Recover Your TXT Files Using 3 Text File Recovery Ways

May 21, 2025Andrew Miller

Do you have an experience that accidentally delete your TXT file on your computer This article shares three practical methods to help you recover deleted and lost TXT files. They are using a third-party tool, checking recycle bin and using File History function. Now, browse them and select your preferred text file recovery way to find your data back.

Part 1. Safe Way to Recover Deleted TXT Files
Part 2. Recover Unsaved Notepad Files from Windows 10
Part 3. Text File Recovery from Previous Versions
Part 4. FAQs of Text File Recovery

Part 1. Safe Way to Recover Your Lost and Deleted TXT Files

First, I recommend a reputable text file recovery tool for you to recover your deleted and lost TXT files. If you prefer a straightforward and quick way to find lost text files, or if these files are very important, you should start with the powerful Aiseesoft Data Recovery. The software adopts the latest algorithm to scan your device and search for your lost .txt files. Aiseesoft has been a trustworthy recovery tool for over 15 years. More importantly, all your personal data is secure. Its read-only access ensures that there won’t be further damage to your TXT files.

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The recommended text file recovery software can deal with various data loss situations. Whether you lose important TXT files due to mistaken deletion, unsaved, corruption, system crashes, or even overwriting, you can rely on it to perform a successful recovery. It can recover deleted and lost text files from Notepad, WordPad, TextEdit, WordPad, Text, Word, and other text editor apps. Besides TXT files, Aiseesoft also supports other common file types, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents, emails, videos, images, and audio.

Step 1.

Download and launch the text file recovery software on your Windows PC or Mac. Choose the hard disk to scan your lost TXT files. To retrieve deleted and unsaved text files on a Mac, you are allowed to select Document to search for the plain text data directly.

Step 2.

After clicking the Scan button, Aiseesoft will start a quick scan on your selected drive. It also offers a deep scan option if you fail to find target TXT files. All your files will be listed in their paths or types after the scan. Go to Document to look for your lost text files.

Step 3.

There is an individual TXT folder that carries your text files. When you enter the folder, you can browse them to find the necessary ones you want to retrieve. Enable Only Show Deleted to sort out the results. You can also search for .txt or use the provided filter function to quickly locate them. When you move your mouse on each file, you can check details about the text file. Please tick the boxes next to the file name to choose them, and then click Recover to confirm the text file recovery.

Part 2. Learn to Recover Deleted Notepad Files in Windows 10

When you accidentally remove some critical text files from a Windows 10 computer, you can go to the Recycle Bin to search for them. If they can be found there, right-click and choose Restore. These TXT files will be recovered and added to their source folder. However, for an unsaved Notepad file, it won’t be moved to the folder. In that case, try recovering it from temp files.

Press the Windows + R keys at the same time to display the Run dialogue, type %Temp% in the Open box, and press Enter to navigate the temporary folder. After that, you need to type .txt in the upper-right search box to list related text files. When you locate the unsaved Notepad file, create a copy of the TXT file and then open the newly created one. You can view, edit, and save this Notepad file normally.

Part 3. Text File Recovery from Previous Versions Using File History

Your Windows computer has a handy backup tool called File History that can create copies of your files. That ensures all your important data is protected, even if an accident happens. If you have turned on File History on your PC to save copies, you can easily restore deleted, corrupted, and even overwritten TXT files from previous versions.

Open File Explorer on your PC and go to the specific folder where your lost text files were saved. Right-click it and choose the Restore previous versions option. In the popup, you should see several earlier versions of the folder. Click Open to check these previous versions. When you get the correct one, click Restore and proceed with your action.

Restore Deleted Text Files from Previous Versions

Part 4. FAQs of Text File Recovery

What is a TXT file?

A TXT file is an unformatted file that only contains plain text. You can’t add any formatting effects or images to it. For instance, you are not allowed to bold or italic letters in a TXT file. That ensures it can be widely supported by different devices, systems, and applications. TXT files can be easily viewed and edited by basic text editors, such as the built-in Notepad on Windows and TextEdit on Mac.

Is Notepad only available for Windows?

Notepad is a text editor that is solely available for Windows computers. It is a standard component of Windows systems for basic text editing needs. Microsoft does not bring an individual version for macOS. Notepad++ can be a more advanced version of Notepad. Similarly, it is currently only available on Windows. Actually, Apple designed its text editor for macOS called TextEdit. You can use the preinstalled application to edit your text files with ease.

What is the shortcut to recover a deleted text file?

When you need to undelete a text file, you can press Ctrl + Z (Windows) or Command + Z (Mac) to restore it. If you have performed other actions before pressing the shortcut, the deleted text file won’t be recovered. When you fail to undo the deletion, go to the Recycle Bin or Trash and search for it.

Conclusion

You can learn three effective solutions to recover your text files from this post. For important TXT files, you should use the introduced Aiseesoft Data Recovery to rescue them. Follow the steps carefully to avoid data being overwritten and further damage.

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