How do I restore my Desktop folder in Windows 7?

• What are previous versions?
• How do I restore previous versions of a file or folder?
• Can I restore a file or folder that was deleted or renamed?

Previous versions are either copies of files and folders created by Windows Backup or copies of files and folders that Windows automatically saves as part of a restore point. You can use previous versions to restore files and folders that you accidentally modified or deleted, or that were damaged. Depending on the type of file or folder, you can open, save to a different location, or restore a previous version.

1. Right-click the file or folder, and then click Restore previous versions.

   Youll see a list of available previous versions of the file or folder. The list will include files saved on a backup [if youre using Windows Backup to back up your files] as well as restore points.

   Note

   To restore a previous version of a file or folder thats included in a library, right-click the file or folder in the locationwhere its saved, rather than in the library. For example, to restore a previous version of a picture thats included in the Pictures library but is stored in the My Pictures folder, right-click the My Pictures folder, and then click Restore previous versions.

2. Before restoring a previous version of a file or folder, select the previous version, and then click Open to view it to make sure its the version you want.

   Note

   You cant open or copy previous versions of files that were created by Windows Backup, but you can restore them.

3. To restore a previous version, select the previous version, and then click Restore.

   Warning

   • The file or folder will replace the current version on your computer, and the replacement cannot be undone.

   Note

   If the Restore button isnt available, you cant restore a previous version of the file or folder to its original location. However, you might be able to open it or save it to a different location.

If you accidentally delete or rename a file or folder, you can restore a previous version of that file or folder, but you need to know the location where the file or folder was saved. To restore a file or folder that was deleted or renamed, follow these steps:

1. Click the Computer icon on your desktop to open it up.
2. Navigate to the folder that used to contain the file or folder, right-click it, and then click Restore previous versions.

3. If the folder was at the top level of a drive, for example R:\, right-click the drive and then click Restore previous versions.

4. Double-click a previous version of the folder that contains the file or folder you want to restore. [For example, if a file was deleted today, choose a version of the folder from yesterday that contains the file.]

5. Drag the file or folder that you want to restore to another location, such as your desktop or another folder.

   The version of the file or folder is saved to the location that you selected.

   Tip

   If you dont remember the exact file or folder name or its location, you can search for it by typing part of the name in the search box in the Computer folder.