5 Methods: Recover Deleted Downloads on PC [Windows 11 /10 /8/ 7]

User Case

Can i Recover the Downloads Content?

The Downloads folder is a default directory in Windows (usually located at C:\Users\[YourUsername]\Downloads) where your browser, email attachments, and other applications save downloaded files. This includes documents, images, videos, software installers, and more.You can access the Downloads Folder in Windows File Explorer:

Step 1. Open File Explorer (Windows Explorer).

Step 2. Click "This PC" in the sidebar.

Step 3. Click "Downloads" in the sidebar or double-click the "Downloads" folder in the main File Explorer window.

We’ve all been there—one wrong click, and important files vanish from your Downloads folder.Whether it's an accidental deletion (hitting Delete or worse - Shift+Delete), hastily emptying the Recycle Bin without double-checking, system crashes interrupting file transfers, or even malware attacks wiping out your data - these common mishaps can happen to anyone. Can we recover the Downloads content? In most cases, yes, you absolutely can recover deleted files from your Downloads folder!

How to Recover Deleted Files from Download Folders in Windows 11 / 10?

To retrieve deleted files from your Windows computer's Downloads folder, you can take advantage ofseveral built-in recovery options, and third-party tools. By selecting the appropriate method for your specific situation, you stand an excellent chance of successfully restoring your important downloaded files. Below, we’ll explore multiple proven methods to restore deleted downloads, ranging from simple Recycle Bin recovery to advanced data restoration techniques.

1. Restore from Recycle Bin (Quick & Easy)

If you simply pressed Delete (without Shift + Delete), your files likely still exist in the Recycle Bin.You can easily restore them from the Windows Recycle Bin.

Step 1. Open the Recycle Bin from your desktop.

Step 2. Locate your deleted downloads (sort by date if needed).

Step 3. Right-click the file(s) and select Restore to return them to their original location.

If your files were permanently deleted by Shift + Delete from Downloads folderor the Recycle Bin was emptied, you have to check out other methods.

2. Recover via File History (Requires Prior Backup)

If you had File History(a Windows built-in tool to back up your files to another drive and restore them if the originals are lost, damaged or deleted)enabled, Windows automatically backs up your Downloads folder.

Step 1. Press Win + S and search for "Restore your files with File History".

Step 2. Navigate to the Downloads folder.

Step 3. Browse backup versions using the arrow keys, then click Restore, which will restore the item to the original location. If you want to recover deleted Downloads on PC to another different location, choose “Restore to”instead and select the destination drive.

3. Use Previous Versions (System Restore Required)

Windows automatically creates shadow copies (snapshots) of your files through System Protection (also known as Volume Shadow Copy Service). These snapshots allow you to recover previous versions of files or folders—even after deletion.

Step 1. Right-click the Downloads folder and select Properties.

Step 2. Go to the Previous Versions tab.

Step 3. Select a recent version and click Restore to recover files.

4. Apply Windows File Recovery Tool (Microsoft's Official Solution)

If the previous methods didn't workand you did not have any backup before losing contents in Downloads folder on PC, Microsoft offers a free command-line tool called Windows File Recovery to help recover permanently deleted files from your Downloads folder.

Key Features:

✅ Recovers files deleted with Shift + Delete, emptied Recycle Binor lost due to corruption.

✅ Works on NTFS, FAT,and exFAT file systems.

✅Supports SSDs, HDDs, USB drives, and SD cards

✅ Powerful Recovery technology, no Backup Required.

✅Two scan modes: Regular (for recently deleted files) and Extensive (deep scan).

Step 1: Download the toolfrom the Microsoft Store.

Step 2. Install the application and open it as Administrator (Right-click ->Run as admin).

Step 3: Choose the Correct Command

Basic Command: winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/mode] [/switches]

2 basic modes you can use to recover files: Regular and Extensive.

• Regular mode quickly scans file records on NTFS drives, ideal for recovering recently deleted files with intact directory structures.
• Extensive mode performs deep sector scanning to retrieve older or corrupted files, but operates slower and may recover files without original names.

Regular mode examples:

(Replace username with your actual Windows username.)

Recover your Downloads folder from C: drive to the D: drive: winfr C: D: /regular /n \Users\username\Downloads\

Recover Excels files from your Downloads folder to the D: drive.: winfr C: D: /regular /n \Users\username\Downloads\*.xlsx

Extensive mode examples:

Recover png photos from your Downloads folder to the D: drive: winfr C: D: /extensive /n \Users\username\Downloads\*.PNG

5. Try MyRecover (All-in-One Solution)

When other methods fail to recover your deletedDownloadson PC, MyRecover offers a professional, comprehensive file recovery solution for various data loss scenarios (accidental deletion, formatting,emptied Recycle Bin, virus attack,system crashes, etc.)for Windows 11, 10, 8, 7 and all Windows Server users.

MyRecover

FREE Data Recovery Software 

• Smart Deep Scan, higher recovery success rate
• User-Friendly Interface, no technical expertise required
• Supports Multiple Storage Devices, HDD/SSD/USB drives/SD cards, etc.
• Powerful Recovery technology, no Backup Required.
• Recover 1000+ formats of photos, videos, docs, archives, emails, compressed files, etc.

Download Freeware
Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 & Server

100% Secure

Step-by-Step Guide to Recover Downloads Folder

Step 1.Get MyRecover from the official siteand install it. Do NOT install the software on the drive containing lost files (e.g., if files were on C:, install to D:)

Step 2. Launch MyRecover. Choose the drive where your Downloads folder was located (typically C:). Click " Scan".

Step 3. After scanning, you can use “filters” (file type/date/size) to find your Downloads files. Select target files and click "Recover" .

Step 4. Save to a different drive.

Summary

Losing important files from your Downloads folder can be stressful, but in most cases, recovery is possible if you act quickly and use the right method. No matter how you lost them, in this guide, you can find a way to recover deleted downloads on Windows PC. To save time with a satisfying recovery result, MyRecover is a nice option.

Besides, you can also choose its Professional or Technician editions. Both of them allows you to recover unlimited data, preview before recovery, recover data from an unbootable system, etc.