Why Does My PDF Disappear? Fix Now!

Why did my PDF disappear?

PDF, which means Portable Document Format, is a kind of file format by Adobe. It is widely used in your life and work for it can save both texts and pictures. Like other file types, it is also possible that PDF files disappear or lose. Then you need to recover PDF files efficiently. Before knowing how to get PDF files back, you may be curious about “why does my PDF disappear”.

✦ Accidental deletion: This is the most common reason – you may have accidentally pressed the delete button while selecting the PDF.

✦ Incorrect file location: You may have moved the PDF file to a different folder and forgot where you put it.

✦ Browser cache issues: If you view PDFs online, a corrupted browser cache may cause the PDF to not display correctly.

✦ Outdated software: Outdated versions of PDF readers such as Adobe Acrobat Reader may have bugs that cause PDF files to disappear.

✦ Corrupted files: The PDF itself may be corrupted due to problems during download or saving.

✦ System issues: Sometimes, a computer system malfunction may cause temporary file access issues.

To get back your lost PDF files, here are 3 different recovery methods. Please choose the one that best suits your needs to successfully recover deleted PDF files.

How can I recover deleted PDF files easily?

After knowing “Why does my PDF file disappear”. Now, it's time to learn how to recover deleted PDF files in Windows.

▶ Way 1. Recover PDF files from the Recycle Bin

When you see Adobe PDF disappears after a few seconds, you can try this solution at once. This method is suitable for the situation that your PDF disappeared recently.

If your PDF files are deleted in a normal way, they will be saved in the Recycle Bin on the desktop of your computer. Then it is easy to recover deleted files from Recycle Bin on your computer.

Just open Recycle Bin on your desktop and locate your PDF files. Next, right-click on it and choose Restore.

▶ Way 2. Recover PDF files with CMD

How to recover deleted PDF not in Recycle Bin? You can use an efficient tool to help you like the CMD tool called Windows File Recovery. It is provided by Microsoft and you can get it in Windows 10 2004 or later versions. If you are using an older version of the Windows system, please go to Way 3.

Windows File Recovery allows you to recover different types of files. But it is not easy for normal users who have no idea about command lines.

So, you need to learn something about command lines. Here comes the basic command: winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/mode] [/switches]

And the [/switches] you can use are listed below for reference:

The [/mode] you could configure using the file system is listed as well.

Now, you can try recovering your PDF files with such a command line tool:

1. First, go to the Microsoft Store to choose Get and install Windows File Recovery on your computer.

2. Next, go to the Windows menu to find this app, and click on Run as administrator.

3. Input the command like winfr C: D: /extensive /n *.pdf

This command means recovering PDF files from C: Drive to D: drive.

▶ Way 3. Recover PDF files via PDF recovery tool AOMEI FastRecovery

Since Windows File Recovery can help you to find your deleted files, it is too complex for you. If you do not know much about the command line, you should try this easy free file recovery tool - AOMEI FastRecovery.

AOMEI FastRecovery is a professional file recovery software with simple operation steps. It supports to recovery of any type of file from different situations. So you can recover your disappeared PDF files on the computer with ease.

AOMEI FastRecovery has lots of shining points:

● Scan and recover files at a high speed and recovery rate.
● Compatible with Windows OS: Windows 11/10/8/7 SP1 & Server.
● Keep the recovered file with its original filename/format/path.
● Multiple scan methods are provided for free.
● Support to recover more than 200 types of files.

Now, download and install the AOMEI FastRecovery app on your computer. Then here is an easy guideline to recover your disappeared PDF files with ease:

1. Find the drive that saved deleted PDF files before, and click Scan.

2. Then you can see your deleted files and other missing files after Quick Scan/Deep Scan automatically. You can type the filename of PDF files in the search box or use the Filter feature to choose PDF files to find them quickly.

3. Finally, check the scanning result. Select a new location to store your recovered PDF files. After that, click on the Recover X files button to recover your disappeared PDF files quickly.

Conclusion

This post has told you “Why does my PDF disappear” and how to find your deleted and lost PDF files. No matter what situation you are in, you can use an easy file recovery software like AOMEI FastRecovery to help you.