Windows File Recovery gave me the wrong file type

Question

I downloaded windows file type and ran on admin account, then I typed "winfr E: C: /extensive /n *.psd"

Which should only return a file with .psd but gave me No psd files. Instead It gave me a .docx file for some reason.

Answer 1

Hi Justin Lahn,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A!

I understand why this is confusing, especially since you seemingly used the correct winfr command and filter. However, I need to clarify a few things:

1 - Windows File Recovery does not guarantee original file format

The winfr command recovers raw data blocks + /extensive mode recovers fragments, NOT validated files. If the file’s metadata (name, extension, structure...) is damaged or missing, Windows cannot reliably identify the original format.

• File names are generic
• File extensions may be incorrect
• The recovered file may not open in the original app

2 - The /n *.psd filter is not a guarantee result

The /n switch is only a search filter, not a definite validation rule. If no intact PSD file records exist, winfr will still recover any recoverable data blocks it finds, even if they appear as another file type.

3 - Unreliable file extension

A recovered file showing .docx also does not mean it was originally a Word file or can only be opened in Word. It just means Windows assigned an extension based on remaining data patterns. You can test this by:

• Open File Explorer > click View (top menu) > check File extension
• Making a copy of the recovered file and renaming .docx to .psd
• Try to open it > if it fails, the PSD structure is no longer recoverable.

In short, this happened likely because the original PSD file is no longer intact, so Windows cannot recover it in the correct format and assign the rest of data as its closest possible (which is docx. in your case).

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Answer 2

When using Windows File Recovery with the command you provided (winfr E: C: /extensive \n *.psd), it's important to ensure that the command is correctly formatted and that the source drive (E:) contains the files you are trying to recover. If you are receiving a .docx file instead of the expected .psd file, it could be due to several reasons:

1. File System Limitations: The recovery tool may not be able to identify or recover certain file types if they are not present in the file system or if they have been overwritten.
2. Command Syntax: Ensure that the command syntax is correct. The use of \n may not be necessary and could affect the command's execution. Try running the command without it.
3. File Type Recognition: The tool may misidentify files based on their headers or content, especially if the .psd files are corrupted or if the recovery process has mixed up file types.
4. Recovery Options: The /extensive option is designed to perform a deeper scan, but it may also yield unexpected results if the file structure is damaged.

You might want to try running the command again without the newline character and ensure that the drive you are scanning has not been excessively used since the files were deleted, as this can affect recovery chances.

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References:

• Employ file recovery in Windows client
• Start-WBFileRecovery
• Policy CSP - ADMX_FileRecovery
• Can't open images and videos I downloaded myself because they could be potentially harmful - Microsoft Q&A