How To Recover Files Deleted From Recycle Bin? [2024]

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1. How to Recover Files Deleted from Recycle Bin?
2. Top Methods: Recover Deleted Files from Empty Recycle Bin
3. Tips to Avoid Permanent Data Loss
4. FAQs

How To Recover Files Deleted From Recycle Bin?

When you delete files or folders on your Windows computer, they are moved to the Recycle Bin, a holding bay. The deleted items stay in the Recycle Bin for around 30 days after which these files are deleted from there.

Another way to delete files is to use the Shift + Del function. In this case, the files are deleted permanently. 

In both cases, you will not see these files and folders anywhere. Naturally, you won’t be able to access them. The following questions pop up. 

• Is it even possible to perform Recycle Bin Recovery for deleted files?
• How do I perform Recycle Bin Recovery?
• How difficult is it to recover data that’s been deleted from Recycle Bin?

Although it’s possible to recover these seemingly permanently deleted files, however, that will cost you time and money. Stellar Data Recovery software can let you recover data up to 1 GB for free, even after you delete it from the Recycle Bin. 

Also Read: Free Data Recovery Tools from Stellar

You should always be careful when deleting any files, lest you find yourself mistakenly losing your essential data. If you need to perform recycle bin recovery for deleted files, then we have all the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) methods that might work. Read to know how to recover deleted files from recycle bin?

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Top Methods: Recover Deleted Files from Empty Recycle Bin

Method 1: Restore from File History Backup

Recover deleted files from recycle bin by using File History. The steps are as follows:

1. Click the search box present on the Taskbar.
2. Type “restore file” and select “Restore your files with File History”.
3. On the Home – File History window, look for the file you wish to restore.
4. Check all the versions of the file by using the arrows.
5. After finding the correct version, select Restore. This will restore the file to its usual place.
6. In case you wish to restore the file to a different location, right-click Restore then select “Restore to”. Then provide the restored location.

[NOTE]: When the File History backup drive isn’t set up, you need to add a drive by using the steps mentioned next to prevent future data loss:

1. Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Backup.
2. Click Add a drive.
3. Select an external drive or network location for backup.

If you have not created a backup before deleting files from Recycle Bin, then opting for data recovery software or data recovery services would be a viable solution.

Also Read: Best Methods to Find Lost or Missing Files on Windows 10/11

Method 2: Use Windows Data Recovery Software

Recover files deleted from Recycle Bin by using Windows file recovery software. This method is helpful when you don’t have a backup, or if the backup is not up to date. Follow the steps mentioned below to recover the permanently deleted data:

• Download and install the trial* version of the Stellar Data Recovery software.
  

• Launch the software and let the default “All Data” checkbox remain selected. Click Next.
  
  

• Select the storage drive where files got deleted, then toggle on Deep Scan and click Scan. The software scans for lost data and renders a preview of all recovered files.
  

 

• Now, Click the Deleted List tab and select all the files you wish to recover. Click Recover.
  

• Finally, Browse to specify the destination then click Save.

Stellar Data Recovery software can perform recycle bin recovery for all file formats.

*Demo version of the software permits you to scan the drive and preview the recoverable files. To save the recoverable data, you need to purchase a product key and then activate the data recovery software.

Stellar Data Recovery Software Benefits:

• Unlimited recovery
• Instant delivery by email
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• 1 Month and 1-year subscriptions are Available
• Free updates
• 24*6 Free technical support
• The trial version is also available for Windows 11

Method 3: Opt for Data Recovery Service

Another way to recover recycle bin deleted files is to go for a deleted file recovery service. Stellar Data Recovery is Asia’s leading data recovery service provider for you to put your trust in.

Stellar Data Recovery Service Benefits

• No recovery no charge*
• Media pick & drop facility
• Media assessment
• Logical cum physical recovery
• Remote Recovery and In-Lab Recovery option

Method 4: Use Windows Backup

Backing up your files is the best way to protect yourself from accidental deletes. Every Windows version after Windows 7 has Windows Backup. With this, you can back up selected libraries in just a matter of clicks. 

Here’s how to configure Windows Backup 

1. Go to Settings

2. Click on “Update & Security”

3. Select “Backup”. In Windows 11, this setting can be found on the Control Panel under “System and Security”.

4. There will be a section labelled “Looking for an older backup”. In this, click on the “Go to Backup and Restore” option.

5. In this tab, select the “Set up Backup” option

6. Choose the drive you want to store the backed-up files in. Then click “Next”

7. Now, a dialog box labeled “What do you want to backup” will pop up. You can choose between “Let Windows Choose” or “Let me Choose” 

If you choose the former, Windows will automatically select the libraries to back up. This may result in the backup missing essential folders. 

If you choose the latter, you can pick the files you want to back up. 

