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No matter what kind of work you do, when you realize that you have lost your files, it will be a very painful thing. It is a very headache thing to retrieve these files. For this reason, we have dedicated this article to provide you with some ways in which you can recover your files.
Reasons Why Files Suddenly Disappeared on Windows 10
Use a different Windows account
There is a possibility that you used another computer account, so you can’t find your own files.
Hidden files
While Windows applies the hidden file to some specific files and folders by default. It is also possible that you have set the hidden file by mistake, which results in the disappearance of the file.
Accidental deletion
Many times, people delete files unintentionally and are unaware of it. This is due to the fact that when people intend to delete some files, whether it be a temporary or permanent deletion, they inadvertently delete more files by Ctrl+clicking the file.
Virus/malware
Malware, particularly worms, can start erasing files and cause disaster on storage devices. Files can vanish as a result of viruses and other harmful software because they may corrupt files when attempting to rewrite them during the infection process.
File system errors
As computer file systems become increasingly complex, there are fewer and fewer file errors, but file errors can still cause files to disappear from storage devices. The reason may be that other programs injected incorrect data, or it may be any type of error that caused the computer to stop writing to files while saving them, such as power outages and system crashes. In addition, hardware and software errors that cause the file copying process to fail or incorrect updates to the file allocation table can also cause the file to disappear.
Bad drive sectors
Bad sectors on a hard disk are due to physical damage to the drive, or logical damage, which can lead to the loss of files inside.
Files removed
Your computer’s files can be reorganized and categorized by some software, particularly media players. Perhaps one of these programs modified the location of your files unintentionally without knowing it. They are still there; you just can’t find them. By using the Windows File Manager search bar, you can relocate files by looking for them.
Indexing errors
Windows indexing errors can lead to inaccurate searches, making it difficult to find specific files and folders, making it impossible for you to locate your files.
How to Get back disappeared files
Alter User Account
When you upgrade to Windows 10, the system may occasionally establish a new user account and designate it as the default account for your machine. You can easily switch the account to your old user account, which includes the folder you’re seeking, by simply following the steps below.
Step 1: Click on the Start button>click the user icon.
Step 2: Click Sign out.
Step 3: Sign in to your own account.
Once you have accessed your account, you will be able to find your files!
Search Your Computer
Maybe your file is just somewhere on your computer, and you just haven’t found it yet.
Step 1: In the search box bar, type your file name (if you don’t remember the name, you can enter the extension type).
Step 2: Save the file to the new location that you want.
Check Recycle Bin
Checking the Recycle Bin is still useful for accidentally deleting files. With luck you can find your lost files in the Recycle Bin.
Show Hidden Folders and Files
Here’s how to find lost files on your computer by showing hidden items.
Step 1: Launch file explorer > click View > Options
Step 2: In the View tab, enable Show hidden files, folders, and drives > click Apply > OK.
Change Indexing options
All files and directories are compiled into a database by the built-in capability of Windows Search Indexer. As a result, using your search results will be simpler. You won’t be able to locate your files if you unintentionally omit specific folders from the search index. So we need to change it.
Step 1: Open the search box > type indexing options.
Step 2: Click Modify > select or deselect target drives and folders according to your need.
Step 3: Click on Show all locations in the lower left corner to reveal all folders and drivers.
Step 4: After changing the index range, click OK.
Then, you can try to find your files.
Antivirus software
Sometimes, the system defender may quarantine files that it seems suspicious, and it is also possible that your files have been deleted and damaged by a virus.
First, let’s check to see if any files are quarantined.
Step 1: Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Virus & threat protection
Step 2: Click Protect History > Filter the quarantined items in the list.
Step 3: Locate your files, then recover them. You can add your files to the exclusion list to stop them from being quarantined in the future.
Second, if you have not downloaded antivirus software, you could get one on the App market, top-ranked lists are just fine. When you have downloaded it, you can use antivirus software to check it and maybe the files hidden by the virus may come out. However, it is also possible that you still can’t get your files back, the virus may have deleted your files permanently, and you need to get your files back in another way.
Use recovery software
In case you are unable to recover your files, using third-party file recovery software is a very practical solution. The attractiveness of it is that you don’t need to be an expert computer user, and most of these tools have One-Click recovery, so you can get your files back using cutting-edge technology. Here’s a great illustration: ONERECOVERY. Just requires three steps to recover files: use it, execute it, and recover it. It supports almost all types of files and most storage devices.
Conclusion
You can ultimately solve your problem in Windows 10 with the above-mentioned technique, and you can also apply the same solution in Windows 11. If none of the aforementioned solutions succeed, ONERECOVERY will continue to be a steadfast ally in your quest to resolve the recent file loss issue.
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