Recover Data Lost After Reinstalling Windows OS

Reinstalling or Clean installing Windows OS becomes extremely crucial in cases of encountering problems (such as the blue screen of death, facing performance issues, virus or malware infections) that cannot be fixed or resolved by troubleshooting or by reinstalling the programs or applications, removing bloatware or other files and other applications or programs that come pre-installed within the system, or when the problem cannot be solved after reinstalling the OS.

But many Windows users sometimes lose their data, including files, folders, documents, photos, videos, etc., when they have not taken any prior backup.

If you have lost data after Windows reinstall or Windows clean install and you are furiously searching for answers to recover data from Windows system. Worry not! This article is here to help you.

Table of Contents:

• Can I Recover Data After Reinstalling Windows?
• How To Recover Files After Windows Reinstall?
• When Does Reinstalling Windows Becomes Crucial?
• Tips to Ensure you never lose your valuable Data or Important Files After Windows Reinstall
• Conclusion

Can You Recover Files After Reinstalling Windows?

The answer is yes, but you must remember that the data or files that have been overwritten cannot be recovered using any tool. But you can use backup copies of those lost files and data.

Suppose you are sure that your files have not been overwritten with any new data. Then, you can proceed to the next section on file recovery after Windows reinstall.

How To Recover Data After Reinstallating Windows OS?

• Restore Copies of Backup Files From Different Backup options (Works Well only if you have backup)
• Recover Important Files Lost After Reinstalling Windows Using Remo (Guaranteed Solution)
• Restore Lost Windows Files From Windows.old Folder

Method 1: Recover Deleted Files After Reinstalling Windows From Backups

Backups are the ultimate solution to the dreaded problem of data loss.
If you have saved copies of original files and folders on any external storage device or cloud, you should restore them and use them.

Worry not if you have taken any prior backup before reinstalling Windows. The next solution is time-tested to help you recover any files.

Method 2: Data Recovery After Reinstalling Windows OS Using Remo File Recovery Software

Recover files from a hard drive after reinstalling Windows can be a cakewalk for any Windows user if they have specialized Windows data recovery tools.

Remo File Recovery Software is the ultimate data recovery software to help you recover lost files after reinstalling and clean installing any version of Windows OS, in addition to 1000+ other data loss scenarios from any version of Windows.
The tool’s powerful search algorithms do a deep sector-by-sector level scan to locate and recover more than 500 file types, including Microsoft Office files, Documents, Photos and Videos, etc.

Don’t take a chance with your important data. Take a chance with Remo File Recovery Software.

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Steps To Recover Lost Data After Windows OS Reinstall Using Remo

Step 1: Download and set up Remo on your system.

Step 2: Run the software. From the main screen, you must select the drive from where you want to recover lost Windows data after reinstalling the OS and click on the Scan option to start the drive scan process.

Step 3: The tool quickly scans the drive and starts scanning the drive deeply using the deep scan mechanism. Remo has a Dynamic Recovery View option to view and preview the files the tool has recovered without waiting until the entire drive scan is completed.

Step 4: A list of the recovered data will be displayed on your screen. Here, you can use the Advanced Filter option to sort and filter files based on various criteria such as file size, file type, date modified, author, and file status. You can also use the Search box to find a specific file type.

Step 5: The tool lets you view the recovered files; all you need to do is double-click on any file that you want to preview.

Step 6: Convinced the tool has recovered the files that you wanted to recover. Select the files you want to restore from the list and click the Recover button.

Step 7: Remo lets you choose the location where you want to save the recovered files from the selected drive.

Method 3: Restore Files After Reinstalling Windows From Windows.old Folder

The Windows.old folder is a hidden folder created when you upgrade to a newer version of Windows, reset your Windows PC, and decide to keep the files or reinstall Windows OS without erasing the Hard Drive.

Windows.old folder saves a copy of previous Windows installation and your personal files, programs, and Windows settings. This folder is specifically created to help you restore your computer back to its earlier state in case you encounter any problems or issues with the new installation or reinstallation of the OS.

Note: Since Windows.old folder is hidden, you need to unhide the hidden folder to see the contents within it.

How to Unhide the Hidden Windows.old Folder?

Open File Explorer, click on the View tab, click on the show/hide option, and click on the Hidden items option.

Now that you have unhid the hidden Windows.old folder. It’s time to recover the lost data.

Steps To Recover Lost Data After Reinstalling Windows OS From Windows.OS Folder

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the location of the Windows.old folder. Which is usually located in your username folder.
2. Find the files, folders, and data that you want to restore.
3. Copy the files you want and paste them into any location of your choice.

I am sure that you were able to safely restore your lost data or missing files after reinstalling or clean installing any version of Windows OS after using the methods mentioned above.

When Does Reinstalling Windows Becomes Necesssary?

Reinstalling Windows OS becomes extremely important in the following cases:

• When you want to remove viruses and malware from your Windows system.
• When you want to troubleshoot system errors and other problems like Blue Screen of Death and other performance issues.
• When you want to sell or give your system to someone else, permanently removing personal data and system settings will help protect your confidential and valuable information.
• When you discover that your Windows OS keeps crashing due to corrupt or faulty hardware.
• When you want to upgrade to a newer version of Windows OS, your system might not be compatible with the newer version.
• When the Windows System files get accidentally deleted or corrupted.
• When the Windows Registry has gotten corrupted.

Now that you know why and when reinstalling Windows becomes necessary, you know how to recover lost data after reinstalling Windows OS. Try the tips in the next section to safeguard your vital files and data.

Tips to Ensure you never lose your valuable Data or Important Files

• Backup your data regularly.
• Enabled Previous Versions option to save various versions of files.
• Create a system image before installing, reinstalling, or clean-installing Windows OS.
• Select Keep Personal Files option before you proceed to start reinstalling Windows.

Conclusion

This article explains three proven answers to “how to recover deleted files after reinstallation?”. Solutions like Recycle Bin, Windows.old folder, and specialized data recovery tools like Remo have been discussed in-depth.
In addition to the solutions, I have also provided you with a few tips that can be useful in safeguarding your data from permanent data loss in the future.
This is John Harris signing off. I hope you found this article helpful in finding old files after reinstalling Windows and recovering them!