How to Recover Shift Deleted Files on Windows 11/10

What Does the Shift Delete Key Combination Do?

The difference between Delete and Shift + Delete is where your data ends up. Typically, when you delete a file or folder, it’s sent to the Recycle Bin where it can easily be restored. However, when a file or folder is deleted using the Shift + Delete key combination, it bypasses the Recycle Bin and is permanently deleted. Therefore, if a deleted file is not in the Recycle Bin, it’s usually because the file was deleted using Shift + Delete, or it was simply too large.

What to Do Immediately After Shift-Deleting Files

Your next actions can affect the chances of successful shift-delete file recovery, so follow these precautions before attempting anything:

• Stop using the affected drive or minimize the activity on it as much as possible. New files can overwrite deleted data. If the files were on an external drive, USB flash drive, or memory card, disconnect it until you’re ready to start recovery.
• Identify the original location. Note which drive and folder contained the deleted files. This information can help you select the correct source and narrow the scan in some recovery tools.
• Prepare another physical drive for recovered files. Never restore recovered data to the same drive you scan. Choose an external HDD, SSD, USB drive, or another physical storage device to avoid overwrites.

If the files were deleted from an SSD, recovery can be especially difficult. The TRIM command is typically sent immediately after deletion, and the SSD controller may process the affected blocks soon afterward, at which point the deleted data may become unrecoverable.

Which Shift-Delete Recovery Method Should You Use?

The best way to undo Shift Delete depends on where the files were stored, whether you have a backup, and the condition of the storage device. Start with existing backups and cloud storage, since these methods restore an existing copy rather than attempt to recover deleted data.

If no backup exists, data recovery software is generally the next option for healthy HDDs, USB flash drives, memory cards, and similar devices. If the drive shows signs of physical failure, avoid repeated scans or repair attempts and consider a professional recovery service instead.

How to Recover Shift-Deleted Files Using Recovery Tools

To recover shift-deleted files, you need a reliable data recovery tool. Any data recovery tool that’s capable of hard drive data recovery won’t do, as some are better than others. Our mission is to help you recover as much of your data as possible by recommending data recovery solutions that actually work. For us to do this, we put each data recovery tool through an extensive testing process. The results supply us with objective insights that you won’t find anywhere else.

As our database of Windows data recovery tools grows, you can assist us by reading our reviews and software comparisons. Looking for a quick side-by-side comparison? Our software comparison tool is great for comparing up to four applications at a time. Or, if you have a specific recovery scenario, try the interactive survey tool, which can match you with a recovery tool suited to your needs.

Here are our top picks for recovering Shift-deleted files:

Option 1: Disk Drill

Disk Drill is our recommended data recovery tool for Shift-deleted files on Windows 11 and 10. In our tests, it proved to be a highly capable data recovery tool across a range of data loss scenarios. Disk Drill combines multiple scanning methods to find as much recoverable data as possible. With normally deleted or Shift-deleted files, there is a high chance of recovering them with their original file names and folder structure, provided the relevant file-system metadata hasn’t been overwritten or otherwise lost.

Disk Drill is also easy to use if you haven’t recovered files before. Its recovery-chance indicator can help you identify files that are more likely to be recoverable, while file previews let you check whether their contents appear intact before recovery.

To recover Shift-deleted files on Windows with Disk Drill, follow these steps:

1. Download Disk Drill for Windows. Download and install it on a different drive from the one that contained your deleted files whenever possible.
2. Launch Disk Drill and select the storage device that contained the Shift-deleted files. Click Search for lost data.
3. Disk Drill may ask you to choose a recovery mode. Select Universal Scan. If you need to recover videos and the results appear damaged or incomplete, you can try Advanced Camera Recovery instead.
4. Wait for the scan to complete, then click Review found items.
5. Use the filters and search bar to locate the files you need. Take note of the recovery chance shown for each file and preview important files whenever possible. If a file opens and displays correctly in the preview, that is a strong indication that its contents are recoverable.
6. Select the Shift-deleted files you want and click Recover.
7. Choose a recovery destination on a different physical drive, then click Next. This prevents the recovery process from overwriting other deleted data that may still be recoverable.

Once recovery finishes, Disk Drill displays a summary and lets you open the recovery destination to review your files. It also saves scan sessions, so you can return to previous scan results without a complete rescan of the drive.

