5 Ways for How to Recover Deleted Games on Windows 11/10 PC [2024 Guide]

Have you accidentally deleted your game on Windows PC after so much progress in it? Did you end up deleting a game after raging over losing several times against the same boss or getting stuck in the same level? Or did you delete one of your games on Windows 10 after losing to a friend? These are situations that may result in the unwanted deletion of one of your favorite games and after a moment you begin to regret your actions and might want to get your game back. In this tutorial, you will learn 5 different methods you can use to restore deleted games on your Windows 11/10 PC.

Quick Navigation

Method 1: Restore Deleted Games on PC by Restoring from Recycle Bin

Method 2: Use Software to Recover Deleted Games on PC

Method 3: Use Windows File Recovery Tool to Get Games Back

Method 4: Use System Restore Points on Windows 11/10 to Retrieve Deleted Games

Method 5: Use File History to Fin Deleted Games in Windows 11/10

Method 1: Restore Deleted Games on PC by Restoring from Recycle Bin

This is the most common way of recovering a game after direct deletion from your internal hard drive on your Windows because when files are deleted from your computer, most times these files are temporarily stored in the recycle bin due to the fact that, Windows permits you to find files from the recycle bin after the file deletion from your PC. So after deleting your games by mistake or due to intense emotions such as anger after losing, this is the first place to check for the recovery of your game. To find a deleted game from the recycle bin,

1. Double click on the recycle bin to open it.
2. Go through the files in the recycle bin and locate your game file.
3. Once your find it, right-click on the game file.
4. Click on Restore in the list that shows.

This will restore the game file back to its original location before deletion.

NB: The file will only be located in the recycle bin if you deleted it by right-clicking and choosing the delete command or using the Shift key. In a case where you use the command Shift+Del, the files are permanently deleted and do not move to the recycle bin. So your chances of finding the file in the recycle bin will depend on your method of deletion. Also, if deleted from an external drive, it cannot be found in the recycle bin.

Method 2: Use Software to Recover Deleted Games on PC

In case you do not find the game file in the recycle bin due to permanent deletion, you are still able to recover this game file even if completely deleted from your system with the use of iBeesoft Data Recovery. This is software that enables you to get back files that have been deleted from your system with the help of two powerful and efficient scanning modes. Easy to use yet very efficient, it is user-friendly and requires no special training for manipulation of the software. Compatible with various types of files, recovering your game file is very must be assured.

To proceed with the game data recovery process using iBeesoft;

1. Download and launch the software preferably from an external device because it increases your chances of recovering your game file.
2. After clicking on start, you now have to select your location to scan for the game file; select the partition or disk drive where your game file was located before deletion. This may also include external storage devices. When you choose the location, the program scans the location and lists the results of the search. For special lost data locations like desktop, favorites, or libraries, you need to select the system partition to recover deleted files in Windows 10 PC.

Click "Go to setting" to choose the file type you want to recover; by default, all file types are checked. You can also cancel unnecessary file types. If, to increase the chances of your recovery process, please select all file types.

3. Preview the list of found files and restore; Go through the list of files that were found during the scan and try to locate your game file.

NB: Using software to restore files involves data restructuring hence you should not install anything on your computer prior to the file recovery process as it may ruin your chances of recovering your data.

Method 3: Use Windows File Recovery Tool to Get Games Back

This is a method of recovering your game files for free but requires some training and understanding. Not preinstalled on your computer, you are required to download and install Windows File Recovery Tool from the Microsoft store. Also, you have to ensure your Windows 10 supports this tool by checking the version of Windows which you have (The tool is available for Windows 10 version 2004 and onwards).

Window Recovery Tool operates in three different modes:

• Default Mode which is able to recover files that were deleted recently on an NTFS partition/volume.
• Segment Mode which is able to recover files that were deleted a longtime ago or recover files from a formatted/corrupted NTFS disk.
• Signature Mode which is used when Segment mode fails or when the volume is a non-NTFS volume/partition.

To recover a deleted game from Windows 11/10 with Windows Recovery Tool,

1. Download and install the tool from Microsoft Store.
2. Once Installation is complete, the tool will automatically be launched. If not, open the tool by searching for it in Windows search.
3. Click on Yes if the User Control Window comes up.
4. Then Type the winfr command in the cmd interface. It is of the structure "winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/switches]" then press the Enter key where source drive (the drive from which you want to recover) and destination drives (the drive into which you want the recovered files to go) should be different drives because you can’t recover from a drive into the same drive using this approach.

An example of a Default mode command is winfr D: F: /n \Users\John\Princeofpersia where John is your username. If the search filter you are using contains spaces, enclose the search string in double quotes.

The process might take some time depending on the size of the information to be recovered.

As seen above, this method requires a little bit of knowledge and understanding before application. If you feel overwhelmed by this, use iBeesoft recovery software for hard drive as it is very easy as compared to this method or you can use the methods that follow.

Method 4: Use System Restore Points on Windows 11/10 to Retrieve Deleted Games

If the previous method fails, you can get your game file back with the use of a recent backup. Windows System Restore Point functions by making an image copy of windows files and other information. When in need, you can use this image copy to recover files such as your games by restoring Windows to a state where it contained these deleted files. To proceed with recovering your game file using Windows System Restore,

1. In the search, type in Create a Restore point and press the Enter Key.
2. Once the Window appears, press System Restore then click on Next.
3. Now, choose the recently created restore points and click on "Scan for affected programs".
4. Windows 10 will then scan all the files you have then click on Next.
5. Finally, click on Finish option to begin the restoration of your system to an earlier state which contains your deleted game file.
6. Restart your computer after the restoration of your system.

Method 5: Use File History to Fin Deleted Games in Windows 11/10

Windows File Explorer provides an option to recover deleted games using File History. It involves going back to a previous version of the application to recover the lost game. To proceed with this method,

1. Press Win and E at the same time to launch File Explorer.
2. Then, open the folder than contained the game file.
3. Once you find it, right-click from within the game folder and choose Properties.
4. In the Window that follows, click on Previous Versions tab.
5. You will be able to see copies of the deleted game then choose a recently removed file, press Apply and click on OK.
6. Once you are done, restart your computer to make effective the changes that have been made to your computer.