How to Recover Deleted Files using the Free Windows File Recovery Utility?

What is the Windows File Recovery utility?

Windows File Recovery is a command-line utility from the Microsoft Store. Meanwhile, this free application is only compatible with Windows 10 version 2004 and later.

Windows File Recovery aims to recover deleted files from your local storage devices such as internal and external devices, and USB devices. Generally speaking, these deleted files are not in your recycle bin.

At the moment, Windows File Recovery can solve your problems like documents, images, and video recovery. But the recovery on cloud storage and network file shares is disabled.

There are two basic modes for Windows File Recovery.

Parameter/ switch	Description	Supported mode(s)
/regular	Regular mode, the standard recovery option for non-corrupted NTFS drives	Regular
/extensive	Extensive mode, a thorough recovery option suitable for all file systems	Extensive

Pay attention that the space used by a deleted file is defined as free space in the Windows file system, indicating that the file data can still exist and be recovered. If you’re eager to restore your deleted files, you’re supposed to avoid using your PC as soon as possible.

How to recover deleted files using free Windows File Recovery?

Let’s figure out how Windows File Recovery works in our dedicated guide below. Especially for the step of resembling command lines.   

Notes:✎...

 Ensure your destination drive is different from your source drive. Because the recovered files will be saved in the destination drive.

 You need to recover files using cmd because there's no graphical user interface. 

winfr source-drive: destination-drive [/mode] [/switches] is the basic command format.

Check your file systems by clicking “This PC”, then right-click on the drive which saves your lost files before deleting, then click  “Properties”. 

Step 1. Enter “Windows File Recovery” in the search bar of the Microsoft Store and click “Get”. Then this app will be downloaded and installed on your computer.

Step 2. Input Windows File Recovery in the search box, then click “Run as administrator”.

Step 3. Check possible scenarios for data loss with the following forms after checking your file systems, then select a suitable mode comprehensively.

Scenarios for data loss

File system	Circumstances	Recommended mode
NTFS	Deleted recently	Regular
NTFS	Deleted a while ago	Extensive
NTFS	After formatting a disk	Extensive
NTFS	A corrupted disk	Extensive
FAT and exFAT	Any	Extensive

Step 4. Resemble your command line with the common General and Advanced syntax.

General syntax:

Parameter / switch	Description	Supported mode(s)
/regular	Regular mode, the standard recovery option for non-corrupted NTFS drives	Regular
/extensive	Extensive mode, a thorough recovery option suitable for all file systems	Extensive
/n	Scans for a specific file by using a file name, file path, file type, or wildcards. For example:  File name: /n myfile.docx File path: /n /users//Documents/	All

Advanced syntax:

Switch	Description	Supported modes
/ntfs	NTFS mode, a fast recovery option for healthy NTFS drives using the master file table	NTFS
/segment	Segment mode, recovery option for NTFS drives using file record segments	Segment
/signature	Signature mode, recovery option for all file system types using file headers	Signature
/y:	Recover specific extension groups, comma separated	Signature

Step 5. Here come some extensive mode examples.

Example 1. Recover files with the string “invoice” in the filename using wildcard characters. winfr E: C: /extensive /n * invoice*

Example 2. Recover jpg and png images from your Pictures folder to the recovery folder on E drive.

winfr C: E: /extensive /n \Users\Pictures \*JPG /n \Users\< username>\ Pictures \*

Step 6. Press “y” to continue. Then you can open the target folder including your recovered files on the destination drive you’ve chosen before.

Free WinfrGUI (Windows File Recovery GUI)

Apart from Windows File Recovery, we’re more willing to share other prominent Windows file recovery tools with you. Supported by AOMEI Tech, WinfrGUI (Windows File Recovery GUI) could be regarded as a handy tool. Three factors can explain this.

First, WinfrGUI is a reliable utility because it has invoked all the functions of Windows File Recovery. Second, enabled with a graphical user interface, WinfrGUI can assist you to recover your deleted or lost documents, photographs, audio, and others within simple clicks on Windows 10/11 easier. Third, it’s 100% free.

Step 1. Download and install WinfrGUI on your computer. Then all the partitions can be seen after loading the disk.

Step 2. Select one partition to scan data, then select a destination place to save your recovered deleted files.

Step 3. You can choose Quick Scan or Deep Scan according to your scenarios. Then click “Advanced Settings” to select some file types or folders you need.

Step 4. Click the “Start Recovery” to start the scanning process. You can get your recovered files in your destination drive after scanning.

The most recommended: MyRecover 

Are you want to retain the recovered files' original file name, format, and path? Are you seeking other user-friendly software? MyRecover can cater to your varied needs.

Please get an overview of this professional Windows File Recovery utility.

Please follow the steps below to try out this Windows File Recovery utility.

Step 1. Download, install, and run MyRecover on your computer. 

Step 2. Select the partition/disk containing your needed files. Hover the mouse over the drive saved deleted files before, and click Scan.

Step 3. The Quick Scan and Deep Scan will run automatically. After searching, you'll see all your deleted and lost files on the window.

Step 4. Confirm the scanning results and click "Recover x files". Then specify a destination path to save these recovered files. 

In conclusion

How to recover deleted files using the free Windows File Recovery utility? Both Windows File Recovery and WinfrGUI are available and free. If you’re good with computers, your computer skills can come in handy using Windows File Recovery. In comparison, Windows Data Recovery for Windows might be more favorable to the public. 

Practice proved that there’s nothing more critical than making regular and valuable backups. Can you imagine? If there’s an accessible backup including your needed files, you can recover your deleted files from this valuable backup. That means you can save limited storage and avoid downloading data recovery software on your PC.

To some degree, AOMEI Backupper is a good assistant for making automatic, full, incremental, and differential backups. You can also sync your local files and folders to your USB or cloud drives. Besides, it supports disk upgrade and data migration like cloning HDD to SSD, and HDD to HDD.