Windows File Recovery is a Microsoft Store command-line app that attempts to restore files deleted from local storage when they are no longer available in the Recycle Bin or a backup. It works with internal, external, and USB drives, but not cloud storage or network file shares. Because deleted data can be overwritten, stop using the affected drive as much as practical and recover files to a different drive.
What Windows File Recovery does
The app runs from Command Prompt or another command-line environment using the winfr command. You specify the drive where the files were lost, a different drive to hold recovered files, a recovery mode, and optionally filters to narrow the search. Microsoft’s Windows File Recovery guidance describes it as an option for local storage when simpler restoration options are unavailable.
It is an attempt, not a guarantee: the app can recover only data that has not been overwritten and that it can identify. It does not restore files from cloud storage or network file shares.
What to do immediately after deleting a file
When a file is deleted, its storage space is marked as available, but its contents may remain until new data replaces them. Microsoft advises: “If you want to increase your chances of recovering a file, minimize or avoid using your computer.” Avoid saving, downloading, installing, or otherwise writing data to the affected drive. Do not create a new partition after data loss.
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- Recover photos (JPG, BMP, PNG, TIFF), Microsoft Office documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access), Open Office files, MP3 music files, PDFs, RTF documents, AutoCAD files, and HTML web pages. Whether it's personal memories or critical business files, the Data Recovery Stick covers the file types that matter most.
- Works with hard drives, USB drives, SD cards, memory sticks, and other common storage formats that use FAT or NTFS file systems — making it a single solution for hard drive recovery, USB drive recovery, SD card recovery, and more. Note: a media reader is required for micro SD cards and some mass storage devices.
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Choose the source and destination drives
The source is the drive where the file was lost; the destination is where recovered files will be written. They must be different drives. If the computer has only one drive, connect a USB or external hard drive and use it as the destination. Do not save recovered files back to the source drive.
Windows File Recovery creates a folder named Recovery_<date and time> on the destination. Make sure that drive has enough free space. If it fills during recovery, the app prompts you to resume, skip a file, or abort.
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Select a recovery mode
Microsoft’s recommendations depend on the source drive’s file system and what happened to it. Check the drive’s file system in File Explorer: right-click the drive, choose Properties, and look on the General tab.
| Situation | Suggested mode |
|---|---|
| Recently deleted files on a healthy NTFS drive | Regular |
| Files deleted a while ago from an NTFS drive | Extensive |
| NTFS drive formatted after the loss | Extensive |
| Corrupted NTFS drive | Extensive |
| FAT or exFAT drive, in any situation | Extensive |
Microsoft says recovery from non-NTFS drives is supported only in Extensive mode. Some flash and USB drives use FAT or exFAT, but the file system varies by device. If you are unsure which mode to start with, Microsoft recommends Regular. If Regular does not find the file, try Extensive when the file system supports it.
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Run a focused scan with filters
The general command form is:
winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/mode] [/switches]
For example, to scan the Documents folder on C: and save recovered files to E: in Regular mode, use:
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Winfr C: E: /regular /n Users<username>Documents
Replace <username> with the Windows account name. On the operating-system drive, commonly C:, Microsoft’s instructions use the /n filter to target user files or folders. A filter can specify a path, filename, file type, or wildcard. For example, to look for PDFs and Word documents on C: and save results to E:, use:
Winfr C: E: /regular /n *.pdf /n *.docx
To search for filenames containing “invoice” on E: and save results to C: in Extensive mode, use:
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Winfr E: C: /extensive /n *invoice*
Put quotation marks around paths containing spaces. A trailing backslash identifies a folder-only filter. Microsoft’s examples also show filtering for JPEG and PNG files in Pictures with Extensive mode; consult its full command examples and switch table for that syntax and advanced options rather than guessing at switches.
Quick Recap
- Open Command Prompt.
- Enter the
winfrcommand with the correct source drive, a different destination drive, the chosen mode, and any useful/nfilters. - When prompted, type
Yto start. PressCtrl+Cto stop the operation. - Check the destination drive’s
Recovery_<date and time>folder for recovered files.
Why recovery may not find the file
- The deleted data was overwritten. Once new data uses the space, the original file may no longer be recoverable. Microsoft calls out this risk especially for SSDs.
- The mode did not match the situation. For supported file systems, try Extensive if a Regular scan did not work.
- The destination is not suitable. The source and destination cannot be the same drive; a full destination also cannot accept additional recovered files until space is available.
- The scan is still running. Extensive scans can take a while depending on the source drive’s size.
- The results include unfamiliar names. Windows may create additional files during normal use, so filters can help focus results. Microsoft also notes that files from the Recycle Bin may appear under generated names in
$RECYCLE.BINwhen using NTFS and Segment modes.
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