How to recover files deleted or quarantined by windows defender on Windows 11?

I’ve been through this situation myself—accidentally deleting files that I thought were sketchy, only to find out they were important. But hey, don’t panic! There are ways to try and recover files deleted by Windows defender. Here’s the lowdown:

1. Check the Quarantine
First things first, you gotta see if Windows Defender has sent those files to quarantine instead of just deleting them. Here’s how you do it:

• Open Windows Security: Hit the Start button, type “Windows Security,” and open it.
• Go to Virus & Threat Protection: Click on that option.
• Check Protection History: You might find a link that says “Protection History.” Click on it.
• Look for Quarantined Files: Browse through the list, and if you find your files there, you can select them and choose to restore them.

2. Use File History
If you’ve got File History set up (which you should—it’s super handy), you could recover files deleted by Windows defender. Here’s how:

• Go to Settings: Hit that little gear icon in your Start menu.
• Select Update & Security: Click on that sucker.
• Find Backup: You’ll see “Backup” on the side. Click it!
• Restore Files: If you’ve set up File History, there should be an option to “Restore files from a current backup.” Dive in and check if your deleted files are chilling there.