Advanced Windows users often deal with complex file and folder recovery scenarios, ranging from accidental deletions to corruption caused by failed updates or malware. Properly configuring file recovery methods in Windows 10 ensures you have multiple layers of protection and recovery strategies in place. Below are ten advanced techniques that can be implemented for robust recovery of files and folders.
1. Configure File History with Custom Storage Locations
File History is an underrated built-in tool that continuously backs up versions of files from user libraries, Desktop, Contacts, and Favorites. Advanced users should configure File History to use an external drive or a network location for redundancy. By editing the Group Policy (gpedit.msc > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File History), you can enforce storage policies, ensuring backups are not dependent on a single location. This also allows the retention of multiple file versions for granular recovery.
2. Enable and Manage Previous Versions via Shadow Copies
Volume Shadow Copy Service enables point-in-time snapshots of files and folders. Advanced users can activate System Protection on critical drives (Control Panel > System > System Protection) and allocate sufficient disk space for shadow copies. By right-clicking a file or folder and selecting “Restore previous versions,” you can recover earlier states. For enterprise-level workflows, the vssadmin command line tool can be used to create and manage shadow copies manually for more controlled recovery.
3. Deploy Windows Server Backup on File Shares (Even in Workstations)
Although typically used on servers, Windows Server Backup can be adapted for advanced workstation scenarios by enabling Windows Server administrative tools. This is particularly useful if the machine manages shared folders. Command-line scripts or scheduled tasks can be configured to run wbadmin jobs that back up critical file shares, creating a more resilient recovery infrastructure.
4. Use the Windows 10 Recovery Drive with System File Inclusion
When creating a Recovery Drive (Control Panel > Recovery > Create a recovery drive), advanced users can check the “Back up system files to the recovery drive” option. This ensures not only operating system recovery but also the ability to restore files from backed-up data. This recovery medium can bypass a corrupted OS environment to access and copy files from the internal drive to external storage.
5. Configure NTFS Permissions and Audit Policies to Minimize Data Loss
Preventing unauthorized changes reduces the need for recovery in the first place. Advanced users can configure NTFS security and auditing on sensitive folders. By using Local Security Policy (secpol.msc > Advanced Audit Policy Configuration), you can log changes to files and folders. If corruption or deletion occurs, logs can help identify what happened, and these security configurations prevent accidental overwrites by non-administrative processes.
6. Implement Robocopy for Incremental File Backups
Robocopy (Robust File Copy) is a command-line utility built into Windows. It can be configured with switches such as /MIR (mirror), /XO (exclude older files), and /SEC (copy security information) to create automated backup jobs. By setting up scheduled tasks, advanced users can maintain near real-time file backups to secondary storage, ensuring recovery of the latest file versions with minimal data loss.
7. Configure OneDrive Files On-Demand with Local Sync for Recovery
OneDrive integration in Windows 10 allows maintaining cloud backups of files. Advanced users should configure “Files On-Demand” to free up local space while ensuring recovery from cloud storage at any time. Using Group Policy (gpedit.msc > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > OneDrive), IT administrators can enforce syncing policies, making recovery possible even for enterprise-level folder structures.
8. Employ Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) for Forensic-Level File Recovery
WSL can be used to mount NTFS volumes and attempt low-level recovery operations that Windows Explorer cannot handle. Using Linux tools such as testdisk or photorec within WSL provides advanced recovery methods for damaged or deleted files. This hybrid approach allows experienced users to extract data while still operating from within Windows.
9. Integrate Third-Party Recovery and Optimization with Glary Utilities
Glary Utilities offers file recovery tools that specialize in restoring deleted files, even after the Recycle Bin has been emptied. Its File Undelete feature supports FAT and NTFS file systems and includes filtering by file type, size, and recovery state for precision. Beyond recovery, Glary Utilities provides disk cleanup and folder management utilities, which prevent file corruption and improve system stability—essential for maintaining a recovery-ready environment. Advanced users can also use its secure file deletion feature to ensure only intended data is permanently removed, minimizing accidental recovery issues.
10. Automate Backups via PowerShell Scripting
For ultimate customization, advanced users can create PowerShell scripts to copy, archive, or synchronize files across multiple storage devices. Scripts can leverage cmdlets like Copy-Item, Get-ChildItem, and Compress-Archive to perform complex backup tasks. By combining these scripts with Task Scheduler, a fully automated recovery ecosystem can be built, ensuring no reliance on a single recovery tool.
Configuring file recovery methods in Windows 10 requires a layered approach that combines built-in tools, advanced system policies, third-party utilities like Glary Utilities, and automation scripts. Each method provides a unique safeguard, and when properly combined, they form a comprehensive recovery strategy suitable for advanced users managing complex file and folder environments.