How to recover files deleted by windows defender on USB flash drive?

Windows Defender might delete files from your USB drive if it detects them as potentially harmful or infected with malware. This often happens if:

1. Suspicious files: The files on the USB drive are flagged as suspicious based on their behavior or the signature of known malware.
2. False positives: Sometimes, Windows Defender may flag safe files as threats, which can lead to deletion.
   Viruses or malware: If there’s an active virus or malware on the USB, Defender might remove the infected files to protect your system.
3. Heuristic analysis: Windows Defender uses heuristic analysis to detect new or unknown threats based on file behavior. This might result in the deletion of legitimate files that resemble the behavior of malware.

To prevent Windows Defender deleting files from USB drive, you can:

1. Add your USB drive to the exclusions list in Windows Defender if you're sure the files are safe.
2. Check for any malware on your system with a deeper scan.
3. Make sure the files on the USB are from a trusted source.

To recover files deleted by windows defender, please check if there is a backup out there. Usually, people back up the important file to an external hard drive or onedrive on Windows 11.