{"id":27890,"date":"2020-01-09T00:58:56","date_gmt":"2020-01-09T00:58:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/?p=27890"},"modified":"2025-09-03T10:57:03","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T10:57:03","slug":"will-system-restore-recover-deleted-files","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/system-restore-windows.html","title":{"rendered":"Will \u2018System Restore\u2019 Recover Deleted Files?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Windows “breaks”, System Restore enables us to turn back the dial to a time when Microsoft’s OS was working without problems.<\/p>\r\n

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When you need it, though, conflicting information about it might make you wonder, “will system restore delete my files?”. Which files does System Restore affect? Will it remove your photos and videos? Will it modify your notes and documents?<\/p>\r\n

In this article, we’ll see the answers to those questions, how you can use System Restore, and its most interesting alternatives.<\/p>\r\n

<\/span>How Does System Restore Work?<\/span><\/h2>\r\n

If you are wondering, “Will System Restore recover my deleted files?” the answer is negative. You can get them back from Windows File History (or similar solutions) backups or use a specialized data recovery solution, like Disk Drill.<\/p>\r\n

System Restore relies on the Shadow Copy service<\/b>. Shadow Copy is a technology included in Microsoft Windows that makes it possible to take backup copies or snapshots<\/b> of files or volumes even when they are in use.<\/p>\r\n

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System Restore creates restore points at regular intervals<\/b>. This allows reverting the OS to its state reflected by a past restore point. It practically works as an \u201cundo\u201d system for malfunctions or other problems that appeared after an OS, driver, or software update.<\/p>\r\n

❗\u00a0System Restore isn’t a solution for getting back personal files you lost from your system disk. Quite the opposite, using it will perform more writes on the disk, minimizing your chances of getting back your documents, images, and videos. In such scenarios, it’s worth trying the solutions mentioned above. Start by seeking the files you lost using a data recovery app, and if that fails but you have backups available, “pull out of them” the most recent versions of your files.<\/div>\r\n

<\/span>Does System Restore Delete Files?<\/span><\/h2>\r\n

System Restore only “deals with” OS-related files since its goal is to allow the user to “revert” Windows to past points in time. Because of that, it doesn’t affect the user’s files in any way: it doesn’t delete photos, documents, etc., but it also won’t recover them.<\/p>\r\n

However, it’s worth noting that using System Restore can<\/b>, in some cases, render some files temporarily unusable if the process affects the apps that allow access to those files. Consider the following scenario:<\/p>\r\n

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  1. An animator wants to create 3D models and renders for a project.<\/li>\r\n\t
  2. They purchase and install the 3D design and rendering app Lightwave 3D. Then, use it to create and save some 3D models and 3D scenes in its custom formats, respectively as LWO and LWS files.<\/li>\r\n\t
  3. After a botched Windows update, they use System Restore to “undo” the damage, “reverting” Windows to a point before<\/b> Lightwave 3D was installed.<\/li>\r\n\t
  4. The above will result in their LWO and LWS files being available but inaccessible because Windows will have “returned to a point in time when Lightwave hadn’t been installed yet<\/b>“.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

    Reinstalling the apps related to particular file types Windows “has forgotten about” after a System Restore will render them usable again.<\/p>\r\n

    <\/span>How to Recover Files Deleted After System Restore<\/span><\/h2>\r\n

    Many don’t realize they can\u2019t perform a System Restore to recover deleted files, and present it as a typical data recovery solution.<\/p>\r\n

    Did you follow such advice and used it to get back some files you lost, only to realize afterward they’re still gone? Unfortunately, that might have diminished your chances of getting those files back, especially if System Restore “wrote over” them.<\/p>\r\n

    🔰 Still, an actual data recovery app can salvage the rest of your seemingly lost files. One of our favorites that we’ll use in this article is Disk Drill<\/a> because it combines a swift but powerful search and recovery engine with a user-friendly interface and support for several hundred file formats. Thus, Disk Drill makes it easy to find and recover almost any type of personal files, from notes to videos.<\/div>\r\n

