A Guide to Restoring Ctrl+Z Misdeleted Files on Windows PC

Ctrl+Z, the well-known shortcut key, plays an important role in undoing the previous step in Windows. However, accidentally using it to undo a file deletion operation can lead to accidental file loss, especially if the original folder disappears with it. However, rest assured that we have sorted out the methods for you to recover files deleted by Ctrl+Z in Windows 10, 8, 7 and earlier.

PART 1 Several Effective Solutions for Restoring Ctrl+Z Misdeleted Files

Whether you accidentally deleted documents, Word files, videos, pictures, music, or other types of files or folders, the following steps will help you recover them as much as possible:

1. Try Using Ctrl+Z Again Immediately

This is the most direct and efficient method. After realizing the accidental deletion, immediately press Ctrl+Z on your PC to see if the deletion operation can be immediately undone and the file can be restored.

2. Click Undo Delete to Restore Ctrl+Z Misdeleted Files

If Ctrl+Z does not recover the file immediately, you can try the following steps:

First, click the "Start" menu and select "Computer" or "This Computer."

Then, navigate to the folder that contains the deleted files.

Finally, right-click on the folder and select "Undo Delete" from the menu that pops up. Note that this option usually applies to folder-level recovery, and other methods may be required for directly deleted files.

3. Check Your Recycle Bin

Sometimes, even if Ctrl+Z is used, the file may be sent to the recycle bin instead of disappearing completely. Therefore, it is a good habit to check the recycle bin.

If you Ctrl+Z repeatedly delete Windows files by mistake, you may want to check the recycle bin first.

First, open the recycle bin.

Then, find and select the file or folder that was deleted by mistake.

Finally, right-click and select "Restore" to undo the Ctrl+Z delete operation.

4. Use File History (if enabled)

Windows 10 and later offer a file history feature that automatically backs up your files. If this feature is enabled, you can recover files through the History TAB in File Explorer.

5. Use A Third-party Recovery Software

If none of the above methods work, you can consider using professional third-party file recovery software. These software are capable of scanning your hard drive to find and recover deleted files, even if they have been emptied by the recycle bin.

Among the many Data Recovery software, Data Recovery stands out for its excellent performance, and it has the powerful ability to recover a variety of data types and file formats. Best of all, the software scans the affected drive accurately and tells you exactly what can be recovered. Once you tap the Restore button, files that were deleted by mistake by Ctrl+Z will magically return to your Windows computer, as if you were going back in time before the undo operation. To ensure that data recovery is foolproof, remember to install recovery software on a different drive or storage device than where the data was lost to prevent the risk of data overwriting.

Simple steps to restore Ctrl+Z deleted files:

Step 1 Start the software and set the following parameters: Open the Data Recovery(4DDiG), select a specific data type or select All file types, select the drive where the data is lost, and click Scan.

Step 2 Search for and select a file. In the scan result, select the file or folder that you want to restore. For a more comprehensive search, you can enable Deep Scan mode for a thorough inspection of the selected drive.

Step 3 Perform recovery: Click the Recovery button and select a different drive or folder to save the recovered files to prevent data overwriting.

PART 2 Tips to Prevent Accidental Deletion

To avoid losing files again due to Ctrl+Z shortcuts, consider the following precautions:

Use Ctrl+Z with caution: Before performing a delete operation, make sure that you really want to delete the file or folder.

Disable Ctrl+Z in some applications: While it is not possible to disable Ctrl+Z directly in Windows Explorer, you can look for the relevant setting in some specific applications to try disabling or changing its shortcut keys.

Back up important files regularly: No matter how careful you are, accidents are always possible. Therefore, backing up your files regularly is the best way to protect them from loss.

Hopefully, these methods and suggestions will help you successfully recover accidentally deleted files and prevent future data loss.

FAQs about Ctrl+Z Delete

Q1 What does Ctrl+Z do?

The undo shortcut key on the PC can be used to undo operations such as deleting, renaming, and moving files to recover files that are accidentally deleted or modified.

Q2 Ctrl+Z Why delete a file?

Ctrl+Z restores the previous action from the clipboard history, and if the previous step was delete, the current file or folder is replaced or overwritten, appearing "deleted" from the user's point of view.

Q3 How do I delete files on Mac Recovery Command-Z?

On a Mac, you can restore deleted items to their original location by going to Edit > Undo Move (Command-Z).