How to Recover Deleted Files in Windows Server 2025

This article describes how to recover deleted files from Windows Server 2025 step-by-step with 3 practical methods, even without backups. Scroll down to learn more.

By @Ivy Last Updated December 25, 2024

✨The Key Takeaway: 

Recovery Methods How-to Guide 

🧾Restore from Previous Versions

Open File Explorer. Locate the drive and folder containing the deleted files in turn and select Properties...Learn More >>

💻 Recover from Backup Images

Open Windows Server Backup. In the wbadmin window, select Local Backup and Recover....Learn More >>
🥇Attempt using Data Recovery Software

Launch MyRecover. Hover the mouse over the drive containing deleted files and click Scan....Learn More >>

What’s New in Windows Server 2025?

Windows Server 2025 builds on the strong foundation of its predecessors while introducing a series of innovative enhancements to improve security, performance, and flexibility. We’ll list them in the following:

  • With faster storage options and the ability to integrate with hybrid cloud environments, managing your infrastructure is now more streamlined.
  • Support in-place upgrade from Windows Server 2012 R2.
  • Add a new compression feature - “Compress to” that supports ZIP, 7,z, and TAR compression formats.
  • Optimize the Active Directory domain management experience.
  • Add Windows LAPS to manage local administrator passwords on their domain-joined computers.
  • Improve a series of SMB features, such as SMB over QUIC server, SMB signing and encryption auditing, SMB over QUIC auditing, SMB Encryption, etc.
  • ......

The Need to Recover Deleted Files in Windows Server 2025

Although Windows Server 2025 greatly improves security in different ways, it still carries the risk of data loss, especially due to human errors, like accidental deletion, formatting errors, etc. Such situations are difficult to avoid and therefore require data recovery.

But how? We all know that backup and data recovery software are the most straightforward and effective methods, but is Windows Server 2025 supported?

  • Windows Server 2025 remains the backup feature - Windows Server Backup, which utilizes shadow copies to automatically create point-in-time copies of files and folders. So you can attempt to restore from previous versions if this feature is enabled.
  • Windows Server 2025 does not provide any data recovery software, so you can only seek help from third-party software. MyRecover, with a user-friendly interface, more flexible recovery options, breathtaking recovery capacities, etc., will be a good choice.

How to Recover Deleted Files from Windows Server 2025 Efficiently

Now, we’ll show you how to recover deleted files from Windows Server 2025 step by step in 3 practical methods.

Way 1: Restore Deleted Files from Previous Versions via Shadow Copies

To Restore deleted files in Windows Server 2025, the easiest method is to restore from previous versions as long as you enable the Shadow Copy feature. It requires all the File and Storage Services installed.

To make it, please be sure you use a local administrator. Then, go to Server Dashboard and click on Add Roles and Features, select the server, and be sure all the server roles under File and iSCSI Services are checked, click Next and Install to complete the installation. 

Step 1. Open File Explorer in Windows Server 2025. Locate the drive and folder containing the deleted files in turn and select Properties.

Step 2. In the Previous Versions tab, select the correct version of shadow copies. You can also click the Open button to check its content.

Step 3. Click the Restore button to restore the deleted files.

Way 2: Recover Lost Data from Windows Server 2025 Backup Images

Also, you can use Windows Server Backup to specify files and folders to restore from backup images in it. Please be sure the backup feature is enabled. You need to install Windows Server Backup manually.

To add backup features and image backup Windows Server, you can open Server Manager, go to Manage>Add Roles and functionalities >Features, and select Windows Server Backup. Then, follow the on-screen instructions to install it and backup Windows Server 2025.

Step1. Open Windows Server Backup. In the wbadmin window, select Local Backup and Recover.

Step 2. Select This server if your backup drive is a local drive or it’s connected to Windows Server 2025. Then, click Next. If not, select A backup stored on another location.

Step 3. Select the backup date of the image file containing deleted files. Then, click Next.

Step 4. Then, select Files and folders as the recovery type and click Next.

Step 5. Expand the items in the tree and select files or folders to recover under Name. Then, click Next.

Step 6. At last, specify a recovery path to store deleted files or folders and click Recover on the confirmation window.

Way 3: Recover Deleted or Lost Files on Windows Server 2025 using Software

If you have not yet had a chance to create a system image backup of Windows Server 2025, you cannot use the first two methods. But you still can rely on MyRecover, a reliable Windows data recovery software.

