The world today is technically advanced. We prefer storing everything in the form of data. Data is essential equipment, and it is something that has enabled us to lead a thriving life. Have you ever realized what can happen if you lose that data? We might lose almost everything within one click. Well, now you do not need to worry a lot. You can recover your deleted data from any storage device. Here is a complete guide on; how to recover permanently deleted files from Windows 11.
There are many data recovery software; that allow us to recover permanently deleted data from any storage device like – an SD Card, SSD, HDD, and more. Here, we are going to use Recuva data recovery software. It is a free and popular software for recovering deleted data.
How Does Data Recovery Software Work
When we delete a file, the deleted file is immediately moved to the recycling bin so that we can recover it in the future, and the portion of the drive where the data is stored is marked as free.
Sometimes, we permanently delete files from our system rather than moving them to the recycle bin. In this situation, until a new file overwrites the deleted one, the deleted file does not entirely disappear from our system. We can use data recovery software to recover the permanently deleted file. Essentially, this is how data recovery software works.
What is Recuva?
Recuva is a modern-day software that helps you to recover your deleted files that might remain as junk in the system or whose traces can still be found on the device. Precisely speaking, this software can recover those files whose memory has not been overwritten.
This software comes for free. You just need to download and install the software on your personal computer. Rest all you have to do is follow some elementary steps, and you are all done with your task.
Don’t worry, you can also recover USB/ External Drive stored data through this software. The best thing about the software is that it is not bulky; it is minimal in size and user-friendly at the same time.
Features of Recuva
Recuva is one of the widely used software to recover deleted data. It is much superior to other software of its kind due to its exclusive characteristics. The essential features of the software include:
- A simple and easy-to-use interface that does not hamper the understanding of the whole process.
- Easy to use filters to help the actions perform in a better way, making it all the more straightforward and go-to thing.
- Works fine on Windows, without any issues.
- You can run it on the pen drive.
- Restores all types of files be it a cache file even.
- Supports NTFS5, NTFS, etc.
- Restores files from removable media such as digital cameras, memory sticks, etc.
- Lightweight and fast.
I hope you got an idea about the Recuva data recovery software. Now let’s discuss how we can download and install Recuva on Windows 11 to recover deleted files.
How to Download and Install Recuva on Windows 11
You can easily download the Recuva Data Recovery software from ccleaner.com. There are two versions of the software one is free and another is paid, which will cost you $9.95.
If you don’t want to invest then the free version will also do the job. There is no difference between the free and paid version. You won’t receive support with the free version, but you will receive priority support and automatic updates with the paid version.
Here are the steps to download and install Recuva on Windows 11:
1. Open any browser and visit ccleaner.com/recuva to download the software.
2. Now click the Download Free Version button to download the Recuva for free.

3. Open it; once you have downloaded the Recuva installer file.
4. Now, you’ll get a setup window. Here, click on the Customize option to customize the installation.

5. Now, select the installation options, like add a desktop shortcut, start menu shortcut, and more.
6. Then click the Install button and wait for the installation process to complete.

7. Once the installation process is complete, click Run Recuva to start the Recuva software.
8. After that, you are ready to use the software to recover your deleted files from all types of storage devices.

How to Recover Deleted Files on Windows 11 Using Recuva
Using Recuva, you can recover all permanently deleted files from various storage devices, including Windows OS, external devices, USB drives, and more.
The process to recover deleted files with Recuva from any storage device is the same; however, the time required to search for a deleted file and the recovery process may vary depending on the storage device.
To recover permanently deleted files, follow these steps:
1. Once the installation process is complete, open Recuva and click the Run Recuva button.

2. Now, it will open up the welcome to the Recuva wizard.
3. Here, click on Next to continue.

4. Select the file type you want to recover and click Next to continue.
5. If you are not sure; about the file types you want to recover, then you can try the All files option. However, this will take some more amount of time.

6. Now all you need to do is select the location; at which place you want the search to start. If you do not know the specific location, you can choose the I’m not sure option.
7. Then, click the Next button.
Note
If you want to recover deleted files from an external drive, you have to select the In a Specific Location option and choose the storage device you want to start the scan.

8. After selecting the type of file you want to recover and the locations, you will receive a final confirmation to start the recovery process. All you need to do is click on the Start button and the procedure to recover the lost data will start automatically.
Note
If you want, you can also choose the Deep Scan option to scan deeper. But it will take more time. So, we recommend you start your scan without a deep scan for a fast result. After that, it will begin to analyze deleted file contents.


10. You will get a list of files when the scan is complete. The files will have green, red, and orange dots to signify the files. Only files with green dots are recoverable. The colors red and orange indicate that your file is corrupted or that other new files have taken up the space.

11. Now to recover the deleted file, select the files, click the Recover option, and select the location where you want to recover the files. However, it should be a different location from the previous one.

Conclusion
That’s it; this is how you can recover permanently deleted files from any storage device using Recuva on Windows 11. Accidentally deleting important files can be distressing, but with the step-by-step guide provided, you can swiftly retrieve them and avoid data loss.
If you encounter challenges during the file recovery process with Recuva, consider exploring premium tools such as Wondershare Recoverit and Tenorshare 4DDiG. These advanced solutions offer additional features and may prove effective in more complex data recovery scenarios.