“In order to create a new user account with admin privileges on the Windows 10 system, I deleted the old user profile and its respective folder on the Windows 10 system and enabled the “Keep Files” option. After creating a new Windows 10 user profile, I checked the backup copy of the old user folder, but it was empty. I got tense and checked for the files in my Recycle Bin. How should I recover the deleted user folder from the Windows 10 hard drive? Please help me!”
Windows PC settings and personal files can be lost if we delete user profiles by mistake. Usually, the user folder resides in the primary partition i.e. C: Drive on a Windows PC, it includes complete files and folders stored by the respective user.
I know there are a set of questions running in your mind like Where did my files from the user profile go? Can I recover the files deleted from the Windows user account? If yes, How do I restore the user folder on my Windows 10?
Often most Windows users may face this kind of unpleasant event and lose access to valuable data stored in deleted user account folders. Generally, the user folder is located in the primary partition i.e. C: Drive of a Windows PC, and it contains the complete files and folders stored by the user. Before going to the solutions let’s try to understand why the User Folder or Profile might get deleted from your Windows PC.
What are the Major Scenarios in Which a User Ends Up Deleting User Profiles In Windows 10/11/8/7?
Here is a list of the most common scenarios where the user profile is deleted or lost in various versions of Windows like Windows 11/10/8/7:
- Accidental Deletion: A user may delete a complete User account unintentionally or intentionally without taking a backup.
- Human Error: A user might also lose the User Profiles during human errors like formatting the hard drive or installing a new OS without saving the backup of previous profiles.
- Wrong Update: Updating the wrong OS could result in you losing your User Profile as well.
- Virus Attack: When your User Folder is infected with a virus file, it may be lost.
However, over time Windows users might end up deleting user profiles from Windows 10 or any other OS unintentionally or intentionally without previous backup and suffer from massive amounts of data loss. Now let us look into some tried and tested solutions to restore.
How to Restore User Profile in Windows 11/10/8/7?
You can recover deleted user files in Windows by using the methods listed below:
Method 1: Recover Deleted User Profile Manually
Step 1: Find Security Identifier
- Type the Command prompt in the search bar and select Run as administrator.
- Type whoami/user and press the Enter key. It will show you the SID of the current account.
Step 2: Edit the Registry
- Type regedit in the search box and hit Enter. Then, click on Yes to open Registry Editor.
- Now, Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\WINDOWS NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList to open the list of SIDs in the User profile list.
Step 3: Recover Deleted/lost User Profile
- Find the User folder that matches your SID. Then, select the rename option by right-clicking it and removing .bak from its name.
- Now, press the Enter key to make changes.
Usually, the solutions mentioned above work. However, if you failed to restore User Profile on your Windows OS, you can move on to the next solution.
Method 2: Restore Deleted User Profile with a backup
Note: If you have created a restore point previously then you can move to the below steps or else without wasting any time you can skip this method and move to Method 3.
- Enter File History in the search box.
- Select Restore your files with File History
- Choose the folder, i.e., C:\Users\folder [ If the User Profile was located in any other drive, navigate to that location and select the folder]
- Click on the Restore button to restore the deleted user profile.
Method 3: Recover Deleted User Folder Using Folder Recovery Tool
Suppose you must still recover your deleted User Folder with the DIY methods. In that case, you rely on a professional tool like Yodot File Recovery. This tool can effectively scan the drive and restore the deleted user folder/profile and any other documents that were lost/deleted under various circumstances. Download the Yodot File Recovery application from the below-given link and restore your User Folder in a few simple steps.
Steps to Restore User Folder from Windows 11/10/8/7 OS:
- Download and install the Yodot File Recovery program on Windows 11.
- Launch the application and select the Deleted File Recovery option to restore User Folder from Windows OS.
- Once installed, this application displays all of the Windows partitions and drives on the system.
- Subsequently, select the partition (Usually C: Drive) to recover the deleted user folder on Windows PC and start the scanning process.
- After deep scanning the selected drive, you will find a list of deleted files and folders from the selected drive..
- You can view the recovered User Folder with the help of Preview options and Mark the user folder or required files to restore them on your Windows system.
- In the end, browse for a new destination path to save the user folder, including its files on Windows hard drive partitions.
Note: In addition to restoring deleted Windows user folders, you can also restore hidden folders in Windows 8 and other versions.
According to TopTechpal: Yodot file recovery is one of the fastest and safe software.
Losing files accidentally is one of the major problems faced by PC users. Deleting important files accidentally can be a big stress. Software like Yodot file recovery can be life-saving in such incidents.
Tips to Avoid Losing User Folder from a Windows PC:
- Before deleting the Windows user folder, ensure you have taken a backup copy.
- Ensure your Windows system is protected with an antivirus program and a valid password.
- In order to prevent data overwriting, do not save new data on a Windows PC after accidentally deleting a user folder.
Conclusion:
If you’ve lost your user profile, don’t worry. This guide has the best solution for you. We provide Three different methods to help you recover your deleted user profile. Out of these methods, using recovery software is the safest and most effective option.
Frequently Asked Questions:
To restore the user’s folder on your desktop, right-click on the desktop, select “Personalize,” choose “Themes,” and enable “User’s Files” in the Desktop Icon Settings.
Deleted user profiles are typically moved to the “C:\Users\Deleted” folder or completely removed from the system.
When you delete the user’s folder, all the files and data associated with that user, including documents, settings, and personal files, are permanently removed from the system. It is essential to exercise caution when deleting user folders to avoid data loss.
