Solved - Files in Downloads Folder Disappeared [2024]

Updated to Troubleshooting Tips by William on Feb 26, 2024 | Approved by Daryl Baxter

It’s not a big deal when files in downloads folder disappeared. There are several workarounds for you to fix the issue and get back the missing files. You can check out the recycle bin, search in drive, and cloud storage service. If all ways fail to work, try iBeesoft Data Recovery to recover files missing from downloads folder in Windows 11/10 or Mac right away. Check out the details now.

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"Files missing from my downloads folder. It is obvious the downloads are saved in the folder. However, some really disappeared. What am I gonna do?"

To be honest, the Downloads folder is not the right place to save files. It’s a destination where browser downloads and saves the download files. However, people like to keep the downloaded files still there unless they have to move them somewhere else. If your files in downloads folder disappeared, try the following ways to retrieve them.

Fix the problem "files in downloads folder disappeared" with iBeesoft Data Recovery

iBeesoft Data Recovery is a professional tool specially designed for people to recover and retrieve lost files on the computer, either they’re hidden somewhere or deleted unexpectedly. Here are some of its main features for recovering files lost on the computer.

Your Safe & Effective File Recovery Tool

(Trust Score 4.7 by 1695 Users)
  • Supports over 200 file types in different formats, like videos, pictures, audio files, emails, browsing history, downloads from web browsers, and applications.
  • Get files back in different scenarios, like deletion, missing, system crash, virus attack, system reinstall, and more.
  • It can also restore files from formatted hard drive in Windows 10, 8, 7, 11, and Mac.
  • Standalone version for Windows PC and Mac respectively, helping users to find files disappeared in the Downloads folder in all OS.

Download it to fix the problem of "files in download folder disappeared"!!!

Download for Windows Download for macOS

Here in the following, let’s talk about how to make use of iBeesoft Data Recovery to find files missing from the downloads folder.

  1. Download and install the data recovery software
  2. Whether you want to find files missing from downloads folder in Windows 10 or on Mac, just download the right version of the software for your computer. Install it the way you install other software. There will be no incompatibility issue at all.

  3. Select hard drive to scan
  4. In the next window, you can see all the hard drives listed. By default, the download folder belongs to drive C if you haven’t targeted the location manually. Please select the drive C as the target hard drive to scan and click "Scan" to recover Downloads folder on Mac or Windows PC.

  5. Recover files in downloads folder disappeared
  6. Wait for the scanning process to finish. After then, you can see all the found files. They are sorted and put into the directory in the left panel. Select the file type on the left side and check out the details. When find the files lost from downloads folder, select them and click "Recover" to save them on your computer.

Downloads folder is not a perfect place to save important files. It is a temporary place to save temporary files. To make your files safe, save important files to Drive D or Drive E. Whenever you find files in downloads folder disappeared, find them right away with iBeesoft data recovery software. Otherwise, you might lose the files permanently.