How to Recover Deleted Files From Download Folder or Entire Downloads Folder on Windows

How to Find Lost Downloaded Files

When you notice some of your files in your Downloads folder have disappeared, it doesn’t always mean they were deleted. Instead, they may just be somewhere else on your computer. Let’s look at a few ways you can locate them.

Locate Downloads Folder

Applications like internet browsers designate the Downloads folder as the default location for downloaded files. However, this can be changed, so it’s best to check the settings of your browser to see what location has been set if the data you’re looking for isn’t in Downloads.

The below instructions will guide you through finding where your Google Chrome downloads go:

1. Click the vertical ellipses at the top right of the window.
2. Click Settings.
3. Click Downloads and you’ll see the designated location for your downloaded files.

Search for Specific File

When you know the name of the file you’re looking for, you can search for it using File Explorer. If you don’t know the name of the file, you can instead search for all files by the file type you’re searching for. For example, if you’re looking for TXT files, search *.txt and it will pull all TXT files in the folder (and subfolders) you’re searching in.

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Navigate to the folder you want to search. If you’re unsure, just use the root directory (e.g. C: drive).
3. Enter the name of your file in the search box.
4. To jump to the file location, right-click it and click Open file location.

Check Quarantine Folder

When your antivirus software detects a file that it considers dangerous, it will be quarantined. By default, Windows 10 and 11 come with Microsoft Defender Antivirus, which uses this function to keep your computer safe. The problem is that sometimes it is a false-positive, leading to safe files being mistakenly quarantined. 

Here’s how you can restore deleted downloads that have been quarantined by Microsoft Defender Antivirus:

1. Open Windows Security.
2. Click Virus & threat protection.
3. Click Protection history.
4. Click the dropdown arrow on the file you want to restore and click Yes when prompted by UAC.
5. Click Actions, then Allow.

How to Recover Deleted Downloads on Windows 10/11

If your Downloads folder or its contents have truly been deleted, then you will have to look at some recovery methods. Check out these recovery solutions to get your data back.

Method 1: Use Data Recovery Software

Data recovery software is specialized software that can restore your deleted Downloads folder and data. But, not all data recovery software is created equal. We at Pandora Recovery are dedicated to evaluating every data recovery tool we can find. Everything, including price, recovery performance, compatibility, and support are meticulously reviewed so we can provide you with an honest recommendation that best suits your needs.

When you need to recover a deleted Downloads folder, the perfect data recovery solution should offer:

• 👍 Ease of use – Nobody likes trying to figure out how to navigate a complicated user interface. Everything should be easy to find and access, especially when searching for the scan results.
• 💪 Great recovery performance – You’re trying to recover as much data as possible. Therefore, you must ensure the data recovery tool you choose can recover many file types well. 
• 👀 Multiple scan modes – There are different ways to find data. A tool supporting multiple scan modes has a better chance of finding more.

Here are our top picks for hard drive recovery software that will aid you in recovering your deleted Downloads folder and files.

Option A: Disk Drill

After extensive testing, Disk Drill was able to outperform all other applications when it came to recovering data in the Downloads folder. It showed outstanding performance in our recovery tests as it was able to recover the majority of our data from NTFS, FAT32, and exFAT partitions using an all-in-one smart scan that included a mixture of clever, quick, and signature scan modes.

Beginners will find the software immensely simple to use, as the tree view allowed us to navigate directly to the Downloads folder and easily undelete the Downloads folder and its contents. The entire process to recover downloads was over in just a few clicks, making it clear that Disk Drill’s recovery procedure is quick and efficient.

Here’s a demonstration of how you can recover the data in your Downloads folder using Disk Drill:

1. Download and install Disk Drill. Avoid installing it on the same drive that contains the deleted Downloads data, as it can overwrite it and render the data unrecoverable.
2. Select the drive that contains the data that was deleted from Downloads. Click Search for lost data. Disk Drill will begin its all-in-one scan.
3. Click Review found items once the scan is done. To recover everything all at once instead, click Recover all.
4. Select the data that was deleted from your Downloads folder. Use the Recovery chances column and preview panel to see what data has the best chance of successful recovery. You can make the results easier to navigate using the filter options. Click Recover when you’re ready.
5. Select a recovery location. Make sure it doesn’t reside on the same disk you’re recovering the data from. Click Next to complete recovery.

Option B: Windows Files Recovery Tool

Our tests revealed that Windows File Recovery is another capable recovery solution when you need to retrieve downloads. Although it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of more renowned data recovery tools on the market, it offers a straight-to-the-point approach by recovering as much data as it can find. This means that it will recover the data in your Downloads folder, but you may need to sift through the results to get to it.

However, the application isn’t quite as easy to use as Disk Drill and it doesn’t support clever scanning. Since it uses a command-line interface, it has a bit of a learning curve for unfamiliar users. Despite that, it’s a good alternative if you’re looking for a budget-friendly recovery tool.

This is how you can recover deleted files from the Downloads folder using Windows File Recovery:

1. Get Windows File Recovery from the Microsoft Store and open it.
2. Type winfr C: E:\RecoveredData /regular. Replace D:\RecoveredData with your desired output location. Press Enter.
3. Press Y to confirm.

Method 2: Get Back Deleted Files & Folders From Recycle Bin

Recycle Bin recovery is quick and easy, as long as the data is there. Recently deleted files are sent to the Recycle Bin before they’re permanently deleted to free up disk space. This gives you the opportunity to restore files that were accidentally deleted. However, this isn’t possible if the files are either too large or deleted using Shift+Delete.

1. Open the Recycle Bin on your desktop.
2. Select the lost downloads you want to restore. Right-click a selected item then click Restore.

Restored files will be returned to the Downloads folder. Alternatively, you can restore them to another location simply by dragging and dropping them into another folder. Read on for some additional methods if the deleted files are not in the Recycle Bin

Method 3: Restore Previous Versions of the Downloads Folder

If you had File History enabled at the time of deletion, you may have a chance to recover your accidentally deleted Downloads folder in Windows 10 and 11, as well as the files in it. File History works by taking regular snapshots of files and folders of your choice, allowing you to easily recover deleted folders by rolling them back to a previous version.

1. Right-click on your Downloads folder and click Properties.
2. Click the Previous Versions tab.
3. Click a version you want to restore, then click Restore.

Method 4: Restore Deleted Downloads Folder/Files From File History

Instead of rolling back the entire Downloads folder, you can simply restore the data you need from within the folder using File History too.

This is how you restore deleted downloads using File History on Windows 11:

1. Click Start and search “File History”. Click Restore your files with File History.
2. Open the Downloads folder.
3. Select the files you want to restore, then click the green Restore button.

The files will be restored to their original location. If you want to restore them to a different folder, right-click the Restore button and click Restore to.

How to Troubleshoot Browser Downloads

You may not be able to find your downloaded files because they didn’t actually finish downloading. Some problems, like a network interruption, can cause your download to fail. Here’s how you deal with them.

Re-download Files

If your browser has crashed and interrupted the download, you can simply re-download the files.

Chrome

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Press Ctrl+J on your keyboard.
3. Click Retry.

Edge

1. Open Edge.
2. Press Ctrl+J on your keyboard.
3. Click the Retry button.

Resume Downloads

If your internet connection drops as you’re downloading a file, you can actually resume the recent downloads from where they were interrupted. This is especially useful with large downloads, as it means you don’t need to re-download the entire file again from the beginning.

Chrome

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Press Ctrl+J on your keyboard.
3. Click Resume.

Edge

1. Open Edge.
2. Press Ctrl+J on your keyboard.
3. Click the Resume button.