When you delete a file on your computer, it may seem like it’s gone for good. However, with the right tools and techniques, it is often possible to recover deleted files, even if you emptied the Recycle Bin or Trash. Here’s what you need to know about recovering permanently deleted files.
How File Deletion Works
When you delete a file in Windows, macOS, or Linux, the operating system does not immediately remove the file data from your hard drive. Instead, it marks the space occupied by the file as “available for use” and makes it invisible to the normal user. The actual data remains on the hard drive until it gets overwritten by new data.
This is why it’s possible to recover deleted files – the data is still there if you know how to look for it. However, there is no guarantee how long the data will remain before being overwritten. The sooner you attempt to recover the files, the better your chances.
Recovering Files from the Recycle Bin
If you deleted files and immediately realized you shouldn’t have, first check the Recycle Bin (Windows) or Trash (Mac). This is where deleted files go, unless you permanently delete them by right-clicking and selecting “Delete” or emptying the Recycle Bin/Trash. To restore files from here:
- Windows – Open the Recycle Bin, right-click on the file(s) and select “Restore”.
- Mac – Open the Trash folder, right-click on the file(s) and select “Put Back”.
If the files you need are no longer in the Recycle Bin/Trash, don’t panic yet. There are still recovery options covered later in this article.
Recover Files After Emptying the Recycle Bin
If you emptied the Recycle Bin/Trash or used Shift+Delete to permanently erase files, they will not be recoverable through that interface. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be recovered through other means.
As mentioned before, the data still exists on the hard drive until it gets overwritten. Powerful data recovery software can scan the drive and recover deleted files. Here are some options:
Recovery Software
Recovery software is the best way to get back deleted files after emptying the Recycle Bin. They can thoroughly scan your drives to find recoverable data. Popular recovery programs include:
- Recuva – Free recovery software for Windows. Can recover files from hard drives, external drives, memory cards, etc.
- EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard – Freemium data recovery for Windows with paid upgrades for more features.
- Stellar Data Recovery – Data recovery for Windows, Mac and RAID systems. Free trial available.
- Ontrack EasyRecovery – Advanced paid recovery software for Windows and Mac.
- Disk Drill – Feature-packed Mac file recovery app with free and paid options.
Run a thorough scan with your chosen recovery program on the drive where the files were deleted. With luck, you’ll be able to preview and recover your “lost” files!
Data Recovery Services
If DIY recovery software can’t find your files, a professional data recovery service may be able to help recover them from your drive. They have access to advanced techniques like extracting data from damaged drives. Examples include:
- DriveSavers
- Ontrack
- Gillware
However, keep in mind professional recovery services can get very expensive. Prices often start around $500 and can go into the thousands, so this is really a last resort option.
Tips to Increase Chances of File Recovery
To maximize your chances of recovering deleted files, follow these precautions:
- Avoid writing new data to the drive – This could overwrite your deleted data and make recovery impossible.
- Don’t install recovery software on the problem drive – Install it on a different drive to avoid overwriting data.
- Act quickly – The longer you wait, the lower your chances due to potential data overwrites.
How Can Deleted Files Be Recovered?
Deleted files can be recovered because the data still exists on the hard drive until it is overwritten by new data. When a file is deleted, the operating system simply marks the space it occupied as being available for new data. The actual file contents remain on the drive.
Data recovery software can scan the drive and look for traces of deleted files that have not yet been overwritten. By analyzing file signatures and metadata, they can often restore deleted data even if the original filename is gone. However, the chances of recovery decrease over time as deleted areas get overwritten.
Why Can’t Deleted Files be Recovered from SSDs?
It is much more difficult to recover deleted files from solid state drives (SSDs) compared to traditional hard disk drives (HDDs). There are a few key reasons for this:
- TRIM – SSDs support a TRIM command that permanently deletes data by erasing internal mappings. This makes data unrecoverable.
- Wear leveling – SSDs spread write operations across many blocks to extend lifespan. This scatters file data across the drive.
- Encryption – Many SSDs use full-disk encryption, making data recovery without the password virtually impossible.
For these reasons, there is very little chance of recovering a deleted file from a SSD after emptying the Recycle Bin. Prevention (backups!) is the best solution.
Can Formatted Drives be Recovered?
When a drive is formatted, all its data is marked for deletion to prepare the disk for a new file system. However, the actual data remains until overwritten. Therefore, recovery of formatted drives is possible in many cases.
Here’s an overview of formatted drive recovery:
- Use recovery software to scan the drive and extract files marked for deletion.
- This works best if nothing has been written to the formatted drive.
- The longer the formatted drive is in use, the lower your chances.
