Lost important files from your external hard drive? Learn how to restore previous versions using Windows File History or AOMEI FastRecovery – and get your data back fast.
Windows Previous Versions can provide earlier copies of files and folders when suitable backups or shadow copies are available.
In supported Windows configurations, File History can automatically save copies of files over time. You can then browse earlier versions and restore the one you need.
File History was introduced in Windows 8, so Windows 7 users cannot use this feature in the same way. Windows 7 instead provides features such as Backup and Restore and Previous Versions based on shadow copies.
Before relying on Previous Versions, keep in mind that the feature does not automatically preserve every file on every external drive. Whether you can restore a file depends on how Windows backup and file-protection features were configured beforehand.
If File History or another supported backup mechanism has already created an earlier copy of your files, you can try restoring it through File Explorer.
By default, File History only saves copies of files in Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos, Desktop folders, and OneDrive files that are accessible offline on your PC. To backup files/folders on an external hard drive using File History, you should use one of the following methods:
Now follow the steps below to restore deleted files from external hard drive with Previous Versions:
Step 1. Connect the external hard drive to your computer and press Windows + E to open File Explorer.
Step 2. Navigate to the folder on your external drive where the deleted or changed files were originally stored. Right-click the folder and select Restore previous versions.
Step 3. Under the Previous Versions tab, select an available version from the list. Expand Open and select Open in File History to preview the content of the selected version.
Step 4. If the version contains the files you want, click Restore or expand Restore and select Restore to... to restore your files.
❗ Important Limitations of Previous Versions
Previous Versions is useful when a suitable copy already exists, but it is not a general-purpose deleted-file recovery tool. For example:
If the external hard drive files were permanently deleted and no previous version exists, you'll need another recovery method.
If Previous Versions doesn't contain the files you need, data recovery software can scan the external hard drive for deleted or lost data. AOMEI FastRecovery can scan HDDs, SSDs, USB drives, SD cards, and other storage devices to search for recoverable files. It provides many practical recovery features:
Before performing external hard drive file recovery with AOMEI FastRecovery, please:
Now follow the instructions below:
Step 1. Connect the external hard drive to your computer. Launch AOMEI FastRecovery and select Deleted Files Recovery from the main interface.
Step 2. Locate your external hard drive in the list of available drives. Hover over it and click Scan to search for deleted and lost files.
Step 3. Wait for the scan to finish. Use the available filters to locate the files you need.
Step 4. Select the files or folders you want to recover and click Recover.
💡Notes:
Step 5. Choose a different drive or storage location as the destination and wait for the recovery process to complete.
💡 Note: Do not save recovered files back to the same external hard drive. Doing so may overwrite other deleted files that have not yet been recovered.
1. Can I restore a previous version of an external hard drive?
You can restore previous versions of files or folders when Windows has an available File History backup, shadow copy, or another suitable previous version. It does not normally restore an entire external hard drive to an earlier state.
2. Why are there no Previous Versions on my external hard drive?
The Previous Versions tab may be empty if Windows did not create a previous copy of the files. File History or another supported backup feature generally needs to have been configured before the files were lost or changed.
3. Can I recover deleted files from an external hard drive without a backup?
Yes, recovery software may be able to find deleted files that have not been overwritten. The sooner you stop using the external drive, the better the chance of recovering the missing data.
4. Where should I save recovered files?
Save them to a different drive or storage device rather than the original external hard drive. This helps prevent recovered data from overwriting other files that may still be recoverable.
If you want to restore previous versions of external hard drive files, first check whether Windows has an available previous version through File History or another supported backup feature. This method is convenient when a suitable backup already exists, but it cannot recover files that were never backed up.
When Previous Versions isn't available, AOMEI FastRecovery provides another option by scanning the external hard drive for deleted and lost files. Whichever recovery method you use, stop writing new data to the drive and save recovered files to a different location.
For long-term protection, consider creating regular backups so you can restore important files without relying entirely on data recovery software.