Windows Data Recovery Complete User Guide

This Article provides you a complete guide to recover deleted or lost data from various storage devices such as Windows computer, internal and external hard drive, Recycle Bin, External storage devices, USB flash drive, Memory, Camera, Crashed System etc.

Recover Data From Windows Computer

Download and install Windows Data Recovery software on your Windows computer.

Once installed launch Windows Data Recovery software on your computer.

Now follow 3 steps mentioned below to recover the data:

• Choose a location
• Scan the location
• Preview & Recover

Step 1: Choose a Location

• In order to recover data on your PC it is required to select a location where you lost the data.
• As shown in the picture below select a hard drive under “Hard Disk Drives” or select Desktop under “Select location“
• After selecting a location click on Start to scan.

Step 2: Scan Location

Scan is done automatically as soon as you click on Start, this process may take some time depending upon how large is the data, it may vary from minutes to hours.

You can also select the File Type and even pause or stop the scanning during this process.

Step 3: Preview & Recover the Data

Windows Data Recovery tool allows you to preview the files which you want to recover. Select the file which you want to recover and then click on Recover.

In order to recover data from your Windows PC preview the files you want and click on Recover and then select a path to save the recovered data. Just make sure that you do not select the same hard drive where data was lost or deleted.

Recover Data From Empty Recycle Bin

Launch Windows Data Recovery tool and select Recycle Bin as target location.

Scan Recycle Bin

After selecting Recycle Bin, click on Start to begin the scan. It will provide you two different type of scan 1) All- Around Scan and 2) Deep Scan.

If All- Around Scan does not provide you the complete list of lost data you can opt for Deep Scan.

After the scan Preview the files and click on Recover to retrieve data back from Recycle Bin and save the file to different location.

Make sure not to save the data on the same location as it may overwrite the data.

Recover Data From External Devices

In order to recover data from External HDD, SSD, USB Flash Drive, Memory card, Camera etc. connect the external device to your Windows computer.

Connect External Device

Connect the external Device to your Windows computer and make sure it is being recognized.

Select the External Device

Select the external device as the target location and click on Start.

Even if the partition on the device has been lost, Windows Data Recovery can still help you to recover your lost data.

Scan the External Device

All-Around Scan will begin on the external device, wait till scan is complete.

Preview and Recover Data From External Storage

Preview the files you want and hit Recover and save those files to different location.

Recover Lost Data From Crashed Computer

In case your computer has crashed or stopped working, Windows Data Recovery can help you to recover your lost data.

Thing You Need

• Another Working Windows PC
• Empty USB Flash Drive or CD/DVD
• Connect the DVD/CD or USB drive to the computer.

Download and install Windows Data Recovery tool on another working computer, connect a empty USB flash drive or CD/DVD to the computer.

Need to Create Bootable Media

Steps to create bootable media:

Launch Windows Data Recovery tool on working computer and select Recover from Crash Computer (Last option in the pic) and click on Start.

Make sure a empty USB flash drive or CD/DVD is connected to the computer and is recognized. Now click on Start.

Now on the next screen select a mode to create bootable drive, if bootable media is connected , it should show on the bootable drive, select USB or CD/DVD bootable drive and click on Create.

Backup and Format – You will now receive pop up informing you that it will format the flash drive. Please ensure that there is no data on the USB drive or you have a backup of the data present in the flash drive. Now click on Format.

Once you click on Format a firmware will download.

After the firmware download is complete, it will format the bootable drive like USB flash drive. Device format will delete all the data so make sure data is backed up.

It will now start creating the bootable drive, make sure you do not unplug or eject the USB flash drive or CD/DVD during this process.

After some time bootable drive will be created.

Once the bootable drive is made, start the crashed computer and immediately keep tapping the BIOS entry key (Most common ones are F2, F11 or F12- Contact your system manufacturer if you are not sure) to go to the BIOS, select the system to boot from USB or CD/DVD in the BIOS, connect the bootable USB drive or CD/DVD to the crashed computer. Restart your Crashed computer and start recovering data from the crashed computer.

Once you follow the steps mentioned above your crashed PC will become bootable, now restart your crashed PC and select the hard drive where data has been lost and click on Start.

Let the scan complete, preview the data you want and hit Recover.

Once recovery is complete, save the data to different location such as external HDD or another storage device.