Restore deleted items from Downloads folder (win 10)

[loltim]

After a bit of head scratching I think I've figured out that the 1803 update has enabled Storage Sense which tidies up your downloads folder.

Does anybody know of any software that I can restore the files with? File History is disabled. I've tried Recuva but it doesn't find anything.

I've got the files saved elsewhere but it'd be a lot less hassle to retrieve them locally. Thanks.

 

[AthlonXP1800]

Storage Sense had been around since 1703 so you probably mistaken enabled it on OOBE screen when you upgraded to 1803.

I had turned off Storage Sense on all devices and also changed Deleted files in my Download folder if they been there for over to Never.

Been tested many recovery software on VMWare with deleted files in Download and Recycle Bin so far all software had failed miserly.

Recuva = FAILED
Recover My Files = FAILED
EaseUS Data Recovery = FAILED
Active UNDELETE = FAILED

I don't know what other file recovery software that is really worked with Windows 10.

 

[loltim]

ah thought as much.. thanks for the reply anyway

I genuinely don't recall enabling Storage Sense even on the OOBE screen. When I checked it was enabled (presumed the 1803 update did it) but the downloads folder was set to NEVER so it doesn't make any sense?

Are you saying the same as happened to you?

I've never really considered the downloads folder as a temp folder. Lesson learned I guess?

 

[andshrew]

If you're saying the option to tidy up the Downloads folder was turned off then it most likely wasn't Storage Sense which deleted the files...

You could try TestDisk to recover the files.

 

[Pawnless Endgame]

I know it's too late now, but this is one of the reasons why I don't use shell folders or my own profile on any version of Windows.

E.g.

Downloads is a folder under D, not in my profile on C
Mydocs is a folder under D, not in my profile on C
The same goes with My Music
Favourites (or rather 'bookmarks') are inside of Firefox which is sync'd, not in my profile on C
I don't use the desktop (icons are hidden)
The vast majority of my programs are portable apps under D (Firefox, Notepad++, OpenOffice etc) and thus will survive a reformat

Windows is like alcohol. Don't let it control you. Control it

 

[fendi]

bit of a bump.. but this really annoyed me.

i have too lost my files and folders randomly. deleted in my downloads folder. storage sense is/was not on. over 90gig free on the C drive so windows had no reason to delete to free up extra space due to space shortage. only a couple of folders remain with no files in them. apparently, the 1809 update was a cause for this previously though i cannot remember ever updating to this and thought i had skipped it since having auto updates turned off. my laptop has updated itself two or three times though in the last week. before i always turn off auto updates but these were being forced with the update when shutdown message showing up when powering off.

i cannot system restore to any earlier points as doing so comes up with an error and actually states it deletes the earlier restore dates too. it looks like i am not the only one that has experienced this, though it is random. i thought because i had the auto updates turned off i was safe from this happening - i had funnily enough come across an article months ago stating windows 10 could delete files randomly but never thought it would happen to me.

i really wish i had backed up the folder since i had a lot of .psd files which have now been lost. a lot of graphics work and other documents. luckily for me though i have kept a lot of important files on multiple online storage areas. trying to use recovery software seems pointless as it scans the folder for every sort of file that has been there and recovers over 200gigs without the original file name or file structure.

just a reminder to all that don't keep anything in the downloads folder as this can strike at any time so it seems. back up to another drive/external etc.

edit.

i have checked the recycle bin. never moved/or accidently moved the folders/files before either. also booted into safemode (and ran system restorce from SM) and the files were not there.

 

[bledd]

Restore them from your backup....


Veeam Endpoint Backup.

It's free and awesome.

 

[Steampunk]

I've always had Storage Sense disabled, but as I nearly filled a hard disk the other day, Windows kindly informed me that it was enabling Storage Sense to "help" me. Presumably, it was going to start deleting stuff at some point.

 

[Rannoch]

Veeam is great. I also use Macrium Reflect.