Whether you erased a Notepad file by mistake or closed it without saving, it can leave you reeling. It’s obviously because your crucial notes or hours of hard work are down the drain. The truth is, though, recovering an erased Notepad file is not the same as retrieving an unsaved one.

Each of them requires a somewhat different approach. This thorough manual will show you how to recover unsaved Notepad files or deleted ones. We will also include some helpful tips so that you will not lose your Notepad files in the future.

Part 1: Common Reasons for Notepad File Loss

You might lose a Notepad file because of numerous reasons, such as the following:

  1. You accidentally closed Notepad without saving.
  2. In a power failure or crash, Notepad’s unsaved files could be lost.
  3. Accidental deletion of a Notepad file.
  4. Saving over the wrong file can replace important content.
  5. A full hard drive can make Notepad files disappear or turn empty.
  6. Viruses or malware might damage or destroy Notepad files.

Part 2: How to Recover Deleted Notepad File?

You can only retrieve a Notepad file if it is still in the Recycle Bin, with the aid of a Notepad file recovery tool, or a backup after it’s erased. Here’s how to recover deleted Notepad file in 4 ways:

Option A: Check the Recycle Bin

If you erased a Notepad file but did not clear the Recycle Bin, it may still be there. Here is, therefore, how to recover deleted Notepad file by inspecting the Bin:

Step 1: Double-tap the Recycle Bin. Then, in the search field, enter “txt’ or the name of the file.

Step 2: Select the files. Right-click. Next, select “Restore.”

Option B: Employ a Free Recovery Tool

Your Notepad files are permanently lost if they are not in the Recycle Bin, and you lack a backup. Unless they are overwritten, a free data recovery software still gives you a shot to restore them. 4DDiG Data Recovery is a professional document, video, audio, and image retrieval tool that supports 2000+ file formats, including .txt files. Regardless of whether the file is removed, hidden, corrupted, or formatted, it can extract them with a high recovery rate. Here are this tool’s benefits at a glance:

  • This tool allows selective file recovery, e.g, you can only extract documents which will include Notepad files.
  • The app has two scan options, Quick Scan and Deep Scan.
  • The tool offers up to 2GB of free recovery for Windows users.
  • You can preview recovered files by their path and type.
  • This app supports countless internal/external storage media.
  • This software can retrieve Notepad files from crashed systems, virus attacks, unbootable drives, and missing partitions.

Here’s how to recover deleted Notepad file with the aid of this tool:

Step 1: Launch the Notepad file retrieval tool on your computer. Then, choose the location where Notepad files were.

Step 2: Pick file types to scan. In your case, only choose “Document” so the tool will only find document file formats like the “txt” for Notepad.

Step 3: Hit “Scan Selected File Type.” Once the tool finds your required files, stop or pause the scan.

Step 4: Preview them beneath the “Type” filter. Tap the “Document” folder. Choose “txt” format to view only Notepad files.

Step 5: If satisfied, hit “Recover” to export them to your computer or cloud drive.

Option C: Use the Previous Versions Feature

The Windows Previous Versions feature will let you restore Notepad files to an earlier time if you’ve already activated this feature. It can retrieve Notepad files that were changed by mistake. Follow the instructions beneath to use Previous Versions for Notepad file recovery:

Step 1: Locate the Notepad file that was changed. Right-click it.

Step 2: Choose “Restore previous versions.” Pick an earlier version of the Notepad file. Hit “OK.”

Option D: Restore From Windows Backup

A Windows embedded feature called Backup and Restore (Windows 7) creates and retains copies of your system and files. Should your Notepad files also be copied, you can easily recover them from retained backups. Here’s how to proceed:

Step 1: Type “backup settings” in the Windows Start menu. Open it.

Step 2: Choose “Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7).” Then, tap “Select another backup to restore files from.”

Step 3: Pick a backup that includes lost Notepad files. Click “Next.”

Step 4: Select “Browse for files/folders.” Hit “Next.” Choose the Notepad files you want to recover.

Step 5: Select a safe location to export. Hit “Restore.” When done, click “View restored files” to check the retrieved Notepad files.

Part 3: How to Recover Unsaved Notepad File?

If your Notepad files were not erased, but you accidentally closed Notepad without saving, there are two ways you can recover unsaved Notepad on Windows 11/10. Here they are:

Option E: Check the Roaming Folder

When you work on a file like Notepad, in your case, Windows saves temporary files in different locations from where you can recover unsaved Notepad file. One of the Notepad temporary files location could be the AppData\Roaming folder. So, here’s how to recover unsaved Notepad​ from the Roaming folder:

Step 1: Press the “Win + R” keys together. This will open the Run dialogue.

Step 2: “%appdata%.” Hit “Enter.” This will open the Roaming folder.

Step 3: Type “txt” in the search field to find only the Notepad files. Save them.

Option F: Recover From Temp Files

You can also check the Temp folder, which is another Notepad temporary files location to recover unsaved Notepad file. Windows saves temporary system files in the Temp folder. You might also find Notepad files there, especially after crashes or sudden shutdowns. So, follow the steps beneath to recover unsaved Notepad file from the Temp folder:

Step 1: Press the “Win + R” keys together. This will open the Run dialogue.

Step 2: “%temp%.” Hit “Enter.” This will open the Temp folder.

Step 3: Type “txt” in the search field to find only the Notepad files. Save them.

Part 4: How to Avoid Losing Notepad Files in the Future?

Once you recover unsaved Notepad on Windows 11/10 or retrieve deleted ones, it is also important to ascertain that you do not lose them once again. For this, you must consider some countermeasures, like:

  1. Save periodically: Press “Ctrl + S” to save your work frequently while you’re working on Notepad.
  2. Enable autosave: Activate autosave to retain your session in case you accidentally closed Notepad without saving.
  3. Use “Save As”: Create copies of the Notepad files with a new name or in another folder.
  4. Back up your files: Activate File History or Windows Backup to create full system backups. Also, you can save files to OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox for automatic cloud backups.
  5. Try Notepad++: It offers autosave and backup options.
  6. Use a UPS: Install a UPS to protect your PC from a power cut and to prevent data loss.
  7. Watch out for caching: Make certain files are fully saved to disk.

Conclusion

You may lose a Notepad file incidentally, because of system crashes or file corruption. But knowing how to recover unsaved Notepad files is simple. Browse in the Recycle Bin, use Previous Versions, or restore from a backup in case the Notepad files were erased. In the event that you have no backup, you can use a tool such as the 4DDiG Data Recovery.

It is very successful in restoring erased and damaged Notepad files. However, when the files are not saved, check the Notepad temporary files location. Look inside the Roaming or Temp folder to recover unsaved Notepad on Windows 11/10. To ascertain you do not lose the Notepad files in the future, save them periodically and activate the autosave feature.

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