Emily Bennett
How To Recover Data After Your Computer Resets Itself
So, your Windows PC decided to reset unexpectedly, and now you’re staring at an empty drive wondering what the heck happened. Believe it or not, this isn’t super rare. Sometimes after a Windows update or even a weird crash, the system fancies resetting itself, leaving the files in a weird limbo or in some hidden folder. Yeah, it’s frustrating, but there are a few ways to dig your files out of the rubble.
Step 1: Scan Your PC for Malware — Because maybe it’s not the reset, but some sneaky malware
Malware can cause all sorts of weird behavior, including forcing your PC to reset or corrupting files. First thing to try — run a thorough malware scan. On some machines, malware might mess with your system equations enough to trigger weird resets, or maybe just hide your files. Not sure why it works, but a full scan can sometimes find and eliminate the baddies that are causing chaos.
- Download and install Microsoft Safety Scanner. Honestly, it’s pretty lightweight and gets the job done as a first try.
- Run a full system scan by launching the tool, then choosing “Full scan.” It might take a little while, but it’s worth it.
- While you’re at it, consider installing a solid free antivirus, like this list. Better safe than sorry, right?
This step is basically to make sure no malware is causing that mysterious reset. Sometimes it’s malware, sometimes it’s not, but ruling it out helps.
Step 2: Dig Into the Users Folder — Your files might just be hiding where they shouldn’t be
If your files aren’t showing on the desktop or in usual places, they might still be lurking in the profile folders. Here’s how to check:
- Open File Explorer and go to C:\Users. That’s where Windows keeps user profiles.
- Locate your user folder. Could be named after your account or something similar.
- Browse around — sometimes files get dumped into hidden folders, or maybe the reset kinda messed up permissions. If access is denied, you might need to enable the hidden administrator account. It’s kind of weird but sometimes necessary — you can activate it following this quick guide: activate the Windows Super Administrator Account.
- Once logged in as admin, you should be able to access your profile folder without fuss. Copy your files somewhere safe — like an external drive or cloud storage. Do this ASAP because the reset might overwrite stuff or delete traces of data.
- Don’t forget to disable the admin account after you’re done for security reasons — Windows doesn’t like leaving that stuff wide open.
Step 3: Is it Ransomware? Yeah, That Could Be It
If your files are encrypted or your PC’s locked up, ransomware could be the culprit. It’s malicious software that encrypts your data and demands a ransom. Good news — you can try to detect and stop it early.
- Look out for encrypted files, ransom notes, or your system behaving totally different than normal.
- To check, restart your PC and hit F8 during boot — if your machine supports legacy boot options. Pick Safe Mode with Networking. If not, you might have to do this via advanced startup options (Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Restart now).
- Once in safe mode, run a trusted anti-malware scan — like Malwarebytes Free or any reputable tool listed on this site. Ransomware often has a harder time in safe mode.
- If you find ransomware, follow the guide here— what to do after ransomware. Usually, you should isolate the machine, don’t pay the ransom, and use recovery tools.
Note: In my experience, some ransomware variants are stubborn, and cleaning them takes multiple attempts or even professional tools.
Extra Tips & Common Pitfalls
Here’s a couple more things that don’t always come to mind:
- If files aren’t in the User profile, check if backups exist—maybe in cloud services, or if you set up Windows Backup, go poke around in Control Panel > Backup and Restore.
- Always keep your anti-malware software updated and run regular scans. Because Windows has to make it harder than necessary sometimes.
- Use cloud storage or external drives for vital files, just to minimize future headaches.
Summary
- Check the Users folder for your files.
- Run a malware scan with Microsoft Safety Scanner.
- Look for ransomware signs, boot into safe mode if needed, and run anti-malware scans.
- Consider restoring from backups if available.
Hopefully this shaves off a few hours for someone. Data recovery after weird resets isn’t always straightforward, but these steps cover a lot of ground. Good luck!