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Short answer
Search for the earlier file name in File Timeline. Open a matching event, compare its previous and current locations, and use Show in folder when a current location is available. This works only with retained observations; it cannot recover an unobserved earlier move.
Before you start
- File Timeline was observing the relevant folder when the change happened.
- The activity remains within the chosen history retention period.
Start here
Search the name you remember
Open File Timeline from its notification-area icon. In Search file names and paths, enter part of the earlier name or folder path.
Choose the relevant event
Find a matching Renamed or Moved entry when one was observed. Open Details and compare Previous location, Observed location and Current location where shown.
Go to the current file
Select Show in folder when File Timeline can verify the current location. Use Open only when you want to open the file in its associated application.
Keep an unavailable path as a clue
If the current location is unavailable, use Copy observed path to keep the historical path for your own search. Do not treat that path as proof the file still exists there.
Check your result
- The event refers to the file and folder you intended.
- The current location is verified before you open it.
- If search finds nothing, check the observed scope, exclusions, retention and interruptions.
If the earlier name is missing
Try a shorter, distinctive part of the name or its former folder. The change may predate setup, fall outside retained history, or have happened while the app was paused or the location unavailable.
For a file never observed by File Timeline, search its current name in File Explorer or another current-file search tool. That is a different task from searching recorded earlier names.
Moves outside the observed folder
A destination can sometimes be verified when a file leaves observation. Later activity at an unobserved destination is not followed.
A Removed entry does not by itself prove permanent deletion. The destination or deletion may be unverified. Check the actual details and, when appropriate, Windows Recycle Bin or your backup.