Windows viii is arguably the most confusing operating organization Microsoft has released in the terminal 2 decades, which peradventure explains why so many users want to know how to recover deleted files on Windows eight. If yous're among them, then you lot've found the right commodity because we describe 3 universally applicable methods to assist you recover both recently and permanently deleted files.

How to Recover Deleted Files on Windows 8/8.ane

windows 8 recycle bin empty

Windows 8/8.1 does a lot of things very differently compared with the previous and subsequent versions of the operating system. Fortunately, file deletion isn't among them, which ways there are still simply two ways to delete files:

  • 🟢 Delete: When you select a file and press the Delete fundamental on your keyboard or select the Delete option from the context bill of fare, yous motion the file into the Recycle Bin. To recover it from there, use the start method described in this commodity.
  • 🔴 Permanent delete: When you select a file and press Shift + Delete, the file becomes permanently deleted, and you can recover it using the second and third methods described in this article. Files also get permanently deleted when you format a storage device.

Method 1: Recycle Bin

windows 8 recycle bin iconThe Recycle Bin is kind of like a purgatory for deleted files, which are moved there to give the user a adventure to change his or her listen earlier they become permanently deleted. That happens when the Recycle Bin is emptied. Until then, you can follow the steps below and easily get all missing files back without any software.

To recover deleted files from the Recycle Bin on Windows 8/8.i:

  1. Double-click the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop.windows 8 recycle bin icon
  2. Select all missing files.
  3. Option 1: Click on any of the selected files to drag them all to your desktop or any other folder.windows 8 recycle bin drag
  4. Option 2: Correct-click any of the selected files and select the Restore option to move them to their original locations.winows 8 recycle bin restore

If you tin can't find the missing files in the Recycle Bin because it has already been emptied or because the files were deleted using the Shift + Delete shortcut, then you need to motion on to the side by side method.

Method ii: File History

file history icon windows 8Windows 8 introduced a new automated file backup tool that, unlike the backup tool in the previous version of Windows, doesn't depend on restore points. The name of this backup tool is File History, and you can use it to recover fifty-fifty permanently deleted files that are no longer present in the Recycle Bin.

To restore permanently deleted files using File History on Windows 8/8.i:

  1. Press the Windows central to display the Windows 8 Start screen.
  2. Type "file history" and select Restore your files with File History from the list of results on the right.file history windows 8 start menu
  3. Navigate to the binder where your files were located.
  4. Use the arrow buttons to select a backup that contains the missing files.
  5. Select your files and click the green restore button.file history windows 8 restore annotated

Unfortunately, File History isn't enabled by default on all computers running Windows 8/8.1. That means you might not be able to use this backup characteristic at all.

If you can't employ File History because it's not enabled on your reckoner, don't worry: in that location's withal ane method that you can try to get your files dorsum, and there's a pretty practiced hazard that it will deliver excellent results.

Method 3: Information Recovery Software

disk drill iconWhen build-in backup solutions fail, information technology'south fourth dimension to utilise information recovery software. Whereas Windows 10 users can download Microsoft's new Windows File Recovery tool from the Microsoft Store, Windows viii users have to rely on tertiary-party data recovery applications.

One like shooting fish in a barrel-to-apply data recovery software awarding that's compatible with Windows 8/8.1 is Disk Drill Data Recovery. Its free version can recover upwardly to 500 MB, and users tin can choose exactly which missing files they desire to recover and preview them while they're still technically deleted.

To recover missing files on Windows viii/8.one using Disk Drill:

  1. Download Disk Drill for Windows.download disk drill windows 8 internet explorer annotated
  2. Open up the downloaded file to install it.install disk drill windows 8
  3. Launch Disk Drill and scan your storage device.disk drill windows 8 search for lost data
  4. Choose which missing files you want to undelete and click the Restore push button.disk drill windows 8 file select recover
  5. Select the folder where yous want to motility the recovered files.windows 8 disk drill recovery directory

To recover more than than 500 MB of information, you need to upgrade to Disk Drill PRO.

Is Windows eight Still in Demand in 2022?

windows 8 market share

Windows eight is perhaps the most hated operating system Microsoft has e'er released, so information technology may come every bit a surprise that its latest version (Windows 8.1) still enjoys a market place share of more than than 2%, co-ordinate to NetMarketShare.

To put the number into perspective, macOS 10.xv has a market share of effectually five.3%, and all Linux distributions accept a combined market share of just 1.five%.

That said, there are overwhelmingly more new daily activations of Windows 10, so it's only a matter of fourth dimension before the market place share of Windows 8 will fall below 2%, especially because that support for Windows 8 ended on January 12, 2016.

FAQ

Conclusion

Despite its age and numerous flaws, Windows 8/8.i is even so used by millions of people around the world, many of which are desperate to know how to recover deleted and permanently deleted files. In this article, we've described three effective methods to help y'all recover from all data loss situations that don't involve physical damage. Equally long as you closely follow our step-by-step instructions, you should be able to become your data dorsum in no time.