Find a lost file

If you created or downloaded a file, but now you cannot find it, follow these tips.

  • If you do not remember where you saved the file, but you have some idea of how you named it, you can search for the file by name.

  • If you just downloaded the file, your web browser might have automatically saved it to a common folder. Check the Desktop and Downloads folders in your home folder.

  • You might have accidentally deleted the file. When you delete a file, it gets moved to the trash, where it stays until you manually empty the trash. See Recover a file from the Trash to learn how to recover a deleted file.

  • You might have renamed the file in a way that made the file hidden. Files that start with a . or end with a ~ are hidden in the file manager. Press the menu button in the sidebar of the window and enable Show Hidden Files to display them. See Hide a file to learn more.