    Using Disk Drill to save your deleted files after System Restore “failed” to recover them is as simple as:<\/p>\r\n

      \r\n\t
    1. Download<\/a> and install Disk Drill on your computer.
      \r\n
      \r\n
      \r\n
      \r\n \"Disk \r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
      \r\n download-block-title<\/b>
      \r\n download-block-text\r\n <\/div>\r\n
      \r\n \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/svg>\r\ndownload-block-button-text\r\n<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div><\/li>\r\n\t
    2. Launch Disk Drill and choose the device<\/b> (1) from which you want to recover data from its main Device\/Disk list. Then, click on Search for lost data<\/b> (2) on the right of its window. \"Disk<\/li>\r\n\t
    3. Disk Drill will begin scanning your device. You can click on “Review found items”<\/b> at any time to check what Disk Drill has found up to that moment. However, it\u2019s better to let the scan entirely run its course. This way, Disk Drill will locate as many files as possible. \"Disk<\/li>\r\n\t
    4. When Disk Drill completes its scan, you can click<\/b> on “Recover all”<\/b> to get back all the files it located, or “Review found items”<\/b> to hand-select the ones you want to recover. \"Disk<\/li>\r\n\t
    5. If you choose the manual option of “Review found items”<\/b>, you\u2019ll can then select which files you want to recover individually. While checking Disk Drill\u2019s list of found files, it\u2019s worth noting their Recovery chances<\/b>. The better a file\u2019s Recovery chances indication, the higher the probability of getting it back unscathed. \"Disk<\/li>\r\n\t
    6. Since filenames might not tell much about a file\u2019s contents, Disk Drill enables you to preview<\/b> some popular file types, like text documents or images. To do that, you can click on the eye icon<\/b> that appears next to their filename when you hover over them. Alternatively, you can right-click on any file and choose “Preview”<\/b> from the menu that pops up. \"Disk<\/li>\r\n\t
    7. To mark some files for recovery, place a checkmark<\/b> on the little box on the left of their filename. When you\u2019ve marked all the files you want to get back, click on the blue “Recover”<\/b> button<\/b> on the bottom left of Disk Drill\u2019s window. \"Disk<\/li>\r\n\t
    8. Disk Drill will ask you where to Recover lost data<\/b>. It\u2019s best to use a folder on a secondary storage device as your destination to minimize writes on the storage media from where you\u2019re trying to save your files. \"Disk<\/li>\r\n\t
    9. After a while, Disk Drill will inform you that the recovery is complete. Click on “Show recovered data in Explorer”<\/b> to check out the files it brought back from the brink in Windows\u2019 File Explorer. \"Disk<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

      As you can see, recovering files with Disk Drill could hardly be any simpler, but the results are guaranteed. If you store any important data on your computer at all, it\u2019s a good idea to have Disk Drill<\/a> at hand for emergency purposes. Even though System Restore shouldn\u2019t cause any loss of personal files, you never know when something decides to go catastrophically wrong.<\/p>\r\n

      ℹ️ Disk Drill is 100% safe to use, and it will never erase your existing files during recovery. In fact, the data protection<\/a> and backup tools<\/a> Disk Drill comes with can help you avoid data loss in the future, and the best thing is that you can try them for free.<\/div>\r\n

      Besides Windows, Disk Drill also runs on Mac computers, and you can recover up to 500 MB of data for free<\/a> with Windows version. Should you need more than 500 MB, you can always upgrade to Disk Drill PRO<\/a> for unlimited personal data recovery using a wide variety of accepted payment methods.<\/p>\r\n

      <\/span>How to Make a System Restore Point<\/span><\/h2>\r\n

      System Restore is preconfigured to automatically create new “Points” before any significant changes are applied to the OS. By default, System Restore should automatically create a new backup Point whenever any software, driver, or system update is installed. However, that’s not always the case:<\/p>\r\n