How to Find Recently Deleted Files on Windows 10

Recently deleted files on Windows 10 go to the Recycle Bin. Double-click Recycle Bin on the desktop, sort by Date Deleted, right-click the file, and select Restore. The file goes back to the folder it was deleted from.

If the file isn’t in the Recycle Bin, check your OneDrive recycle bin, File History, or previous versions, as shown below. Stop saving new files to the same drive until you’ve found it, because new files can overwrite deleted ones.

Applies to: Windows 10. The same steps work in Windows 11. Checked against Microsoft Support on September 24, 2026.

Find the file in the Recycle Bin

1. Double-click Recycle Bin on the desktop. If there’s no icon, press Windows + E, type Recycle Bin in the address bar, and press Enter.
2. Select the Date Deleted column header so the most recently deleted files are at the top. Select it again to reverse the order. If you don’t see the column, select View > Details.
3. Select the file, then select Restore the selected items on the Manage tab. Or right-click the file and select Restore.

Don’t remember the name? Type part of it in the search box in the top-right corner of the Recycle Bin window. The Original Location column shows which folder the file came from, which helps you find it again after restoring.

To restore several files, hold Ctrl while you select them, then select Restore the selected items. To see where the Recycle Bin is and how to add its icon, see how to access the Recycle Bin in Windows 10.

Why a file might not be in the Recycle Bin

• It was deleted with Shift + Delete, which skips the Recycle Bin.
• It was on a USB drive, memory card, or network folder. These files are usually deleted straight away.
• It was too big for the Recycle Bin.
• The Recycle Bin was emptied, or Storage Sense cleared it automatically.
• It was deleted from a command line or by an app.

Check your OneDrive recycle bin

If the file was in a folder that syncs to OneDrive, such as Desktop or Documents on many PCs:

1. Go to onedrive.com and sign in.
2. Select Recycle bin in the left pane.
3. Select the file and select Restore.

Deleted files stay there for 30 days on a personal Microsoft account. Work or school accounts usually keep them for 93 days.

Restore from File History

This only works if File History was turned on before the file was deleted.

1. Select Start, type restore files, and open Restore your files with File History.
2. Browse to the folder the file was in. Use the arrows at the bottom to move between backup dates.
3. Select the file and select the green Restore button. To save it somewhere else, right-click the button and select Restore to.

Try previous versions

Windows sometimes keeps older copies of folders from restore points or backups.

1. Open File Explorer and go to the folder the file was in.
2. Right-click the folder and select Restore previous versions.
3. Select a version from before the file was deleted and select Open to look inside.
4. Copy the file you need to a safe place.

If the list says There are no previous versions available, this option won’t help on your PC.

If none of that works

Windows File Recovery is a free Microsoft app that can sometimes recover permanently deleted files. It needs Windows 10 version 2004 or later and runs from a command line.

1. Install Windows File Recovery from the Microsoft Store.
2. Open it and select Yes when asked for permission.
3. Type a command such as winfr C: E: /regular /n *.docx and press Enter. This looks for Word documents deleted from drive C and saves what it finds to drive E. The two drives must be different.

Recovery works best on files deleted recently from a drive you haven’t used much since. On SSDs, it often can’t recover files because the drive clears deleted space quickly. See how to recover permanently deleted files on Windows 10.

Stop it happening again

• Turn on File History: select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Backup, select Add a drive, and choose an external drive.
• Back up to OneDrive: keeping your Desktop, Documents, and Pictures in OneDrive gives you the 30-day OneDrive recycle bin as a safety net.
• Ask before deleting: right-click Recycle Bin, select Properties, and check Display delete confirmation dialog.

Frequently asked questions

How long do files stay in the Recycle Bin?

Until you empty it, it gets full, or Storage Sense clears it. Check Settings > System > Storage > Configure Storage Sense or run it now to see if Storage Sense deletes Recycle Bin files after a set number of days.

Can I see a list of everything I deleted recently?

The Recycle Bin sorted by Date Deleted is that list. Windows doesn’t keep a separate log of files deleted from outside the Recycle Bin.

I deleted a whole folder. How do I get it back?

Restore the folder from the Recycle Bin the same way as a file. Everything inside comes back with it.

If you lost a Word document before saving it, see how to recover unsaved Word documents in Windows 10.

Microsoft’s guides are Windows File Recovery and Restore deleted files or folders in OneDrive. More help is on our Windows Help & Guides page.