Recover Deleted TSV Files on Windows

Updated on Oct 28, 2026 | by Qiling

Quick Navigation:

Identify the Missing File
Check Copies and Protect the Drive
Recover with Qiling Deep Data Recovery
Verify Before Reuse
Frequently Asked Questions

A TSV is plain text with tab-delimited fields, often exported from a spreadsheet or database. Check the source workbook, database, and scheduled export folder before scanning.

Identify the Missing tab-separated data (.tsv)

Confirm the original filename, folder, and storage device. Search for a moved or renamed copy before assuming deletion. If the file still exists but will not open, make a copy and investigate file damage; an undelete scan is not a repair tool.

Do not import a recovered file directly into a live database. Preserve the original encoding and delimiter while inspecting copies.

Check Copies and Protect the Drive

Check the Recycle Bin, File History, cloud version history, application backups, and any other device that held the file. If it was cloud-only, use the service's own recovery tools first; a local disk scan cannot search a remote account.

Stop saving to the affected physical drive. New data can overwrite deleted blocks, and SSD TRIM can reduce recovery chances. Set aside a different physical disk for results. If the original device disconnects, makes unusual noises, or reports hardware faults, avoid repeated scans and consider specialist help.

Recover with Qiling Deep Data Recovery

Qiling Deep Data Recovery scans Windows-visible local storage for deleted files. It cannot recreate a file that was never saved, replace missing companion data, or guarantee success after overwriting. Use it only after checking the copies above.

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Step 1. Choose the Scan Mode

Open the program. Choose Fast Scan for a recent local deletion, Recycle Bin Scan if the file was emptied from the bin, USB/SD Scan for removable media, or Format Scan if the source was formatted. Match the mode to the event, not just the file extension.

Choose a Qiling scan mode to recover tab-separated data (.tsv)

Step 2. Select the Original Location

Select the disk or partition that held the missing tab-separated data (.tsv). Check its drive letter and capacity so you do not scan an unrelated disk. Keep the destination drive separate.

Select the source drive for tab-separated data (.tsv) recovery

Step 3. Review Candidate Files

When the scan completes, search by original filename and extension if available. Compare folder, date, size, and nearby related files. Keep several plausible versions; a matching name or preview does not establish that the entire file survived. If the first pass finds nothing and the disk is healthy, try the deeper scan option.

Review found tab-separated data (.tsv) candidates

Step 4. Save to Another Physical Drive

Select the candidates, click Recover, and save them to the prepared drive. Do not write them back to the source or overwrite a working backup. Test copies rather than the only recovered originals.

Save recovered tab-separated data (.tsv) to another disk

Verify Before Reuse

Open a copy in a text editor and data tool. Compare header, row count, column alignment, character encoding, and final records.

If one copy is incomplete, compare older backups, exports, and other candidates. Renaming an extension does not reconstruct missing bytes. Once a result is confirmed, back up the file together with any required linked assets or companion files.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I rename CSV to TSV to restore missing data?

No. Renaming does not recreate rows or change delimiters.

Why do columns shift in a spreadsheet?

Tabs, line breaks, quoting, or encoding may differ from the expected import settings.

Where should I save recovered files?

Use a different physical drive so the recovery output cannot overwrite other deleted data on the source.

Research export folders may also contain sequence data, which is not ordinary tab-delimited data. Use FASTA Sequence Files Recovery to check sequence records or FASTQ Read Files Recovery to check reads, quality strings, and paired files.