Have you ever heard of Windows File Recovery? It is a command line tool for recovering deleted files on Windows 10/11. Here we will show you how to download and use it, as well as how to recover lost files on Windows 10/11 by using the best Windows File Recovery alternative – MiniTool Power Data Recovery.
A Brief Introduction to the Windows File Recovery Tool
What Is Windows File Recovery
Windows File Recovery is a command line tool designed and developed by Microsoft that is used to recover deleted files Windows 10/11 for free with the Winfr command line. This tool is capable of recovering deleted or lost files from a diversity of file storage devices, including HDDs, SSDs, SD cards, memory cards, and more. Also, many file types such as documents, videos, photos, etc. are supported for recovery by this powerful tool.
Windows File Recovery provides two data recovery modes to handle different types of file recovery situations, mainly distinguished by different disk file systems and the status of the deleted or lost files. In a word, it is perfectly suited for different recovery needs. More exciting still, this tool is totally free and can help you restore files without any financial cost. How to download and install this tool on your computer? Keep reading.
Where to Download Windows File Recovery
Typically, there are two ways for you to download and install Windows File Recovery:
Option 1. Via Microsoft Store
- Open the Microsoft Store by using the Windows search box.
- Search for Windows File Recovery and click the Get button next to it.
Option 2. From Microsoft’s official website
- Go to this website.
- Hit the Download button. When finished, run the downloaded exe file to install it on your computer.

How to Use Windows File Recovery on Windows 10
After downloading and installing Windows File Recovery on your PC, it is time to learn how to recover deleted files with this command line tool.
There are two versions of Windows File Recovery, the 2020 Summer release and the 2020 Winter release. The Winter release has a simplified recovery mode and is more intuitive to operate, so we will take it as an example.
Before turning to the data recovery steps, you need to confirm the data recovery mode first.
There are 2 data recovery modes you can use: Regular & Extensive. The Regular mode is mainly used for the NTFS file system and can help find and recover recently deleted files through file records. The Extensive mode works with almost all file systems, including NTFS, FAT, and exFAT. It scans the disk more deeply than the Regular mode and is suitable for files that have been deleted for a long time or data recovery on formatted or damaged hard drives.
Here is a more intuitive graph:
File system | Data loss situations | Appropriate recovery mode |
NTFS | Files are deleted recently | Regular |
NTFS | Files are deleted a while ago | Extensive |
NTFS | The disk is formatted | Extensive |
NTFS | The disk is logically damaged | Extensive |
FAT and exFAT | Any situation | Extensive |

Once you decide which mode to use, you can start to recover deleted files.
Step 1. Open Windows File Recovery.
Step 2. When prompted by the UAC window, select the Yes option to continue.
Step 3. Type a command line in this format according to actual parameters and press Enter:
Winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/mode] [/switches]
Here are some examples:
1. To recover the Documents folder from the C drive to the H drive with the regular mode:
Winfr C: H: /regular /n \Users\<username>\Documents\
Note that you need to replace <username> with the actual username.
When the Continue? (y/n) message shows up, you need to type Y to continue.

Once the process is done, you can go to the H drive to view the recovered files which is in the Recovery_date_number format.
2. To recover the PDF and Word files from the C drive to the H drive with the regular mode:
Winfr C: H: /regular /n *.pdf /n *.docx
3. To recover JPG photos from your Pictures folder to the H drive with the extensive mode:
Winfr C: H: /extensive /n \Users\<username>\Pictures\*.JPG
Also, you need to type y to confirm when you see the Continue? (y/n) message.