- Recovering 100% of formatted data is difficult, but partial recovery is possible.
- For best results, a professional recovery service may be needed.
So in summary – yes, formatted drive recovery is often possible if you act quickly and use the right tools, but results cannot be guaranteed.
What Are the Best Free Deleted File Recovery Programs?
Here are some of the top free deleted file recovery programs:
| Program | Platform | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Recuva | Windows | Recovers files from hard drives and portable media. Multiple scan options. |
| TestDisk | Windows, Mac & Linux | Open source tool for recovering lost partitions and repairing boot sectors. |
| Photorec | Windows, Mac & Linux | Recover lost photos, video, documents & archives from hard disks, CDs, etc. |
| Disk Drill | Mac OS X | Recovers 200+ file formats from internal and external drives. |
These free data recovery tools provide an effective and zero-cost option for retrieving deleted files. They recover from a variety of devices and situations. However, free versions typically have limited capabilities compared to paid recovery software.
What Are the Most Effective Paid File Recovery Programs?
Here are some of the top paid data recovery programs with advanced capabilities:
| Program | Platform | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Ontrack EasyRecovery | Windows/Mac | Recovers from RAID, encrypted drives, corrupted files, & unbootable systems. |
| R-Studio | Windows/Mac/Linux | Advanced file recovery, RAID recovery, long file name support. |
| Stellar Data Recovery | Windows/Mac | Deleted file, partition, and photo recovery capabilities. |
| Disk Drill | Mac OS X | Undelete protection, system crash recovery, boot disk maker. |
These paid programs provide sophisticated recovery algorithms, customizable scans, and advanced capabilities that may be needed for complex file recovery cases. The investment can pay off when trying to recover critical data.
Should I Use a Professional File Recovery Service?
Consider a professional file recovery service if:
- Critical or large volumes of data are involved
- Complete privacy and security are needed
- Advanced techniques like forensic-level recovery apply
- DIY software recovery attempts were unsuccessful
- The storage device has physical damage or errors
Professional recovery has a higher cost but offers advanced techniques, clean room facilities, priority service, and experience recovering data from even severely damaged drives.
However, try DIY software recovery first in most consumer cases. Professional services are really intended for business/enterprise customers with very high-value data loss scenarios.
How Can I Increase My Chances of File Recovery?
Follow these tips to improve your chances of successfully recovering deleted files:
- Stop using the device containing the deleted data to prevent overwriting
- Don’t save anything new to the drive you are trying to recover from
- Use read-only recovery software to avoid altering the drive
- Scan quickly – the longer you wait, the lower your chances
- Try multiple recovery programs for best results
- Store recovered files on a different drive than the source
Prevention is also key – always maintain backups of important files and be cautious when deleting anything you may need later. But if loss does occur, following proper file recovery procedures can help get your data back.
Can Snapshot Tools Recover Old File Versions?
Yes, snapshot tools that take periodic backups of your data can often recover older versions of files, even ones you may have deleted or changed. Examples include:
- Apple Time Machine – Automatically backs up Macs to external drives
- Windows File History – Allows restoring earlier file versions on Windows
- Windows Previous Versions – Lets you restore from local VSS shadow copies
- Mac OS X Lion Recovery – Time Machine snapshots stored locally
- Third-party backup tools – Apps like Code42 support file versioning
Snapshots work by saving incremental backups of your files at the block level over time. Even if you delete or alter a file, you can restore a snapshot containing the previous version.
The key advantage of snapshots is convenience – you don’t have to recover deleted files manually. The disadvantage is limited retention of older versions (depending on backup frequency).
What Are the Disadvantages of File Recovery?
Some drawbacks and risks associated with file recovery include:
- No guarantee of success – Full recovery is never assured
- Cost – Paid recovery software or services can get expensive
- Time and effort – Recovering files can be a lengthy process
- No original filenames/directories – Structure may not be restored
- System instability – Buggy recovery software can damage systems
- Private data exposure – Recovery by outsiders risks data privacy
While file recovery can seem like a miracle when it works, there are cases when it simply won’t work as effectively as you need. That’s why backups and prevention are critical.
Conclusion
Recovering deleted files is often possible thanks to modern data recovery solutions. But results can vary widely depending on the specific situation. To maximize your chances:
- Use recovery software as soon as possible after data loss
- Avoid writing anything new to the drive you want to recover from
- Try multiple recovery programs for the best chance of success
- Store recovered files on a separate drive from the original
- Consider professional help for critical cases that DIY options can’t solve
Preventing file loss via comprehensive backups is much easier than recovery after the fact. But when disaster strikes your data, don’t give up hope. With persistence and the right tools, you stand a decent chance of getting back even your “deleted forever” files.