It integrates two advanced scanning technologies to thoroughly scan the disk in the Windows Server 2025 and analyze and classify its data. Usually, it’s categorized into 3 types: Deleted Files, Files in the Recycle Bin, and Other Missing Files. So you can easily find them in the original location and recover deleted files.

❤❤❤ Why Choose MyRecover?

✔ Recover deleted or lost files from Windows Server 2008, 2012, 2016, 2019, 2022, 2025, etc.

✔ Uphold 1000+ data types, from documents (e.g. recover deleted Word files) to images, videos, compressed files, and more.

✔ Search or filter data quickly through file name, extension, data type, etc.

✔ Preview files before recovery.

✔ Recover specific files or folders instead of all.

✔ Recover deleted or lost files while scanning.

✔ Recover data in any scenario, e.g. accidental deletion, formatting, Recycle Bin empty, virus attack, lost partition, system crash, etc.

......

Download Software Windows PCs & Servers
Secure Download

Now, click the download button to get started.

⚠️ Please save the recovered files in a new location instead of the original drive. Otherwise, they may be overwritten, making data recovery difficult.

Step 1. Scan your drive 

Launch this Windows data recovery software - MyRecover on Windows Server 2025. Hover the mouse over the drive containing deleted files and click Scan.

Step 2. Search for recoverable data

MyRecover can automatically scan this selected disk to find all recoverable files. The Quick Scan searches for recently deleted files while Deep Scan searches for other missing files. Here are two ways to locate them quickly:

  • From sidebar directories: Expand the Deleted Files/Recycle Bin Other Missing Files folder and go to the original location to find data on the selected drive.
  • Search or filter data: Specify a data type, such as “Documents” first. Then, type the name or extension in the search box. You can also set the date (today, yesterday, last 7/30 days, etc.), and size (<128KB, 128KB~1MB, 1MB~ 512MB, etc.).

Step 3. Start Windows Server 2025 data recovery

Once found, double-click them to preview and select the desired files by ticking the checkboxes or leaving them blank. Then, click Recover x files and select a new location to save the recovered files.

The data recovery feature in the free trial edition can only be demonstrated. To enjoy unlimited data recovery, please upgrade to MyRecover Pro or Technician. The lifetime version is more cost-effective, i.e. one-time payment to enjoy all features without a time limit.

It is not limited to recovering data from Windows Server 2025, but also 2022, 2019, 2016, 2012, etc., in the following scenarios:

  • Recover data from formatted SSD drive
  • Recover files deleted by virus
  • Recover deleted files from Recycle Bin
  • Recover permanently deleted files
  • Recover data from dead hard drive
  • ......

Conclusion

With these 3 practical methods, you can easily recover deleted files from Windows Server 2025. Note the previous two methods require you to enable the shadow copies or backup feature - Windows Server Backup. Otherwise, they become useless. By comparison, using reliable data recovery software is a wise choice if there is no backup image.

FAQs

1. Is there a Recycle Bin on Windows Server?
 
Yes, but it’s enabled by default. You need to open the Active Directory Administrative Center and select your domain.Then, click Enable Recycle Bin from the task menu. Or from the drop-down menu, right-click the domain name and select Enable Recycle Bin.
2. Where do deleted files from a shared drive go on a server?
 

When users delete files from their shared drives, the files are typically moved to the server's Recycle Bin (if it’s enabled). Also, the Recycle Bin Settings, permissions, shadow copies, and file deletion timing may affect the behavior of deleted files.

3. How do I recover deleted files from a network drive?
 

If you have enabled the backup feature in Windows Server, you can use the shadow copies to restore from previous versions.

  • Find the file location of the network drive.
  • Right-click the folder containing deleted files and select Properties.
  • I n the pop-up window, click the Previous Version tab.
  • Select the folder version you want to restore and click Restore.
4. Is there a backup software in Windows Server 2025?
 
Yes, Windows Server 2025 remains the backup feature - Windows Server Backup. It utilizes the Volume Shadow Copy service (also called shadow copies) to create point-in-time copies of files and folders, allowing you to restore files from backup.
5. Is it possible to recover deleted files without a backup?
 

The fact that you deleted files without creating a backup image is desperate. However, there are many data recovery software designed to recover deleted files. Usually, they integrate scanning technologies that can retrieve files from hard disks and find as many files as possible.

6. Can I prevent data loss in Windows Server 2025?
 
You can easily prevent data loss in Windows Server 2025 if you create a system image backup using Windows Server Backup or other reliable backup software. Also, it’s necessary to keep data recovery software installed on a server. So you can always recover deleted files in Windows Server at the first time, even without backup.