If you cannot find a file on your computer or modified or deleted a file, you can restore it from a backup, or you can try to restore it from a previous version. Previous versions are copies of files and folders that Windows automatically saves as part of a restore point. Previous versions are sometimes referred to as shadow copies.

 

Restoring files from a backup

 

Open Backup and Restore by selecting the Start button, selecting Control Panel, selecting System and Maintenance, and then selecting Backup and Restore.

  1. Select Restore my files, and then follow the steps in the wizard.

 

Restoring files from previous versions

 

  1. Open Computer by selecting the Start button and then selecting Computer.
  2. Navigate to the folder that used to contain the file or folder, right-click it, and then select Restore previous versions. If the folder was at the top level of a drive, for example, C:\, right-click the drive and then select Restore previous versions.

 

Some previous versions of files

 

  1. Double-click a previous version of the folder that contains the file or folder you want to restore.
  2. Drag the file or folder that you want to restore to another location, such as your desktop or another folder.

 

To restore a file or folder to a previous state.

 

  1. Right-click the file or folder, and then select Restore previous versions.
    You’ll see a list of available previous versions of the file or folder. The list will include files saved on a backup and restore points if both types are available.
  2. Before restoring a previous version of a file or folder, select the previous version, and then click Open to view it to make sure it is the version you want.
  3. To restore a previous version, select the previous version, and then select Restore.