On Windows, Disk Drill allows up to 100 MB of free recovery, which is enough to test the recovery process and restore some smaller files. It also includes SMART monitoring and data protection features for additional drive management and data-loss prevention.

Option 2: Windows File Recovery

Windows File Recovery is another decent recovery tool that allows you to restore shift-deleted files completely for free. It’s a command-line tool, which might make it a bit more difficult for first-time users, but we think it deserves a mention because it’s the official data recovery solution offered by Microsoft.

We’ll guide you through the commands you need to recover your files. Follow these steps:

1. Download and install Windows File Recovery.
2. Open Command Prompt and type winfr D: E: /regular, where D: is the drive that contained the Shift-deleted files and E: is a different destination drive. Press Enter. Windows File Recovery will create a Recovery_<date and time> folder on the destination drive for the recovered files.
3. If Regular mode doesn’t find the files, try winfr D: E: /extensive. Extensive mode performs a more thorough search and can take considerably longer, especially on large drives.
4. To narrow the search to a specific location, add an /n filter. For example, use winfr D: E: /regular /n \Users\<username>\Documents\ to search for files from the Documents folder.

How to Recover Shift Deleted Files Without Software

You don’t always need data recovery software to get Shift-deleted files back. If Windows or a cloud service saved a copy of the files before deletion, you may be able to restore them through built-in backup and recovery features.

Method 1: Perform Shift-Delete Recovery Using Backup & Restore

Backup and Restore is a built-in Windows feature that lets you create backups of your files and restore them later if the originals are lost or deleted. Although Microsoft originally introduced it in older versions of Windows, the feature remains available in Windows 10 and Windows 11. If you had Backup and Restore configured before you Shift-deleted your files, the backup may contain an intact copy that you can restore without data recovery software.

Here’s how to check and recover your files:

1. Open Start, search for Control Panel, and open it.
2. Click Backup and Restore (Windows 7).
3. Click Restore my files. If Windows doesn’t show the correct backup, you may need to select another backup first.
4. Click Browse for files and select the Shift-deleted files you want to restore.
5. Click Next.
6. Choose where you want to restore the files, then click Restore.

Method 2: Restore Shift Deleted Files From File History

File History is a built-in Windows backup feature that saves copies of your personal files and can keep previous versions as they change over time. If File History was active before you Shift-deleted your files, you may be able to restore an earlier copy. It primarily protects files in your Windows libraries, such as Documents, Pictures, Videos, and Music, as well as other supported locations such as Desktop.

Here’s how to recover Shift-deleted files with File History:

1. Open Start, search for File History, and open it.
2. Click Restore personal files.
3. Go to the location where the files were stored before deletion. Select the files you want and click the green Restore button to return them to their original location. To choose a different location, right-click Restore, select Restore to, and specify the destination.

Method 3: Get Back Shift Deleted Files From Cloud Backup

Cloud services such as OneDrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox may give you another way to recover Shift-deleted files. Whether this works depends on how the service stored your data.

A cloud backup keeps a separate copy of your files, so deleting the originals from your computer does not necessarily delete the backup. Cloud sync works differently. For example, OneDrive keeps files in synced folders consistent between your PC and the cloud. If you Shift-delete a synced file on your computer, OneDrive can sync that deletion and remove the cloud copy from its original folder as well. However, the deleted file may remain in the OneDrive Recycle Bin for a limited time.

If your files were stored or synced with OneDrive, check for a recoverable copy:

1. Sign in to OneDrive.
2. Check the original folder. If the file is still there, download a copy.
3. If it’s missing, open Recycle bin.
4. Select the Shift-deleted file or folder and click Restore.

The same principle applies to other cloud services: check both the original cloud folder and the service’s Trash or Recycle Bin.

Do I Need Professional Help to Recover Shift-Deleted Files?

In many cases, you can attempt Shift-delete recovery yourself with data recovery software. The process usually involves selecting the affected drive, scanning it, reviewing the results, and recovering the files to another drive. However, successful recovery is not guaranteed and depends on factors such as overwriting, SSD TRIM, and the condition of the file system.

A professional data recovery service makes more sense if the storage device has physical problems, isn’t detected properly, or contains especially valuable data that you don’t want to risk. Specialists have the equipment and experience to handle cases that consumer recovery software cannot.