How to Recover Norton Deleted Files? [2 Methods]

“Why does Norton keep deleting my files?”

As is known to all, user data is sometimes vulnerable and prone to virus infection. Therefore, many users are willing to use antivirus software to remove ransomeware viruses and protect their data and privacy.

One of the most popular antivirus tools is Norton. Norton antivirus software is widely used to protect computers against malware and viruses that can potentially wreak havoc on users’ computers.

However, in some instances, it may erroneously flag legitimate files as threats and delete them. This can lead to losing crucial documents, photos, videos, or other vital data.

It is not a case rarely occurs. Users who utilize Windows Defender also reported that they found Windows Defender automatically deletes files.

Fortunately, there are ways to recover Norton deleted files and restore them to their original location. Before that, let’s dive deeper into why Norton deleted your files automatically.

The reasons why Norton delete your “safe” files

There are several reasons why Norton may delete a file that you believe to be safe.

• False positives: Norton may mistakenly identify safe files as threats.
• Infected files: Norton may delete files infected with malware or viruses.
• Suspicious behavior: Norton may remove files exhibiting suspicious activities.

Norton antivirus employs a sophisticated scanning mechanism to identify and eliminate potential threats. Sometimes, it may incorrectly classify safe files as malicious or suspicious, resulting in their deletion.

While this feature is designed to protect your system, false positives can occur, leading to the inadvertent removal of files you didn't intend to delete.

How to recover Norton deleted files?

Luckily, users can stop Norton from deleting files automatically; in addition, the files removed by Norton are not unrecoverable at all. As long as they were not overwritten by new data you add in, they can be recovered with proper tools and tech.

Method 1. Recover deleted files from Norton Quarantine

Norton antivirus software has a feature called Quarantine, which isolates suspicious files instead of permanently deleting them. Follow these steps to recover files from Norton Quarantine:

Step 1. Open Norton antivirus software on your computer > navigate to the Security section > History.

Step 2. Click the drop-down menu and find Quarantine.

Step 3. Select the files you want to restore > check the file details> click on the Restore option.

Follow any additional on-screen instructions to complete the restoration process.

Method 2. Recover Norton deleted files efficiently & quickly

If the previous methods do not give satisfactory results, you can employ file recovery software to retrieve Norton deleted files. Various reliable file recovery tools are available, but choosing the proper and efficient one is the critical point.

MyRecover is a powerful data recovery software designed to effortlessly retrieve deleted files, providing you with peace of mind and restoring your lost files in a few simple steps.

With MyRecover, you can:

Scan and recover deleted and lost files, including Excel files, from HDD/SSD/USB/SD card, etc. 

Restore deleted files while maintaining the original format, contents, filename, and path. 

Recover other frequently used file formats such as PNG, JPG, AVI, MP4, MP3, PDF, DOC, PPT, ZIP, and HTML. 

Benefit from compatibility with major Windows OS versions: Windows 11/10/8/7 SP1. In addition, Windows Server users can also recover deleted files in Windows Server 2016/2019/2022, etc. 

Use it with various file systems, including NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, ReFS, and more.

Follow these detailed steps and learn how to restore antivirus deleted files.

Notes:✎...

Stop using the affected device to minimize the chances of overwriting deleted data. 

Avoid installing or downloading any new software that could potentially overwrite the deleted files.

Step 1. Install and launch the powerful data recovery software, MyRecover. Hover the mouse over the drive saved deleted files before, and click Scan.

Step 2. The software will automatically run two advanced scanning methods and display all the identified files on the selected disk. You can filter and preview files within the device:

• Click "Filter" and select a specific file type, such as Images, Documents, etc. In this way, you can recover deleted photos from computer with ease.
• Click the three-horizontal-line button to change how to view the thumbnails and get a clearer preview.

Step 3. Select all the deleted or lost files on the chosen disk and click the "Recover x files" button. You will be prompted to select a new location for the recovered files instead of the original location.

Please note that you can recover up to 500MB of data for free. For complete recovery, consider upgrading to advanced editions.

How to prevent future file loss

To minimize the risk of Norton deleting files in the future, consider the following best practices:

• Keep your Norton antivirus software up to date to benefit from the latest virus definition updates.
• Configure Norton settings to avoid aggressive file deletion or increase the sensitivity of the scanning process.
• Regularly back up files to an external storage device or cloud storage service.
• Exercise caution while downloading files or visiting websites to avoid inadvertently downloading malware.

Conclusion

Accidental file deletion by Norton antivirus software can be a frustrating experience. However, with the methods discussed in this guide, you can recover Norton deleted files and restore them to their original state. Remember to follow the precautions and best practices to minimize the risk of future data loss.

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