Whether you accidentally or intentionally delete a file or folder on your computer, you can easily get it back with the help of the Recycle Bin. However, If you find it is not there due to the emptied Recycle Bin or improper settings, how can you restore something deleted from the Recycle Bin?
Curious about the answers? Let's dive into this guide to get everything you need to know.
The answer is YES. When a file or folder is removed, it will be put into the Recycle Bin and stored there for 30 days. Once it exceeds this limit or you clear the Recycle Bin, the system will permanently delete it. That is to say, you still have the chance to regain it before then. However, what should I do if these are not here?
In that case, you'll need some recovery tools and additional tips to find files deleted from the Recycle Bin. In whatever situation you find yourself in, this guide will help you out of this tight spot.
Note: To maximize file recovery chances, you'd better not use your computer to save new files to prevent overwriting. What's more, don't forget to back your current data to the external disk or cloud storage to prevent data loss caused by wrong operations.
As introduced earlier, you can directly get data back before permanent deletion by visiting the Recycle Bin. If this is your case, follow these three different ways.
This method is suitable for people who accidentally delete items without performing operations such as copying/pasting, creating new files, etc. To do this, you need to right-click at the location where the file was deleted and select "Undo Delete" or press "Ctrl + Z."
Given the limitations of the "Undo Delete" option, looking directly at the Recycle Bin is also a more effective way to recover recently deleted files. If you haven't emptied it yet, please follow these steps.
If you're an experienced computer user, then you can use the Command Prompt to return deleted files from Recycle Bin. Here are the steps.
Tip: here is a guide on how to recover permanently deleted files using CMD.
As is well known, if you empty the Recycle Bin or delete data in it, they will permanently disappear, so you must abandon traditional recovery methods. This section will introduce some helpful solutions applicable to this situation.
The first, as well as the most efficient solution is to use a program. There are innumerable such tools on the web. Based on our search and test, we found two options that are worth trying. Now, let's see how they make the cut.
We recommend iBeesoft as your first choice because, compared to other tools, it treats the Recycle Bin as a separate scan source and comes with advanced recovery and repair features, which may allow you to complete this process more quickly.
Here, please follow these simple steps to recover things deleted from the Recycle Bin using iBeesoft Data Recovery.
Another Recycle Bin Recovery tool is Windows File Recovery, a program created by Microsoft that aims to recover deleted files in Windows 10 or Windows 11. Unlike iBeesoft, which has a graphical interface, it is just a command-line utility.
Before getting started with this tool, note that it doesn't support any old version of Windows. So, ensure you've installed Windows 10's May 2020 Update or a newer version of Windows 11. If everything is ready, just follow these steps to get back files deleted from Recycle Bin.
Then, you'll need to enter the following format: winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/mode] [/switches].
Windows File Recovery has released two versions: the Winter 2020 and Summer 2020. Compared with the two versions, the former is relatively easy to use, so we will mainly focus on this version. The Winter 2020 release offers two recovery modes: Regular and Extensive. Which modes to choose depends on the file system type and the time your file was deleted. More specifically, you can refer to the following table.
This method can restore files, folders, and even entire drives to an earlier point. However, compared to third-party solutions, it works when enabling File History or System Protection beforehand.
Tip: If this is your first time using them, please follow the guides below to enable them to avoid future data loss.
If you have ever synced the items deleted from Recycle Bin with a cloud storage service like OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, and more, you can get them on these cloud services directly. Let's take OneDrive, one of the most used cloud services, as an example and see how to do it.
If the files you deleted from the Recycle Bin are located on the system partition and you have previously created a system backup, then the following steps may help you return the lost items.
If none of the above-listed methods help to recover files that were deleted from Recycle Bin, then your best bet is to contact a hard disk recovery service to help. Such a service has experienced experts who excel at dealing with various problems with data.
When these items are important, you can find them from a Google search by typing in keywords like "data recovery service nearby."
Sometimes, you may face a problem where you find the deleted data is not in the Recycle Bin even if you didn't permanently delete it. This problem may occur for various reasons, such as exceeding the maximum limit for storing files, improper settings, or any other mal operations. Whatever, you can apply these solutions to fix this issue.
First, it's necessary to check the Recycle Bin settings to see if anything is wrong with them. To do this, right-click the Recycle Bin and select "Properties." Then, you'll see the settings for the selected location.
If this problem is caused by a corrupted or damaged recycle bin, then you can try resetting the Recycle Bin using the following command.
Tip: If the these methods don’t work, here are some more solutions suitable for fixing deleted files that are not in the Recycle Bin.
That's all about our guide on recovering deleted files from the Recycle Bin. As you can see, it can be easy to reget your data whether you've emptied the Recycle Bin or not. Regardless of your chosen method, remember to back up your existing data first to avoid unnecessary data loss.
In fact, the system only removes the index information of these items, and the data themselves are still kept in the original location. That is why we can use recovery software to get them back.
Please immediately stop using the partition or hard disk where it is stored and check if a copy is available. If not, then try using tools like iBeesoft Data Recovery, Recuva, Stellar Data Recovery, Windows File Recovery, and Disk Drill to recover documents deleted from the Recycle Bin.
These data will not be put into the Recycle Bin, and the only way to retrieve them without backup is to use file recovery software for Mac or Windows.
Of course! You can use iBeesoft Free Data Recovery, Recuva, or TestDisk. Although they are free, dealing with basic data loss issues is still sufficient.
If these things are extremely important and attempts to recover them using built-in tools and third-party software have failed, you can consult a professional data recovery service.
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