Select the option more suitable to your needs and click “Next”.

If you’ve selected “Let me Choose” in the previous step, you will need to specify all the libraries you want to back up. 

Check the option labeled “Include a system of drives: System Reserved, (C:)”. This is what will allow you to restore files. Click “Next”

8. Automatically, backups occur weekly. But you can alter the schedule by clicking “Change Schedule”. 

Then check the “Run backup on a schedule” option. Here, you can select the frequency you want the backups to occur. Click “Ok”

9. Click “Save settings and exit.”

How to Restore Your Files 

Here are the steps to restore your files from the backup you’ve created. 

On Windows 7

1. Go to the Control Panel

2. Select System and Security

3. Select Backup and Restore

4. Click Restore my Files. The restoration Wizard will take you through the steps. Follow the instructions to complete file restoration

On Windows 10

1. Go to Settings 

2. Select Update and Security

3. Choose the Backup option

4. Choose the Go to Backup and Restore option

5. Select a backup to restore. Follow the steps in the Wizard

Also Read: The Computer Won’t Wake Up From Sleep on Windows 11: How to Fix the Issue?

Method 5: Restore the Previous Version

File History is a backup feature available in recent versions of Windows. Previous versions can be copies of files and folders created by Windows Backup. When enabled, File History will take regular backups of your files.  

From this backup, you can restore deleted files, albeit older versions of them. Here’s how to restore deleted files using File History. 

1. Right-click on the folder that contained the file you deleted

2. Click on “Restore previous version” from the menu that appears

3. Select the version you want to restore and click the “Recover” button

Tips to Avoid Permanent Data Loss:

• Don’t select the option “Don’t move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted.” from the Recycle Bin properties.
• Don’t uncheck the “Display delete confirmation dialogue” checkbox from the Recycle Bin properties.
• Stop using your PC or storage drive straightaway until you recover the deleted files to prevent permanent data loss due to overwriting.
• Keep at least 3 copies of critical files, 2 copies must be stored at different storage media, and at least 1 copy must be offsite. This helps restore data from any data loss scenarios.

Here is the video on “how to recover files deleted from the Empty Recycle Bin?”

Allocate More Space to the Recycle Bin

Typically, once a file has been in the Recycling Bin for 30 days, it gets permanently deleted. But files are also permanently deleted if the recycling bin runs out of space. 

So it’s always a good idea to allocate more space to your Recycle Bin. Here is how to do that. 

1. Right-click on the Recycle Bin folder and choose the “Properties” option. 

2. Opt for the “Custom Size” option. You can then adjust the space you want to allocate to the Recycle Bin

3. Click “Apply” and “Ok” to save the changes

This is an effective method to prevent accidental permanent deletion from the Recycle Bin. 

FAQs

1. How to recover files deleted from the Trash on Mac?

Even after a file is permanently deleted on Mac, it remains on the disk. If you’ve accidentally deleted a file, stop using your computer immediately. This will prevent the data from being overwritten. Then, you can use Mac data recovery software to recover deleted files from recycle bin. 

2. Where do files go after being deleted from the Recycle Bin?

After files are deleted from the Recycle Bin, the space gets deallocated. So the information that gives you the file’s location on the hard drive is deleted. Since the path is erased, the file becomes ‘invisible’ to the OS. As new data comes in, the old data is overwritten. Until such time, it is possible to recover such files using data recovery software. 

3. How long does it take to recover data using Data Recovery Software?

Stellar Data Recovery software works by scanning your drive, and showing you which files can be recovered. The time needed for data recovery depends on the size of the disk you’re trying to recover. If you need to recover a specific file, and the software is able to scan that part of the drive sooner, you can recover it within only a few hours. 

4. What is the probability that I can recover all of my files?

The success of data recovery depends on whether or not the data on your disk has been overwritten. If it has, then it may only be possible to retrieve fragments of data. That’s why it’s prudent to act fast once you’ve accidentally deleted data. 

Also Read: Why Stellar Data Recovery should be your Preferred Choice of Data Recovery?

5. Is data recovery software more effective than restoring from a backup?

Taking regular backups is the best way to prevent data loss. Backups guarantee the same version of the file. If you use data recovery software, the file version you can recover depends if the lost data has been overwritten. 

Conclusion

The blog outlined various methods to recover files deleted from Recycle Bin. The first method requires a File History backup. In this method, you need to have an up-to-date backup of your PC to restore deleted or lost files from the backup drive. The second method involves the usage of Windows file recovery software in case there is no backup.

Finally, the third method suggests a data recovery service when you wish to recover deleted data without any difficulty. Stellar Data Recovery is a reliable name in the data recovery industry with 30+ years of expertise in data recovery. The provider caters to all logical and physical data loss cases.