Defender in windows 11 deleted a file and protection history is empty, how to restore ? and how to make it quarantine the file instead of deleting ?
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2then how you know it's defender that did the deletion?– Joep van SteenNov 28, 2022 at 13:11
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4notification from defender, after I click on the notification and go to protection history it is empty– zacNov 28, 2022 at 13:13
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1Well, this is too vague. if you're on SSD it's safe to assume a file that was actually deleted can not be restored/recovered. AFAIK Windows defender quarantines rather than delete. What file was it? were you installing something? If so then try to reproduce and take screenshots.– Joep van SteenNov 28, 2022 at 13:30
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2 Answers
If the file was fully deleted (cannot be found in the Recycle Bin), your only option, if you don't have a backup, is to use a data-recovery program to find and restore the file.
The best recovery programs are commercial, but here are a couple of free trial products:
- EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free will recover up to 2GB for free.
- MiniTool Power Data Recovery Free
The only way I know for preventing Defender from deleting files is to add an exclusion of the folder or file in question. This is done in Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Virus & Threat protection > Manage Settings, under Exclusions, by clicking on Add or remove exclusion.
Look in Windows Defender quarantine. The file may be there.
If it was WD that deleted the file, and if not in the WD quarantine, then unfortunately it is gone.
That happens for some files that WD sees as serious threats.
Your only option in this case would be to try recovering the file with recovery utilities.
