The invention discloses a method for recovering a file by reducing the initial cluster number of an FAT32 directory entry. The method comprises the following steps: 1, searching a data area, and distinguishing deleted files; 2, acquiring the high level of the initial cluster number of the directory entry according to the directory entry of a deleted file; 3, searching a directory entry of which the high level is zeroed, and recoding; 4, extracting the directory entry recorded in the step 3 to recover a corresponding file; and 5, judging whether the task is completed, if the task is completed, ending the operation, and if the task is not completed, executing the step 4. By adopting the method, files of which the high level of the initial cluster number is cleared can be found and recovered, the research range can be reduced according to a parent directory or the high level of a file of a same class, the program operation time is shortened, files can be recovered through three levels of judgment, and the success rate is increased.