of files in a folder on the Desktop. Then two days later, when I looked for them they disappeared from the folder. Can anyone tell me what might be causing my file suddenly disappeared from folder and how to recover them? Thanks for your help in advance."

Files disappearing from a PC is no fun. Days, weeks, or even months of work can go down the drain. This can be caused by some reasons.

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 11, 10, 8, and 7.

What causes files to 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

Files missing from folder unexpectedly? There are seven 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.

🖥 Search your computer It is possible that you have saved the file to another location after using it. Try to search for it.
📁  Show hidden files If your file is "hidden" by a virus, you can solve it by showing hidden files,
🗑 Check Recycle Bin Your deleted files will be kept in Recycle Bin first.
⚙ Run disk check tool Check errors in the hard drive to recover files.
📍 Turn off fast startup Fast startup sometimes can result in files suddenly disappearing in Windows.
🛠 Change index options Access the Indexing Options to troubleshoot it.
💻 Use recovery software Rely on this software to get back files without a hitch.

▶ Way 1. 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.

Check Hard Drive

Step 3. Scan the drive for errors.

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

Scan Drive

▶ Way 2. 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.

File Explorer View Options

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

Show Hidden Files Folders

▶ Way 3. Search Your Computer

If your file disappears from folder and you haven't deleted the file, the storage location of the file may have been modified due to a virus intrusion or other reasons. And, it is possible that you have saved the file to another location after using it.

But don’t worry, 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.

Search File In Search Box

▶ Way 4. 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 folder to the original path.

Click Restore

▶ Way 5. 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.

Balanced Recommended

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

Uncheck Turn On Fast Startup

▶ Way 6. 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.

Rebuild Indexing Options

▶ Way 7. Recover suddenly disappeared files with recovery software

MyRecover 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.

▶ Easy to operate  - Recover files with simple clicks in three steps.

▶ Multiple recovery modes - deleted file recovery, formatted hard drive recovery, lost partition recovery, virus attack recovery, system crash recovery, and so on.

▶ Supported Devices - Support recovering data on SD Card, USB flash drive, computer hard drive, HDD, SSD, etc.

Get this recovery tool and operate with the following tutorial to retrieve files unexpectedly missing on Windows 10 and other systems.

Download SoftwareWin 11/10/8/7/Server
Secure Download

Step 1. Launch MyRecover and hover the mouse over the partition including the lost files to click Scan.

Select Partition To Scan

Step 2. All deleted files and other missing files will be displayed on the recovery list. And, you can apply the Filter or Search feature to locate the data you want.

Scan Lost Data

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

Recover Lost Data

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 MyRecover, which will help you get back your lost data as soon as possible and minimize your loss.

Kelsey
Kelsey · Editor
Kelsey is an English editor of AOMEI Technology. She is passionate about helping people find effective ways to deal with all problems in computer. She has great insights into data backup and recovery, disk partition and clone, and other data protection measures. She likes learn computer skills to improve herself and enjoy quality time with family and friends.