How to Recover Files Deleted by Windows Defender

Windows Defender automatically deletes potentially harmful files to prevent damage to your computer. However, it can sometimes delete files that you know are safe for your system. If this happens, you can recover files that have been deleted by Windows Defender in a few ways below.

Recover files deleted by Windows Defender in Settings

Go to Settings , tap Virus & threat protection , then select Protection History . This is where all quarantined files and blocked apps are stored.

Click on the file you want to recover and select Action , then select Allow to retrieve the deleted file.

To do this you need administrator rights.

Restore previous version in Explorer

A more indirect way to recover a file is to use a previous version of the file in Windows Explorer called File History. This method also works for lost, corrupted, or overwritten files. You need to turn on File History before you can recover a file.

Step 1:

Open any Windows Explorer window, right-click on the folder containing the deleted file and click Restore previous versions in the displayed list.

Step 2:

A window appears, you select the previous version of the folder if available with the date before the file was deleted. File History will restore the file before it was deleted.

You can make it easier to prevent Windows Defender from deleting your files in the first place by adding exclusions to a file or folder. Follow the instructions below to add files that are safe to delete before Windows Defender deletes them.

1. How to add exceptions in Windows Defender

Jessica Tanner

Update 23 October 2025