4. To recover any file with the string “test” in the filename by using wildcard characters:
Winfr H: C: /extensive /n *test*
For more information about the Windows File Recovery command lines, you can refer to the official document file: Recover Lost Files on Windows 10 With Windows File Recovery.
This is all about how to use the Winfr command in Windows File Recovery to undelete files on Windows 10. In the next part, we will introduce a Windows File Recovery alternative, MiniTool Power Data Recovery to you for data restoration.
Windows File Recovery Alternative – MiniTool Power Data Recovery
Why You Need Alternative Data Recovery Software
It is undeniable that Windows File Recovery has powerful capabilities to recover deleted files, but it also has some disadvantages as described below.
- Unintuitive interface: This tool does not have a graphical user interface like most data recovery software on the market and can only be used through the command line.
- Restrictions on Windows versions and languages: This tool only supports Windows 10 build 19041 or later Windows versions. If you are on an earlier version of Windows, you won’t be able to use it. Additionally, its command line interface is in English and cannot be switched to another language.
- Complex data recovery steps: It requires you to be familiar with the use of command lines for successful data recovery. This may be difficult for you if you do not run various computer commands frequently.
- Uncontrolled data recovery process: This utility does not support file preview and selective file recovery. This leaves you with no control over what is recovered.
Why You Choose MiniTool Power Data Recovery
If you prefer an alternative to Windows File Recovery, MiniTool Power Data Recovery is the most recommended free data recovery software for the following reasons.
- Comprehensive data recovery functionalities: It helps recover files lost or deleted unintentionally or intentionally from the computer’s internal or external disks. Supported file types of this software are almost unlimited, basically including documents, photos, videos, audio, emails, archives, and more. Moreover, it supports retrieving files when your disks are formatted, inaccessible, virus-infected, etc.
- Easy and intuitive recovery operations: The tool has a simple interface with clear interface text, providing you with easy and fast disk scanning and file recovery.
- Controllable data recovery process: During the disk scanning process, you are able to pause or halt the process. After scanning, you have the ability to filter out unwanted files, preview found items, and save the required files selectively.
- Read-only feature: This software is equipped with a read-only feature, which means that it scans your hard drive for deleted files without modifying the original data. This perfectly guarantees you secure data recovery.
- Strong compatibilities for Windows versions and languages: This tool is fully compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8.1, and 8. In addition, you can change the software interface language from English to another one.
How to Use MiniTool Power Data Recovery
Next, we will show you the detailed steps of data recovery with MiniTool Power Data Recovery.
Step 1. Hit the download button below to get MiniTool Power Data Recovery on your computer.
MiniTool Power Data Recovery FreeClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Step 2. Launch the MiniTool file recovery tool and then you will see its main interface. Now you should select the target drive/folder/disk to scan for deleted files.
- From Logical Drives: Under this section, all partitions on your computer will be displayed. You need to find the drive from which you want to recover files according to the drive letter, disk capacity, disk file system, etc. Then, move your mouse cursor to that drive and hit the Scan button.
- From a Specific Location: Here you can opt to scan the Desktop, the Recycle Bin, and a certain folder for deleted files. This is a good choice to reduce the scanning duration.
- From Devices: Moving on to this module, you can select to scan an entire disk for lost files. It is suitable when you need to recover files from multiple partitions on a disk at once.
Here we take scanning the Desktop for example.

Step 3. After scanning, most of the found files are classified by the original file structure under the Path section by default. You can simply expand each folder and subfolder to find the needed files. Alternatively, you can go to the Type category list to browse through listed items by file type and even file format. For example, if you need to recover JPG files individually, you can expand All Files Types > Picture and focus on the JPG section.

In addition, there is another feature that can help you sort files by file type – Filter. After clicking this button in the top right corner, you will be able to customize file filtering rules, including file type, file date modified, file size, and file category.

Additionally, there is a search box located in the top right corner which allows you to search for a certain item by using its file name. Also, you can use this feature to search for all files in a specific file extension. For example, you can type .jpg in the box and press Enter to make all jpg pictures displayed.

Step 4. Now you can double-click on each of the target files for the final confirmation. After that, tick all needed items and hit the Save button. Then you will be prompted to select a directory to store the recovered files. Just do as it is told, but do not choose the original drive where data loss happens so as to prevent data overwriting.

To Sum Up
In a word, this post introduces how to recover deleted or lost files with Windows File Recovery and MiniTool Power Data Recovery. Both of them have their own advantages and disadvantages, and you should choose the one that suits you best based on your data loss scenario and data recovery needs.
Should you need any help with MiniTool Power Data Recovery, please feel free to contact the support team for assistance via [email protected].