We all make mistakes and accidentally delete important files from our computers. Thankfully, Windows 10 offers several ways to try and recover those deleted files, even if they’re not in the Recycle Bin. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through the various methods you can use to restore deleted files in Windows 10.
Check the Recycle Bin first
Before trying any advanced recovery methods, your first stop should always be the Recycle Bin. This is where Windows stores any files and folders you delete, just in case you change your mind or delete something by accident. To check the Recycle Bin:
- Open the Recycle Bin – You can find a shortcut to it on your desktop, in File Explorer, or by typing “Recycle Bin” in the search box.
- Look through the contents – Scan through the files and folders in the Recycle Bin to see if what you’re looking for is there.
- Restore as needed – If you find the deleted file(s) in the Recycle Bin, right click on them and select Restore to put them back in their original location.
If you emptied the Recycle Bin, those files are no longer stored there. But don’t worry, you still have options to try and recover them.
Use File History to restore previous versions
The File History tool in Windows 10 allows you to go back in time and restore older versions of your files from backups. Here’s how it works:
- Open File History – Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Backup > Add a drive or whatever location you have set up for File History.
- Browse for your file – Look through your historical file backups for the folder and file you want to restore.
- Restore the version – Once you find the right version, click Restore to retrieve the previous version of that file.
File History is handy for recovering accidentally deleted files or older versions. But it relies on having backups already set up. If you never enabled it, this method won’t work.
Use System Restore to roll back your PC
The System Restore tool in Windows allows you to revert your entire PC back to an earlier restore point. This can help recover deleted files by essentially turning back time on your system. Here’s how to use it:
- Open System Restore – Go to Start and search for “System Restore”. Click on it.
- Choose a restore point – Pick a restore point from before you deleted the files. The older the restore point, the more files you’ll recover.
- Confirm and restart – Follow the prompts to initiate the system restore. Your PC will restart into the restore point.
- Check for your files – Once your PC is back in the restore point, you should be able to access any files you thought were deleted.
System Restore is very handy and requires no prior setup. But it doesn’t always guarantee restoring every single deleted file. Still, it’s worth trying out.
Recover files from your hard drive
If the above options don’t work, the nuclear option is to scan your hard drive directly to recover deleted files. This leverages data recovery software to dig deep into your hard disk and pull out anything it can find. Some options to try:
Use professional data recovery software
Paid recovery software like Disk Drill, Stellar Data Recovery, or EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard offer advanced scanning of hard drives to pull up a deep list of lost and deleted files. They can recover from hard disks, USB drives, SD cards, etc. The pros are they provide professional-grade file recovery. The cons are it costs money and requires installing the software.
Try Recuva for free recovery
Recuva is a popular free file recovery program from CCleaner. It offers deep scanning features for free to recover deleted files from hard drives and other media. The pros are it’s free and easy to use. The cons are it has fewer advanced capabilities than paid software.
Use TestDisk to recover entire partitions
TestDisk is a free, open source data recovery program mainly focused on recovering lost partitions or making non-booting disks bootable again. It can also dig up and restore deleted files in the process. The pros are it’s free and good for partition recovery. The cons are it’s less user friendly and not as targeted for specific file recovery.
Scanning your hard drive for recoverable files offers the most comprehensive recovery capabilities. But it depends on the files not being overwritten yet. The sooner you scan after deletion, the better your chances.
Try Third-party Undelete Software
In addition to the above methods, several third-party undelete and data recovery programs are available that you can use to recover deleted files in Windows 10.
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is a popular and effective data recovery program available for Windows. It can recover deleted files even if you have emptied the Recycle Bin. It offers a simple interface and effective scanning of storage media. Both a free and paid version are available.
Stellar Data Recovery
Stellar Data Recovery has a reputation for deep scanning and high recovery rates for deleted files. It supports recovery from hard drives, external media, virtual drives, and more. A free trial is available to preview recoverable data before purchasing the full software.
Disk Drill
Disk Drill features powerful data recovery capabilities packed into a user-friendly interface. In addition to deleted files, it can also recover lost partitions and reconstruct damaged disks. You can preview found files before recovering them. The basic app is free, with paid upgrades available.
Recuva
Recuva is a lightweight but powerful recovery tool. It excels at deep scanning and restoring files from removable media like USB drives, SD cards, etc. A free version is available with all core features, while the paid Pro version adds more advanced capabilities.
PhotoRec
PhotoRec isn’t as full featured as some other tools but excels at one thing: recovering image and media files. If you’ve deleted photos, videos, music, or similar files, PhotoRec is worth running to try and restore them.
Use Shadow Explorer
Shadow Explorer is a unique tool that leverages Volume Shadow Copies on your PC to browse and recover older versions of deleted files. It offers another avenue to potentially recover files you thought were permanently deleted.
Try File Carving
File carving is an advanced data recovery technique used to reassemble deleted files by searching through the raw data on a drive. R-Studio and ReclaiMe File Recovery are two programs that offer file carving capabilities to potentially recover files when all else fails.
Send your drive to a pro
As a last resort, you can remove your computer’s hard drive and send it to a professional data recovery service. They have specialized tools and clean room facilities to maximize the chances of restoring deleted data. This can get very expensive but may be worth it for irrecoverable files.
Prevent file deletion in the future
To avoid finding yourself in this situation again, here are some tips to prevent accidental file deletion going forward:
- Be more careful when deleting files – Always double check what you’re deleting before confirming the deletion.
- Disable the Recycle Bin delete confirmation – This adds an extra step before files are permanently deleted.
- Back up your files – Maintain backups so you always have another copy of important files.
- Use versioning software – Tools like File History automatically keep older versions of files.
- Enable Recycle Bin protection – Stops even the Recycle Bin from being emptied accidentally.
Recover Deleted Files Not in Recycle Bin Using CMD
You can also use the Command Prompt to recover deleted files no longer in the Recycle Bin. Here are the steps:
- Type cmd in the Windows search bar and open Command Prompt
- Type “chkdsk C: /f” and hit Enter to run a scan on your C drive
- Type “Y” and hit Enter to confirm the scan if prompted
- Wait for the scan to finish, which can take some time
- Once complete, close Command Prompt and restart your PC
- The scan may help recover deleted files not currently in the Recycle Bin
Using chkdsk with the /f parameter scans your drive for errors and attempts to recover readable data. This might restore previously deleted files and folders. It’s not guaranteed, but worth trying along with the other methods mentioned.
Try Data Recovery Software
If the above techniques don’t recover your deleted files, you may need dedicated data recovery software. Here are some of the best options:
| Software | Price | OS | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| EaseUS | Free or $70 | Windows, Mac | Full disk recovery, formatted drive restore, portable version |
| Stellar | $80 | Windows, Mac, Linux | Recovers from smartphones/tablets, recovers lost partitions |
| Disk Drill | Free or $90 | Windows, Mac | Unlimited file recovery, preview before recovery, RAID recovery |
These tools dig deep to find and restore deleted files. Look for one that does partition recovery, works with all storage media, and lets you preview found files. While not free, they offer an excellent chance of recovering deleted data when all else fails.
Conclusion
Accidentally deleting important files can be stressful. Thankfully Windows provides built-in tools like the Recycle Bin, File History, and System Restore to help recover those deleted files in many cases. You can also leverage data recovery software to restore files that can’t be found through other means. Just make sure to avoid writing new data to your drives before scanning them to maximize your chances of file recovery.
With the right tools and techniques, you have an excellent chance of getting back deleted files, even if they’re not in the Recycle Bin. Be proactive about backups and shadow copies going forward to prevent finding yourself in this situation again down the road.