Undo Disk Cleanup in Windows 10? 3 Ways to Recover Data

What if important data was deleted by Disk Cleanup? You can quickly undo disk cleanup in Windows 10/11. Try to use backup or data recovery software to recover files after disk cleanup.

By @Hester Last Updated December 20, 2024

Can you undo disk cleanup in Windows 10?

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.

Continue reading this guide to learn 3 feasible ways to undo Disk Cleanup in Windows 10/11.

How to recover deleted files after disk cleanup in Windows 10, 11

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.

Method	Scenario	Action
Method 1. MyRecover	No backup	Lost files due to deletion, formatting, etc.
Method 2. File History	Backup available	You backed up your files using File History
Method 3. Backup and Restore	Backup available	You backed up your files using Backup and Restore

▶ Method 1. Retrieve files from data recovery tool

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.

★Highlights of MyRecover:: It is easy to set up and you can recover lost data from Windows within 3 easy steps.; It provides thorough solutions for Windows data loss problems. MyRecover can be very helpful no matter how you lost your data, including accidental deletion, partition formatting, system crash, etc.; It can detect files with more than 1000 file types. Whatever you have lost texts, photos, videos, compressed files, etc. You could retrieve them in their original format.; It works with NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, and ReFS file systems and is compatible with Windows 11/10/8/7 and Windows Server.; Recover a total of 500MB of files for free.

Download Software Windows 11/10/8/7/Server

Secure Download

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.

🌟Tip: You can use the following 3 functions to find the files you need.

Filter: Filter detected files by type/modification date/size; for example, view all files modified in the past 7 days with a size between 1 MB and 512 MB.
Search: Enter the file name/extension in the search box to find the desired file.
Preview: Preview files with clear thumbnails, such as wav, ico, jpg, png, bmp, jpeg, tif, svg, gif, ico, mp4, mp3, txt, xlsx, pdf, ini, docx, etc.

Step 3. Tick all the target files you want to recover and click Recover x files.

▶ Method 2. Restore files from File History

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 on how to recover files after disk cleanup.

Step 1. Open Control Panel

Enter "Control Panel" into the search box. After that, click System and Security.

Step 2. Access File History

Locate and click File History in the list.

Step 3. Open Restore Option

Click Restore personal files from the left panel.

Step 4. Recover Deleted File

Locate the deleted file and then click the green recycle button to restore it to the original location.

▶ Method 3. Recover files via Backup and Restore

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.

💕Warm tips:

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.

The bottom line

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 3 proven methods to recover files after 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.