There are several methods that can be used to recover deleted data, depending on the type of data that was deleted and the circumstances around the deletion. The most common methods include data recovery software, restoring from backups, and forensic data recovery.
Can you recover deleted files?
Yes, it is often possible to recover deleted files, depending on how the file was deleted and what has happened to the storage device since deletion. When a file is deleted, generally only the reference to the file in the file table is removed, not the actual file data itself. The data still resides on the storage device until it is overwritten by new data.
How is deleted data recovered?
There are a few main ways deleted data can be recovered:
- Using data recovery software to scan the storage device and rebuild file tables to restore deleted files that still reside on the device and have not been overwritten.
- Restoring deleted files from a backup copy if the files were backed up prior to deletion.
- Using forensic data recovery techniques in a lab to reconstruct heavily damaged or deleted data.
What is the best deleted file recovery software?
Some of the top data recovery software options include:
| Software | Key Features |
|---|---|
| EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard | Free version available. Recovers lost partitions and formatted, corrupted or deleted files. Works for Windows and Mac. |
| Stellar Data Recovery | Recovers data from all devices and supports both Windows and Mac. Has free and paid versions. |
| Disk Drill | Free recovery up to 500MB. Recovers data from internal and external drives. Has easy-to-use interface. |
| R-Studio | Powerful recovery for advanced users. Supports recovery even from formatted or damaged partitions. |
Can you recover permanently deleted files?
It is possible to recover some permanently deleted files, but complete recovery becomes less likely the longer the file has been deleted:
- If the file was recently deleted and the storage space hasn’t been overwritten, recovery software should be able to restore it.
- If the deleted file was partially overwritten or corrupted, only partial recovery may be possible.
- If the space was fully reallocated to new files, the original deleted file is unlikely to be recoverable.
Can deleted files be recovered after emptying recycle bin?
When files are deleted from the recycle bin, Windows simply marks the disk space they occupied as available for use. The deleted data still remains on the disk until it is overwritten. So recovery software can often restore these deleted files even after the recycle bin has been emptied, as long as that disk space has not been reallocated and overwritten.
How long does a deleted file stay in the recycle bin?
Deleted files remain in the Windows recycle bin indefinitely until:
- The recycle bin is emptied manually.
- The deleted files have been in the recycle bin for a certain period of time – 30 days by default in Windows 10.
- Enough new files are deleted to require the space for new deletions.
So recovering a file deleted from the recycle bin has the highest chance of success within 30 days of deletion.
Can you recover permanently deleted files from the recycle bin?
When files are deleted from the recycle bin, Windows removes their directory entry so they appear permanently deleted. However, their data still remains on the hard drive until it is overwritten by new content. So data recovery software can often restore these “permanently deleted” files and folders as long as the original space hasn’t been reallocated.
What happens when a file is deleted from a solid state drive (SSD)?
When a file is deleted from an SSD:
- The file’s entry in the file table is marked as deleted space.
- The SSD controller erases the file data itself and reallocates space almost immediately.
- Secure erase procedures can completely overwrite deleted file areas.
This makes deleted file recovery from SSDs much more difficult than traditional hard drives. Avoid writing new data and use specialized recovery software quickly for best chance of recovery.
Can you recover data from a damaged hard drive?
Damaged hard drives can often have data recovered but involve more complex procedures than a typical deleted file recovery. If the damage is logical, caused by something like corrupted file tables or overwritten data, recovery software may recover data. But if the damage is physical, to the platters and heads, specialized data recovery services are required.
Can you recover data after factory reset?
When a device like a smartphone or tablet is factory reset, most data is marked as deleted space. As long as this space hasn’t been reallocated and overwritten after the reset, data recovery tools can restore a large amount of user data. However, with solid state storage and trim commands becoming more common, factory reset data recovery is becoming more difficult.
Can deleted files be recovered after system restore?
System Restore does not permanently delete any user files. It simply reverts system files and settings back to a restore point. User files that existed before the restore point remain on the hard drive in their original location. So restore points do not affect the ability to recover deleted user files and documents using data recovery tools.
What is the best free deleted file recovery software?
Some top free options for deleted file recovery software include:
- Recuva: Powerful free recovery tool from Piriform with deep scan options. Works on Windows.
- TestDisk: Open source data recovery with advanced features like partition recovery. Works across Windows, Mac and Linux.
- Photorec: Free companion to TestDisk focused on media file recovery like photos and videos.
What is the success rate for recovering deleted files?
Recovery rates can vary substantially based on the type of data and storage device:
- For recently deleted files on a hard disk drive with recovery software, the success rate is typically over 90%.
- For deleted files on flash drives or external SSDs, recovery rates may range from 50-80%.
- Heavily overwritten or damaged files may only have a 10-30% recovery success rate.
The most effective way to ensure successful data recovery is using multiple recovery methods and attempting recovery shortly after deletion, before substantial data reallocation occurs.
How long does it take to recover deleted files?
The time for deleted file recovery can range substantially depending on the search method:
- A quick file scan may take just minutes to search file directories and tables.
- A deep scan examining the entire device for residual data can take hours.
- Sending to a forensic recovery lab can take days or weeks for extensive analysis.
Prioritizing the most important files first, using fast SSD storage devices, and avoiding disk fragmentation can all help accelerate the data recovery process.
Can you recover deleted files after a crash?
Crashes and sudden system shutdowns can sometimes corrupt file tables or write partial data to disk. But often the bulk of the raw file data remains intact. Data recovery software scans for this residual data and can restore a significant portion of lost files by rebuilding directories and tables.
Can you recover deleted files from the cloud?
If files were deleted from cloud storage like Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive, you typically have about 30 days to recover files from the trash or version history before permanent deletion. But with additional cloud backup services, restoring older deleted copies from months or years back may be possible.
Can erased files be recovered from an external hard drive?
Erased files on external hard drives can often be recovered since the bulk of the data remains intact even after deletion or formatting. However, realize that continuing to write data to the external drive reduces the chances of recovery. Use disk imaging tools as soon as possible after file erasure for best results.
Can you recover permanently deleted files from Dropbox?
For about 30 days after deletion, Dropbox retains deleted files in its trash folder, allowing users to restore accidentally deleted data. Beyond 30 days, only deleted file versions stored through Dropbox’s extended version history system can be recovered. So enabling extended version history is key for long-term protection against permanent data loss.
How do I recover unsaved or lost Word documents?
To recover unsaved Word documents:
- First check for auto-recovered versions of the file which Word saves periodically.
- Try a file recovery tool to scan for Word temp files still on disk.
- On Windows, search for auto-save files in C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word.
Enabling autosave and backup to cloud storage can help minimize risk of losing Word documents in the future.
Can you recover an overwritten file?
Overwritten files are very difficult to recover since their original data has been replaced. However, recovery may be possible in certain cases:
- If only part of the file was overwritten, data recovery tools can sometimes reconstruct the file.
- Unused disk space containing file fragments may still hold remnants of old overwritten file versions.
- Forensic methods like magnetic force microscopy can read traces of overwritten data on platter surfaces.
But these overwritten file recovery techniques often have very limited success rates. The best way to protect valuable data is prevention – backups and archiving old versions of files.
Conclusion
While accidentally deleted files can often be recovered using the right software and techniques, prevention is always better than a cure. Make sure to regularly back up important files and enable versioning systems that retain older copies. For mission critical data, using redundant backups across multiple devices is key. Carefully considering your deletion actions and avoiding unnecessary permanent erasure of data that could have future value is highly recommended. But when data loss does occur, thankfully there are powerful recovery tools available to help restore lost files in many common cases.