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KaidenFinn's avatar
KaidenFinn
Iron Contributor
Mar 17, 2025
Solved

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

When my dad's USB flash drive was connected to my Windows 11 laptop, some of the files were deleted automatically by Windows defender. It says threats were detected and they are deleted without permi...
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  • ViggoBear's avatar
    ViggoBear
    Mar 17, 2025

    If you can't find the deleted files from Trash, then use a data recovery software to help yo retrieve the files deleted by Windows Defender. The sooner you do this, the higher chance to get back the files.

    Here is a very helpful tutorial for data recovery: 

    https://www.pctipdaily.com/recover-files-deleted-by-windows-defender

    It applies to internal drive, external drive, USB drive and SD card!

     

     

Arya66's avatar
Arya66
Iron Contributor
Mar 17, 2025

If Windows Defender deleted files from the USB flash drive, there are a few methods you can try to recover those files:

Method 1. Check Windows Defender Quarantine
Windows Defender moves potentially harmful files to quarantine rather than deleting them permanently. You can check if your files are in quarantine and restore them:

  1. Open Windows Security by searching for it in the Start menu.
  2. Go to the Virus & Threat Protection section.
  3. Click on Protection History.
  4. Look for any entries related to your USB flash drive. If Windows Defender flagged and quarantined any files, you'll see them here.
  5. If you find the files, you can choose to restore them (if you're confident they're safe) by clicking Restore.

Method 2. Use File Recovery Software
If the files are not in quarantine or if they were permanently deleted, you can try using file recovery software.

  1. Download and install one of these tools on your computer.
  2. Connect your USB drive.
  3. Run the software and perform a deep scan on your USB drive.
  4. Once the scan is complete, the software should show you a list of recoverable files. Select the files you want to recover and restore them.

Method 3. Use Command Prompt (If Files Are Hidden)
Sometimes, files might not be deleted but just hidden. You can try to unhide them using the Command Prompt:

Open Command Prompt as Administrator.Type the following command and press Enter:

attrib -h -r -s /s /d X:\.

Replace X with the letter of your USB drive. This command removes hidden, read-only, and system attributes from the files and should make them visible again.

The above are three effective methods to let you recover files deleted by Windows Defender from flash drive. Let me know if you need more help on this!

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