Accidentally deleted important files or lost data due to a system crash? Don’t panic. Windows offers built-in recovery tools like File History, and for more complex cases, third-party solution-Wise Data Recovery can help. It helps users recover accidentally deleted files from various storage devices, including hard drives, SSDs, USB flash drives, memory cards, and more. Here’s how you can get your files back using both methods.
Method 1. Back up files using File History (Windows built-In)
File History is a Windows backup feature that automatically saves copies of your files if you’ve turned it on, so you can restore the files deleted recently.
Step 2. Turn on File History
Connect an external drive. Click Turn on. File History will start backing up your files to the selected drive for the first time.

Step 3. Restore files
When your important files lost or damaged in the future, you can click Restore personal files on the left to get them back, because you’ve saved copies before the data loss.
After clicking, browse through folders or use the search bar to locate the file. Then select the files and click the green button in the bottom-middle to recover.

These are the steps to restore the files you lost recently by using File History in Windows. You can only recovery the data if you have enabled this feature and saved copies before. If you find it doesn’t deliver your expected results. Instead, you can take the help of a reliable third-party tool-Wise Data Recovery to recover various types of deleted files at ease.
Method 2: Recover files using Wise Data Recovery
Wise Data Recovery is a lightweight tool that scans your drives for lost or deleted files, even if they’ve been emptied from the Recycle Bin.
Step 1. Download and install
Download and install Wise Data Recovery from the official website if you haven’t had it on your Windows.
Step 2. Locate the drive
Launch the app and select the drive(s) where the files were lost in the Click here to select a location section. You should also stop using the drive to avoid overwriting data.

Step 3. Scan for the files
After selecting, the software will automatically begin to scan for lost files in the selected drive.

Step 4. Recover the files
Wait until the scanning completes, browse or search to find the results for your files.
Select the target files and click Recover, then ensure to save them to a different drive (not the original location).

Conclusion
Both tools in this WiseCleaner article offer simple and effective ways to get your lost files back. With a little preparation and the right tools, accidental file deletion doesn’t have to be permanent.