What to do if important data is deleted by Disk Cleanup? You may need to undo Disk Cleanup in Windows 10/11 immediately. Please try these methods to recover files after disk cleanup.
My computer is running Windows 10. Recently Disk Cleanup deleted my Downloads folder which contained 5 years' worth of personal files and pictures. How can I perform Windows 10 undo Disk Cleanup and get the deleted files back?”
- Question from Windows Ten Forums
Disk Cleanup is an excellent program offered by Microsoft for freeing up disk space. You will be given the option to select what should be deleted from your hard drive disk.
However, the 'Downloads' folder in Disk Cleanup is newly introduced in version 1809 in Windows 10, and many of us are not aware of that. This is why many other users are facing the same accidental deletion of the Downloads folder while freeing up disk space.
Windows tools don't have an undo option for disk cleanup, but you can try to retrieve accidentally deleted files from Windows File History Backup and Backup & Restore, or just use the third-party recovery tool MyRecover.
To undo Disk Cleanup Windows 10/11 to recover deleted files, we recommend you use the professional Windows data recovery tool MyRecover. This powerful software could help you recover lost data from every condition safely and quickly.
Step 1. Download, install, and launch MyRecover on the computer. Locate the drive where the deleted files are saved, and click Scan.
Step 2. The software will scan the partition quickly and deeply. Then you will see the list of deleted files. You can find the target file by typing its name in the upper search box.
Step 3. Tick all the target files you want to recover and click Recover x files.
File History is a great feature that allows you to create backup points of files and restore them when required. If you have File History enabled, you can follow the steps below to recover deleted files.
Step 1. Enter "Control Panel" into the search box. After that, click System and Security.
Step 2. Locate and click File History in the list.
Step 3. Click Restore personal files from the left panel.
Step 4. Locate the deleted file and then click the green recycle button to restore it to the original location.
If you have a Windows Backup of your computer, you can also restore your deleted files from Backup and Restore.
Step 1. Open the Control Panel, then click System and Security > Backup and Restore (Windows 7).
Step 2. Click "Restore my files" under the Restore section.
Step 3. Depending on your demand, choose "Browse for files" or "Browse for folders" to locate the desired files or folders. Choose the target files, and click Next.
Step 4. Choose where to restore your files and then click Restore.
The most effective and secure method of recovering your deleted files is by using the third-party Windows recovery application MyRecover. With this tool, you won't have to spend a lot of time learning how to utilize it. Additionally, it is quite useful if you don't have a backup of the files. If you don’t want to download any other software and have an instant backup of your computer, you can use the Windows built-in features File History or Backup and Restore to retrieve the deleted files.
How to undo Disk Cleanup Windows 10/11? By default, Windows utility does not have an undo option for Disk Cleanup. But this post listed three proven methods to recover the deleted files lost after a disk cleanup.
Moreover, you are supposed to develop a good habit of regular backups to avoid any data loss. Here we recommend you use the free Windows backup software AOMEI Backupper to keep your data safe.